The Water Foundation is a public 501(c)(3) foundation headquartered in Sacramento, California, with additional offices in Oakland and Los Angeles. Established in 2011 as an initiative within the Resources Legacy Fund in collaboration with major funders including the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Pisces Foundation, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, it became fully independent in January 2017. The organization functions as an intermediary foundation—the only one exclusively focused on water—serving as a connector of resources and relationships to advance water solutions across the United States.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$39.0M
+23.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$9.1M
-32.8% YoY
Grant Count
88
-14.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$104K
-21.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Water Foundation partners to protect and preserve water for people, for nature, and for the future. The foundation addresses water issues through collaboration across sectors and geographies, working directly with communities most impacted by water challenges and those capable of addressing them.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Safe and Affordable Drinking Water: Supporting efforts to secure clean and affordable drinking water, including sustainable and inclusive groundwater management
- Freshwater Ecosystem Restoration: Advancing solutions that restore and protect freshwater ecosystems, including wetlands and floodplains
- Climate Resilience: Building urban and rural climate resilience through water-related solutions
- Green Infrastructure: Community engagement in green stormwater infrastructure projects
- Sustainable Water Management: Advancing solutions that benefit both people and nature
Grantmaking
Since 2011, the Water Foundation has delivered nearly $100 million in funding to the U.S. water field, supporting over 245 organizations. From 2020-2024, the foundation invested approximately $42.3 million in grants across the United States, supporting over 670 organizations.
Grant Range
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Water Foundation maintains national focus with emphasis on:
- California (primary focus)
- Pacific Northwest
- New Mexico
- Texas
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2024 (Most Recent):
- Total Assets: $39,026,292
- Total Revenues: $22,281,949
- Total Expenses: $18,296,237
- Annual Giving: Approximately $13.6 million
2023:
- Total Assets: $31,700,000
- Total Revenues: $19,500,000
- Total Expenses: $21,900,000
- Annual Giving: $13,577,544
2022:
- Total Assets: $31,142,344
- Total Revenues: $25,984,608
- Total Expenses: $16,681,548
2021:
- Total Assets: $24,031,910
- Total Revenues: $14,837,978
- Total Expenses: $11,919,544
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $39,026,292 | $31,729,509 | $31,142,344 |
| Revenue | $22,281,949 | $19,477,867 | $25,984,608 |
| Expenses | $18,296,237 | $21,859,801 | $16,681,548 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $402,021 | $339,689 | $57,709 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Water Foundation
Safe Clean Water Public Education and Community Engagement Grants Program - Tier 1
WATER FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Safe Clean Water Public Education and Community Engagement Grants Program - Tier 2
WATER FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Safe Clean Water Public Education and Community Engagement Grants Program - Tier 3
WATER FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Celeste Cantú: Chair
- Suzanne Lee: Chief Partnerships Officer
- Nikki Verhoff: Chief Partnerships Officer
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CELESTE CANTU | CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| MOIRA MCDONALD | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| PETER SILVA | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| DAVID BECKMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LAURIE DACHS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JIM LOCHHEAD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN ECHOHAWK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HAHRIE HAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| AMY CORDALIS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOSE PADILLA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SALLY LIU | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ALLISON HARVEY TURNER | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 37.5 | $336,284 |
| LIZETTE LECLERC | CHIEF FINANCE & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR | 37.5 | $237,778 |
| JENNIFER SOKOLOVE | CHIEF PROGRAMS & STRATEGY OFFICER | 37.5 | $228,850 |
| NICOLE VERHOFF | CHIEF PARTNERSHIP OFFICER | 37.5 | $212,865 |
| ANDREW FAHLUND | SENIOR PROGRAM OFF & POLICY ADVISOR | 37.5 | $198,068 |
| ALEXANDRA PAXTON | SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER | 37.5 | $169,073 |
| ELIZABETH SODERSTROM | SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER | 37.5 | $168,218 |
Contact Information
Address: 3335 Watt Avenue, Suite B, Sacramento, CA 95821
Phone: (916) 414-3310
Email: info@waterfdn.org
Website: waterfdn.org
EIN: 37-1833985
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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