The Blue Waters Foundation
The Blue Waters Foundation is a private foundation based in Annapolis, Maryland. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations supporting education, historic preservation, arts, music, watershed conservation, athletics, and other causes.
The Blue Waters Foundation at a glance
In short: The Blue Waters Foundation gave $1.9M across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $121K), mostly in Maryland. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,936,156
- +249.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- +60.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $121,010
- +118.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $100,700
- Total assets
- $20,956,718
- -5.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (6 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (86% 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 The 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 5406, Annapolis, MD 21403
Phone: (410) 295-2934
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Blue Waters Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was St Mary's School ($406K). Together the top 10 received $1.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 36 grants of 52 (69%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland. Other recipient-state shares were Tennessee, 6%; New York, 5%; California, 1%; and the District of Columbia, 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Blue Waters Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 16 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $81K; repeat grants $145K. How we count
Medians: $101K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 1000% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 119% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
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 $176K (2021) to $1.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Mary's School Annapolis, MD | Support of Higher Education | $405,648 |
| The Salisbury Foundation Salisbury, MD | Support of Higher Education | $306,916 |
| St Anne's School of Annapolis Annapolis, MD | Suport of Higher Education | $304,896 |
| Historic Annapolis Annapolis, MD | Preserve & Protect Historic Places | $149,862 |
| Blues Foundation Memphis, TN | Promotion of America's Native Music Art Form-Blues | $122,284 |
| Jazz Foundation New York, NY | Support Musicians in Need | $104,533 |
| Anne Arundel County Watersheds Stewards Academy Millersville, MD | Protect Watersheds | $100,899 |
| St Mary's Royal Blue Club Annapolis, MD | Support St Mary's High School Athletics | $100,711 |
| Arundel River Federation Edgewater, MD | Support mission of clean up of the south river. | $100,689 |
| Chesapeake Conservancy Annapolis, MD | Conserve & Restore Chesapeake Bay Watershed | $99,694 |
Ready to take the next step with The 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $20,956,718 | $114,127 | $1,942,924 | $1,936,156 | 16 | $1,936,156 | $107,359 | $1,627,209 |
| 2023 | $22,255,248 | $21,479,901 | $561,282 | $554,031 | 10 | $554,031 | $8,155 | $1,172,282 |
| 2022 | $1,465,991 | $23 | $214,534 | $211,630 | 9 | $211,630 | — | $170,346 |
| 2021 | $1,565,975 | $2 | $176,143 | $175,978 | 5 | $175,978 | — | $160,329 |
| 2020 | $1,649,513 | $32,619 | $196,502 | $193,587 | 12 | — | $29,704 | $128,039 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Blue Waters Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.6M for 2024 — 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 for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for schools and higher education, historic preservation, the arts, music, environmental conservation, athletics, and animal care.
Grantee missions illustrate the range of organizations it supports. Historic Annapolis describes its work as preserving and protecting historic places, objects, and stories in Maryland’s capital city. Chesapeake Conservancy says it works to conserve and restore the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Maryland Hall describes itself as a multidisciplinary arts center offering opportunities in arts education, visual arts, and performing arts. From the Heart Productions says it helps independent filmmakers create and complete films that make a difference.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $1,936,156. Grants ranged from $7,014 to $405,648, with a median grant of $100,700.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $405,648 to St. Mary’s School in Annapolis for higher education; $306,916 to The Salisbury Foundation for higher education; and $304,896 to St. Anne’s School of Annapolis for higher education. Other grants included $149,862 to Historic Annapolis for historic places; $122,284 to the Blues Foundation to promote blues music; $104,533 to the Jazz Foundation to support musicians in need; and $100,899 to Anne Arundel County Watersheds Stewards Academy to protect watersheds. The foundation also gave $99,694 to Chesapeake Conservancy, $60,010 to Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, and $30,000 to SPCA of Anne Arundel County.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David A. Earl as president.
The Blue Waters Foundation is led by David A. Earl, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David A. Earl
President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 The Blue Waters Foundation
How much does The Blue Waters Foundation give each year?
The Blue Waters Foundation gave $1.9M across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $554K across 10 grants.
What is The Blue Waters Foundation's typical grant size?
The Blue Waters Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $100,700, and its average grant was $121,010, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Blue Waters Foundation that year got $81K on average.
Where does The Blue Waters Foundation give grants?
The Blue Waters Foundation gives mostly in Maryland: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Tennessee (6%) and New York (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Annapolis, MD (7 grants).
Does The Blue Waters Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on The Blue Waters Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Blue Waters Foundation's largest grantees?
The Blue Waters Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include St Mary's School ($405,648), The Salisbury Foundation ($306,916) and St Anne's School of Annapolis ($304,896), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Blue Waters Foundation?
The Blue Waters Foundation reported $21.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Blue Waters Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for schools and higher education, historic preservation, the arts, music, environmental conservation, athletics, and animal care. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The 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 The Blue Waters Foundation's EIN?
The Blue Waters Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 16-1643931. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The 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
(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). The Blue Waters Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-blue-waters-foundation-morg_6037a75e8e334bd587fd85e842acde62
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_161643931_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Blue Waters Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-blue-waters-foundation-morg_6037a75e8e334bd587fd85e842acde62},
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 The 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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