Blue Waters Foundation
Blue Waters Foundation is a private foundation based in Boca Grande, Florida. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations in several states, with the largest shares of grant dollars going to recipients in Illinois and Michigan.
Blue Waters Foundation at a glance
In short: Blue Waters Foundation gave $150K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state Illinois. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $149,500
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,679
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $2,166,221
- +0.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (1 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (36% 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 Waters Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1697, Boca Grande, FL 33921
Phone: (312) 608-1324
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Blue Waters Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation ($30K). Together the top 10 received $143K.
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 87 grants of 87 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois (36%), Michigan (34%), Oklahoma (10%), New York (10%), and Florida (9%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Blue Waters Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 14 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 93% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−16%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 116% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $150K (2024) to $198K (2020). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $150K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation Traverse City, MI | General Support | $30,000 |
| The Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | General Support | $25,000 |
| Shedd Aquarium Chicago, IL | General Support | $22,000 |
| Folds of Honor Foundation Owasso, OK | General Support | $15,000 |
| The Salvation Army of Traverse City Traverse City, MI | General Support | $15,000 |
| Tunnel to Towers Foundation Staten Island, NY | General Support | $15,000 |
| Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation Tampa, FL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Blessings in a Backpack Chicago, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
| The Wallace R Bostwick Memorial Fund Placida, FL | General Support | $3,000 |
| Chadtough Defeat Dipg Foundation Saline, MI | General Support | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Blue Waters Foundation?
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 | $2,166,221 | $191,516 | $171,619 | $149,500 | 14 | $151,725 | $173,322 | $130,814 |
| 2024 | $2,146,901 | $134,127 | $169,384 | $149,500 | 14 | $151,690 | $117,953 | $127,487 |
| 2023 | $2,181,930 | $123,081 | $206,263 | $186,000 | 15 | $188,190 | $106,783 | $122,006 |
| 2022 | $2,265,354 | $138,633 | $200,849 | $179,000 | 24 | $181,062 | $121,608 | $127,648 |
| 2021 | $2,327,997 | $162,413 | $187,201 | $167,000 | 20 | $168,637 | $135,425 | $141,617 |
| 2020 | $2,352,303 | $96,596 | $215,721 | $197,500 | 23 | — | $80,400 | $131,072 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Blue Waters Foundation reported a distributable amount of $131K 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
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as healthcare, food assistance, education, military and first-responder families, cancer research, and cultural and environmental institutions. For example, Folds of Honor Foundation describes its mission as providing educational scholarships to qualifying spouses and dependent children of military service members and first responders killed or disabled while serving. ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation says it funds research and supports patients and families affected by DIPG/DMG.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $149,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $30,000, with a median of $7,500. Notable grants included $30,000 to Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation, $25,000 to The Greater Chicago Food Depository, $22,000 to Shedd Aquarium, and $15,000 each to Folds of Honor Foundation, The Salvation Army of Traverse City, and Tunnel to Towers Foundation. All listed grants were designated for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kristin Elbert as president/secretary and Phillip Elbert as vice president/treasurer. Directors are Charles W. Elbert, Linlee Elbert, Lauren E. McCourt, and James P. McCourt III.
Blue Waters Foundation is led by Kristin Elbert, President & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kristin Elbert
President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles W. Elbert
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James P. McCourt III
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linlee Elbert
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lauren E. McCourt
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Phillip Elbert
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Lauren E. Elbert (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Waters Foundation
How much does Blue Waters Foundation give each year?
Blue Waters Foundation gave $150K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $150K across 14 grants.
What is Blue Waters Foundation's typical grant size?
Blue Waters Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $7,500, and its average grant was $10,679, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Blue Waters Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Blue Waters Foundation give grants?
Blue Waters Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Michigan (34%) and Oklahoma (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (3 grants) and Traverse City, MI (2 grants).
Does Blue Waters Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Blue Waters Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Blue Waters Foundation's largest grantees?
Blue Waters Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation ($30,000), The Greater Chicago Food Depository ($25,000) and Shedd Aquarium ($22,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Blue Waters Foundation?
Blue Waters Foundation reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $152K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $131K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Blue Waters Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as healthcare, food assistance, education, military and first-responder families, cancer research, and cultural and environmental institutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Blue Waters Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Blue Waters Foundation's EIN?
Blue Waters Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-4297287. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Blue Waters Foundation 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Blue Waters Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/blue-waters-foundation-morg_cc43c94c9bfb47c7bf965972bfe1830b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_274297287_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Blue Waters Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/blue-waters-foundation-morg_cc43c94c9bfb47c7bf965972bfe1830b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Waters 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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