Blue Ocean Inc
Blue Ocean, Inc. is a private foundation based in Germantown, Maryland. The organization describes itself as an international nonprofit promoting health, education, and women’s job creation in developing countries.
Blue Ocean Inc at a glance
In short: Blue Ocean Inc gave $353K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $27K), top state Hawaii. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $352,500
- +1.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -27.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $27,115
- +40.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $8,209,755
- +42.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (2 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Hawaii (15% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Blue Ocean Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 19700 Vaughn Landing Drive, Germantown, MD 20874
Phone: (240) 778-9985
Website: https://www.blueoceanusa.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Blue Ocean Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Kyung Joon Lee ($80K). Together the top 10 received $344K.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 61 grants of 73 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Blue Ocean’s website describes programs in Cambodia, Morocco, Indonesia, Thailand, and Mauritania. Its 2024 filing statements also describe direct charitable activities in Türkiye, Morocco, Mauritania, and support for scholarships at University of the Nations Kona. The 2025 filing lists grants to recipients in Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, and Illinois, as well as recipients for which no location is provided.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Blue Ocean Inc open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 13 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $37K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 33% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 883% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $225K (2021) to $353K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $353K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kyung Joon Lee | Support Children Education Program | $80,000 |
| Maru Culture Center | Support for Empowering Woman | $55,000 |
| University of the Nation Kona Kailua Kona, HI | Scholarships for Students | $51,200 |
| Global Mission Church | Support Rehabilitation Education | $50,000 |
| Dongan Church | Support Bali Vocational School | $40,000 |
| Grace Home | Support Grace Home Orphanage | $37,000 |
| Dwell City Church Bel Air, MD | Support Young Student Edu Program | $10,000 |
| Summerlin Community Baptish Church Las Vegas, NV | Support Children Education | $10,000 |
| Ywam B W Germantown, MD | Support | $6,000 |
| Yangrim Presbyterian Church | Support | $4,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Blue Ocean Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $8,209,755 | $2,916,709 | $467,022 | $352,500 | 13 | $3,413,267 | $2,872,883 | $386,649 |
| 2024 | $5,766,890 | $174,003 | $425,787 | $347,535 | 18 | $396,556 | $171,618 | $394,170 |
| 2023 | $6,014,003 | $125,624 | $381,897 | $299,490 | 14 | $352,190 | $121,929 | $394,198 |
| 2022 | $6,255,715 | $13,013 | $344,177 | $265,765 | 14 | $315,254 | $12,539 | $264,976 |
| 2021 | $6,586,779 | $9,738 | $266,884 | $224,550 | 14 | — | $9,518 | $270,439 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Blue Ocean Inc reported a distributable amount of $387K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Blue Ocean states that it seeks to promote health, education, and women’s job creation in developing countries. Its website describes HIV/AIDS prevention education and care in Cambodia; vocational training for women in Morocco; and education and medical services for young people and people in need in Bali, Indonesia. It also describes scholarship support and kindergarten programs.
The 2025 filing lists grants for children’s education, scholarships, women’s empowerment, rehabilitation education, a vocational school, an orphanage, and pediatric art therapy. Among its grantees, Wheaton College describes its own mission as serving Jesus Christ and advancing His kingdom through liberal arts and graduate programs that educate the whole person and benefit society worldwide.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Blue Ocean reported 13 grants totaling $352,500. Grants ranged from $1,200 to $80,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest listed awards included $80,000 to Kyung Joon Lee for a children’s education program, $55,000 to Maru Culture Center to support empowering women, $51,200 to University of the Nation Kona for student scholarships, $50,000 to Global Mission Church for rehabilitation education, and $40,000 to Dongan Church for a Bali vocational school. Other listed awards included $37,000 to Grace Home for an orphanage and $10,000 to Dwell City Church for young student education.
The filing also lists $1,200 to Wheaton College. Wheaton College describes its own mission as serving Jesus Christ and advancing His kingdom through education that benefits society worldwide.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kwan Hee Lee as president, Seoung Chul Park as secretary, Hyung Joon Kim as treasurer, Ho June Lee as executive vice president, Hey Ran Lee as director of administration, Hyun Joo Lee as public relations, and Miyoung Ju Lee as trustee.
The organization’s website identifies Dr. Kwan H. Lee as president and a founder, Ms. Hyun J. Lee as vice president of operations, and Mr. Hojoon Jon as executive vice president.
Blue Ocean Inc is led by Kwan Hee Lee, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kwan Hee Lee
President
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hey Ran Lee
Director of Administrator
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Miyoung Ju Lee
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hyun Joo Lee
Public Relat
On filings since 2021
20 hrs/week
$11K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Ho June Lee
Executive Vice President & Strate
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hyung Joon Kim
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Seoung Chul Park
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2021 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2021 filing was $11K, to Hyun JOO Lee (Public Relat).
Frequently asked questions about Blue Ocean Inc
How much does Blue Ocean Inc give each year?
Blue Ocean Inc gave $353K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $348K across 18 grants.
What is Blue Ocean Inc's typical grant size?
Blue Ocean Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $27,115, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Blue Ocean Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does Blue Ocean Inc give grants?
Blue Ocean Inc's top state is Hawaii, with 15% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was Maryland (6%).
Does Blue Ocean Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Blue Ocean Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Blue Ocean Inc's largest grantees?
Blue Ocean Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Kyung Joon Lee ($80,000), Maru Culture Center ($55,000) and University of the Nation Kona ($51,200), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Blue Ocean Inc?
Blue Ocean Inc reported $8.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $387K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Blue Ocean Inc fund?
Blue Ocean states that it seeks to promote health, education, and women’s job creation in developing countries. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Blue Ocean Inc?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Blue Ocean Inc's EIN?
Blue Ocean Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4360719. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Blue Ocean Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Blue Ocean Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/blue-ocean-inc-morg_dcdd17a603d246d9896424c4a78b596f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_204360719_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Blue Ocean Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/blue-ocean-inc-morg_dcdd17a603d246d9896424c4a78b596f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Blue Ocean Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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