The Wireless Foundation
The Wireless Foundation is a Washington, DC-based organization that advances social impact through wireless technology. Its 2024 filing identifies it as a Form 990 public charity and describes its work as supporting mobile-first solutions to challenges in American communities.
The Wireless Foundation at a glance
In short: The Wireless Foundation gave $340K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $34K), top state New York. 60% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $340,000
- -20.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- -37.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $34,000
- +26.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,500
- Total assets
- $36,049,439
- +5.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 60% first-time grantees (6 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (33% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Wireless Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 1400 16Th Street Nw Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 736-3257
Website: https://wirelessfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Wireless Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Upchieve ($112K). Together the top 10 received $340K.
Grant Size Distribution
50 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 32 grants of 50 (64%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its work as addressing challenges in American communities. Its 2024 grants went to recipients in multiple states; the largest shares of grant dollars were directed to recipients in New York (33%), Missouri (23%), California (12%), Montana (11%), and Louisiana (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Wireless Foundation open to new grantees?
60%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 10 grantees (60%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $43K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $27K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 40% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−7%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $250K (2020) to $431K (2022). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $340K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Upchieve New York, NY | General Support | $111,800 |
| Healthy Hip Hop Foundation Kansas City, MO | General Support | $62,800 |
| Beforewebegin Inc Bozeman, MT | General Support | $38,400 |
| Camelback Ventures New Orleans, LA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Fast Forward San Francisco, CA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Patientory Inc Atlanta, GA | General Support | $16,000 |
| Palmplug Seattle, WA | General Support | $16,000 |
| Objective Zero Foundation Wilmington, DE | General Support | $15,000 |
| Kai XR Futures Inc Oakland, CA | General Support | $15,000 |
| Storyup Inc Columbia, MO | General Support | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $36,049,439 | $2,317,574 | $1,621,611 | $340,000 | 10 | $2,052,574 |
| 2023 | $34,178,321 | $1,803,885 | $1,250,248 | $430,000 | 16 | $1,671,324 |
| 2022 | $31,599,585 | $1,955,746 | $1,084,919 | $431,000 | 12 | $1,629,758 |
| 2021 | $35,119,176 | $2,185,328 | $1,267,927 | $366,550 | 7 | $1,916,941 |
| 2020 | $33,107,896 | $1,392,886 | $885,038 | $250,000 | 5 | $1,241,701 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states that its mission is to advance positive social impact fueled by innovative wireless technology in American communities. Its Catalyst program supports early-stage social entrepreneurs using wireless technology and mobile-first applications to enhance lives and address community challenges. The foundation also describes policy-maker education, Changemaker Awards, and accelerator partnerships as program activities.
A 2024 grantee, UPCHIEVE, describes its own mission as democratizing access to academic support so students have an equal opportunity to finish high school, attend college, and achieve upward mobility.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $340,000. Grant amounts ranged from $15,000 to $111,800, with a median of $20,500. The listed grants were for general support. Among the recipients, UPCHIEVE received $111,800 and Healthy Hip Hop Foundation received $62,800.
The foundation’s 2026 Catalyst call describes unrestricted awards of $100,000 for first place, $50,000 for second place, and $25,000 for third place, plus three $10,000 honorable mentions. The call also describes non-financial benefits, including media training and speaking opportunities for the top three winners. Awardees and honorable mentions are required to attend in-person events; winners also participate in video production and submit interim and final grant reports.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Meredith A. Baker as president; Jamie Hastings as secretary; Dolores Kreiger as executive director; Eduardo Arthur as chairman; Angela Baker as treasurer, as of May 2024; Eminence Griffin and Jennifer Schneider as directors, as of October 2024; Carrie Hughes as vice chairwoman; and Raquel Noriega and Michele Thomas as directors.
The Wireless Foundation is led by Dolores Kreiger, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 14 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Dolores Kreiger
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Meredith A. Baker
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eduardo Arthur
Chairman
Vice Chairman → Chairman, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Baffer
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Blake Tye
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael O'Brien
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Raquel Noriega
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michele Thomas
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eminence Griffin
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Schneider
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carrie Hughes
Vice Chairwoman
Director → Vice Chairwoman, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jamie Hastings
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Hogan
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Angela Baker
Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Clint Odom (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Grant Spellmeyer (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Megan Pollock (2020–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Philip Christopher (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Alice Tornquist (2020–2021) — Chairwoman
- Former: Amanda Gardiner (2020) — Director
- Former: Cathleen Massey (2020) — Director
- Former: Debby Ballard (2020) — Director
- Former: Jeanine Poltronieri (2020) — Director
- Former: Marie Sylla-Dixon (2020) — Director
- Former: Mary Clark (2020) — 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 The Wireless Foundation
How much does The Wireless Foundation give each year?
The Wireless Foundation gave $340K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $430K across 16 grants.
What is The Wireless Foundation's typical grant size?
The Wireless Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $20,500, and its average grant was $34,000, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Wireless Foundation that year got $43K on average.
Where does The Wireless Foundation give grants?
The Wireless Foundation's top state is New York, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Missouri (23%) and California (12%).
Does The Wireless Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Wireless Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are The Wireless Foundation's largest grantees?
The Wireless Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Upchieve ($111,800), Healthy Hip Hop Foundation ($62,800) and Beforewebegin Inc ($38,400), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Wireless Foundation?
The Wireless Foundation reported $36.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.3M.
What does The Wireless Foundation fund?
The foundation states that its mission is to advance positive social impact fueled by innovative wireless technology in American communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Wireless Foundation?
The Wireless Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check wirelessfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Wireless Foundation's EIN?
The Wireless Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1708229. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Wireless Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-wireless-foundation-morg_bb4205617c244df8ad900dda2799944e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521708229_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Wireless Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-wireless-foundation-morg_bb4205617c244df8ad900dda2799944e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Wireless 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.
The Wireless Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?