Blue Sands Foundation
Blue Sands Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. It combines philanthropy with professional guidance to help individuals and children with limited resources develop work and life skills, and provides financial grants to fledgling organizations and programs.
Blue Sands Foundation at a glance
In short: Blue Sands Foundation gave $2.0M across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $74K), top state New York. 61% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,989,099
- -36.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 27
- +8.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $73,670
- -41.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $8,751
- Total assets
- $17,591,909
- +82.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 61% first-time grantees (14 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (4% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Blue Sands Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing states that applications are made online through the foundation’s website. It lists no deadline or award restrictions. The foundation says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Hossein Fateh
Mailing address: 1212 New York Ave Nw No 1000, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 262-9244
Website: HTTP://BLUESANDS.ORG/
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Blue Sands Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens Charity ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($8,325), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
117 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 96 grants of 117 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The reported 2024 distribution of grant dollars includes 4% to New York, 3% to Washington, DC, 3% to California, and 2% to Ohio. The largest listed grant went to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, but no recipient location is provided in the filing information here; the 88% share is likewise not identified by state.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Blue Sands Foundation open to new grantees?
61%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 23 grantees (61%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $197K. How we count
Medians: $9K first-time, $31K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $994K (2020) to $3.1M (2023). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens Charity | General Donation | $1,517,940 |
| Eton College | General Donation | $64,713 |
| Aiglon College Association | E-Bike Program | $58,907 |
| Stars in the Dark by the Giving Back Fund Los Angeles, CA | PLEDGE | $50,000 |
| Barnard College - Columbia University New York, NY | Tuition Support | $46,061 |
| The College of Wooster Wooster, OH | General Donation | $42,000 |
| Prior's Field School Washington, DC | Tuition Support | $30,920 |
| Swiss School of Tourism | Tuition Support | $30,672 |
| New York University New York, NY | General Donation | $30,000 |
| Frensham Heights School | Tuition Support | $26,330 |
Ready to take the next step with Blue Sands Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation’s EIN is 37-1797396.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $17,591,909 | $9,970,555 | $1,996,529 | $1,989,099 | 27 | $1,994,429 | $4,255 |
| 2023 | $9,617,920 | $1,964,873 | $3,124,392 | $3,124,392 | 25 | $3,124,392 | $10,243 |
| 2022 | $10,777,453 | $-192 | $1,161,314 | $1,123,838 | 24 | $1,126,411 | $1,785 |
| 2021 | $11,934,795 | $37,668 | $1,307,166 | $1,304,469 | 23 | $1,305,657 | $60,185 |
| 2020 | $13,045,823 | $1,194,411 | $1,018,498 | $994,305 | 18 | — | $1,185,787 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Blue Sands’ stated mission is to help people become financially self-sufficient and independent by cultivating essential work and life skills. It says it provides grants to fledgling organizations and programs and, on occasion, to low-income individuals with promise to build expertise in education, business, or essential skills.
Its 2024 grants included tuition support, general donations, a pledge, an e-bike program, and housing. Among the grantees, the College of Wooster describes its mission as preparing students to become leaders through a rigorous liberal arts education. New York University identifies education, research and scholarship, and patient care as its primary missions. Room to Read says it envisions a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Blue Sands reported 27 grants totaling $1,989,099. Grants ranged from $307 to $1,517,940, with a median grant of $8,751. The largest listed awards were $1,517,940 to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity for a general donation; $64,713 to Eton College for a general donation; and $58,907 to Aiglon College Association for an e-bike program. Other notable grants included $50,000 to Stars in the Dark by the Giving Back Fund for a pledge, $46,061 to Barnard College–Columbia University for tuition support, and $42,000 to the College of Wooster for a general donation.
The foundation’s website describes Blue Sands Scholars as individuals nominated by schools or organizations, and says it provides them with financial assistance. Its scholarship and grant application page says details of the process and opportunities would be posted once finalized.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Hossein Fateh as executive director. It lists Christopher Warnke, Dalia Fateh, Eric Hirsch, and Leandro Alves as directors.
Blue Sands Foundation is led by Hossein Fateh, Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Hossein Fateh
Executive Director
Director → Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Warnke
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dalia Fateh
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Hirsch
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leandro Alves
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Jada Spriggs (2020–2023) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Blue Sands Foundation
How much does Blue Sands Foundation give each year?
Blue Sands Foundation gave $2.0M across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.1M across 25 grants.
What is Blue Sands Foundation's typical grant size?
Blue Sands Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $8,751, and its average grant was $73,670, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Blue Sands Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Does Blue Sands Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 30% of Blue Sands Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Tuition Support" (9 grants) and "Housing" (5 grants).
Who are Blue Sands Foundation's largest grantees?
Blue Sands Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens Charity ($1,517,940), Eton College ($64,713) and Aiglon College Association ($58,907), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($8,325), which are not listed by name. Together they received 83% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Blue Sands Foundation?
Blue Sands Foundation reported $17.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $10.0M.
What does Blue Sands Foundation fund?
Blue Sands’ stated mission is to help people become financially self-sufficient and independent by cultivating essential work and life skills. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Blue Sands Foundation?
The 2024 filing states that applications are made online through the foundation’s website. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Blue Sands Foundation make grants?
The reported 2024 distribution of grant dollars includes 4% to New York, 3% to Washington, DC, 3% to California, and 2% to Ohio. The largest listed grant went to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, but no recipient location is provided in the filing information here; the 88% share is likewise not identified by state.
What is Blue Sands Foundation's EIN?
Blue Sands Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-1797396. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Blue Sands Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/blue-sands-foundation-morg_d23223c945364113b7e8e6e819a5a559
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_371797396_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Blue Sands Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/blue-sands-foundation-morg_d23223c945364113b7e8e6e819a5a559},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Sands Foundation'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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