Waters Charitable Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Jenks, OK EIN: 73-1323325

Waters Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Jenks, Oklahoma. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in education, social services, food assistance, health and medical research, and other areas.

Waters Charitable Foundation at a glance

In short: Waters Charitable Foundation gave $620K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in Oklahoma. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$620,000
-0.7% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
20
-39.4% vs 2024
Average grant
$31,000
+63.8% vs 2024
Median grant
$15,000
Total assets
$38,818,854
+248.8% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
15% first-time grantees (3 of 20, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Oklahoma (81% 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 Waters Charitable Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 2001, Jenks, OK 74037
Phone: (918) 488-0311

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Waters Charitable Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Holland Hall: $200KHolland Hall$200KNortheastern State University: $55KNortheastern State University$55KSarasota Memorial Heathcare Foundation: $50KSarasota Memorial HeathcareFoundation$50KThe Salvation Army: $50KThe Salvation Army$50KCommunity Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma Inc: $35KCommunity Food Bank of EasternOklahoma Inc$35KAmerican Red Cross: $30KAmerican Red Cross$30KAlzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Association Inc: $25KAlzheimer's Disease & RelatedDisorders Association Inc$25KUniverity of Oklahoma Foundation Inc: $25KUniverity of OklahomaFoundation Inc$25KUS Conference of Catholic Bishops DBA Catholic Charities of Eastern Okla: $25KUS Conference of CatholicBishops DBA Catholic…$25KClarehouse Inc: $15KClarehouse Inc$15K

The largest 2025 recipient was Holland Hall ($200K). Together the top 10 received $510K.

Grant Size Distribution

154 grants across all recorded years

137<$50K16$50–100K1$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 137 grants of 154 (89%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 81% of grant dollars went to Oklahoma recipients. The remaining reported shares went to Florida (8%), Washington, D.C. (5%), Illinois (4%), and Texas (2%).

Grant Distribution by State

7states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.

Cities

TulsaOklahoma CityNormanTahlequahChicagoSarasotaWashingtonGrand RapidsSand SpringsAtchisonClaremoreDallasShamrock

Is Waters Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?

15%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 3 of 20 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $34K. How we count

Medians: $10K first-time, $25K repeat.

  • 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 49% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K33 grants2021 33 grants2022 35 grants2023 33 grants2024 20 grants2025

From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $562K (2021) to $661K (2023). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $620K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Holland Hall Tulsa, OKAnnual Education Fund$200,000
Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OKStudent Scholarships$55,000
Sarasota Memorial Heathcare Foundation Sarasota, FLCardiac Medical Research$50,000
The Salvation Army Tulsa, OKOperations Fund for Social Services$50,000
Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma Inc Tulsa, OKMeals to Those in Need for Eastern Oklahoma$35,000
American Red Cross Washington, DCOperations Fund for Social Services$30,000
Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Association Inc Chicago, ILMedical Research$25,000
Univerity of Oklahoma Foundation Inc Norman, OKOperations Fund for Library$25,000
US Conference of Catholic Bishops DBA Catholic Charities of Eastern Okla Tulsa, OKOperations Fund for Social Services$25,000
Clarehouse Inc Tulsa, OKFunding End-of-Life Care$15,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$38,818,854$28,545,866$857,521$620,00020$719,152$2,055,820$1,480,297
2024$11,130,509$1,422,455$847,188$624,47033$722,547$441,692$733,365
2023$10,555,242$38,183$856,751$661,00035$748,228$406,430$689,936
2022$11,373,810$528,729$837,527$624,00033$711,471$402,673$747,836
2021$11,682,608$1,101,943$747,280$562,00033—$995,145$702,804

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Waters Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M 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 for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for education and scholarships, social services and basic needs, medical research, end-of-life care, and animal and wildlife organizations.

The supported organizations describe their own work in varied ways. For example, John 316 Mission says it works to restore hope for homeless and at-risk people; Emergency Infant Services says it provides supplies such as formula, food, and diapers to children and babies whose families are in financial crisis. Clarehouse describes providing support to guests and families at the end of life, while Domestic Violence Intervention Services describes prevention and intervention services addressing domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, and stalking. Iron Gate says it feeds hungry and homeless people in Tulsa, and Animal Aid of Tulsa describes rescuing and rehoming companion animals.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $620,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $200,000, with a median grant of $15,000.

Among the largest reported grants were $200,000 to Holland Hall for its annual education fund; $55,000 to Northeastern State University for student scholarships; and $50,000 each to Sarasota Memorial Heathcare Foundation for cardiac medical research and The Salvation Army for its social services operations fund. Other grants included $35,000 to Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma for meals for people in need, and $30,000 to the American Red Cross for its social services operations fund. Tulsa-area recipients included Clarehouse, Domestic Violence Intervention Services, and Emergency Infant Services, each receiving $15,000.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists P Jonathan Adamson, Robin Wyatt, and E Andrew Johnson as trustees.

Waters Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • P. Jonathan Adamson

    Trustee

    On filings since 2021

    10 hrs/week

    $21K (2025)

  • Robin Wyatt

    Trustee

    On filings since 2021

    10 hrs/week

    $21K (2025)

  • E. Andrew Johnson

    Trustee

    On filings since 2024

    10 hrs/week

    $21K (2025)

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Judy Waters (2021–2024) — Trustee

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

P Jonathan Adamson — Trustee: $21KP Jonathan AdamsonTrustee$21KRobin Wyatt — Trustee: $21KRobin WyattTrustee$21KE Andrew Johnson — Trustee: $21KE Andrew JohnsonTrustee$21K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $21K, to P Jonathan Adamson (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Waters Charitable Foundation

How much does Waters Charitable Foundation give each year?

Waters Charitable Foundation gave $620K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $624K across 33 grants.

What is Waters Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?

Waters Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $31,000, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Waters Charitable Foundation that year got $12K on average.

Where does Waters Charitable Foundation give grants?

Waters Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Oklahoma: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Tulsa, OK (14 grants).

Does Waters Charitable Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Waters Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations Fund for Social Services" (5 grants).

Who are Waters Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?

Waters Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Holland Hall ($200,000), Northeastern State University ($55,000) and Sarasota Memorial Heathcare Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Waters Charitable Foundation?

Waters Charitable Foundation reported $38.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $719K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.

What does Waters Charitable Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for education and scholarships, social services and basic needs, medical research, end-of-life care, and animal and wildlife organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Waters Charitable Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it 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 Waters Charitable Foundation's EIN?

Waters Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 73-1323325. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

Does Waters Charitable 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

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Waters Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/waters-charitable-foundation-morg_ff5663010a0e48bf9a5386f2f6124bf8

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_731323325_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Waters Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/waters-charitable-foundation-morg_ff5663010a0e48bf9a5386f2f6124bf8},
  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 Waters Charitable 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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