Wave Foundation
Wave Foundation is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. Its 2024 filing reports 13 grants totaling $81,853 to charitable organizations.
Wave Foundation at a glance
In short: Wave Foundation gave $82K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), top state Maine. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $81,853
- -9.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $6,296
- -9.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $642,752
- -20.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (3 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maine (24% 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 Wave Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states in its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4210 E 6Th Avenue Parkway, Denver, CO 80220
Phone: (303) 638-7004
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wave Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Camps Newfound and Owatonna ($20K). Together the top 10 received $80K.
Grant Size Distribution
77 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 77 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Maine and New York (24% each), California (22%), Maryland (12%), and Colorado (11%). Grants also went to organizations in other states, including Nebraska and Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Wave Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 13 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 54% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 103% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 400% 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 $40K (2021) to $91K (2023). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $82K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Camps Newfound and Owatonna Harrison, ME | General | $20,000 |
| Brearley School New York, NY | General | $20,000 |
| First Christian Church Hagerstown, MD | General | $10,000 |
| Spark the Change CO Denver, CO | General | $7,717 |
| Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Santa Barbara, CA | General | $6,087 |
| Community Arts Music Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | General | $6,000 |
| Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Santa Barbara, CA | General | $3,000 |
| Womens Fund of Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | General | $2,750 |
| Christian Heritage Walton, NE | General | $2,500 |
| Release Omaha, NE | General | $1,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Wave 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 | $642,752 | $17,365 | $185,460 | $81,853 | 13 | $142,472 | — | $35,655 |
| 2023 | $812,060 | $22,530 | $203,175 | $90,820 | 13 | $159,468 | — | $43,503 |
| 2022 | $996,304 | $19,678 | $175,824 | $66,693 | 16 | $131,609 | — | $52,497 |
| 2021 | $1,149,584 | $43,808 | $155,328 | $40,379 | 11 | $112,826 | $1,306 | $61,471 |
| 2020 | $1,265,066 | $43,925 | $163,005 | $46,641 | 24 | — | $15,391 | $69,107 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wave Foundation reported a distributable amount of $36K 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 went to organizations whose work includes education, maritime exhibits and education, community giving, and services for children and families. For example, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum describes its mission as creating exhibits and educational experiences celebrating the Santa Barbara Channel and connections with the sea. Project 1.27 says it works with churches and families on family preservation, kinship care, foster care, and adoption. These are grantees’ stated missions, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $81,853 through 13 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $299 to $20,000, with a median grant of $3,000. Its largest reported grants included $20,000 each to Camps Newfound and Owatonna in Harrison, Maine, and Brearley School in New York, New York; $10,000 to First Christian Church in Hagerstown, Maryland; and $7,717 to Spark the Change CO in Denver, Colorado. Other recipients included Santa Barbara Maritime Museum ($6,087), Community Arts Music Santa Barbara ($6,000), and Santa Barbara Youth Sailing ($3,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Christine Smith as president and secretary/treasurer, and Blake Wassenaar as director.
Wave Foundation is led by Christine Smith, President, Secretary & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christine Smith
President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$60K (2020) → $60K (2024)
Blake Wassenaar
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $60K, to Christine Smith (President).
Frequently asked questions about Wave Foundation
How much does Wave Foundation give each year?
Wave Foundation gave $82K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $91K across 13 grants.
What is Wave Foundation's typical grant size?
Wave Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,000, and its average grant was $6,296, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wave Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Wave Foundation give grants?
Wave Foundation's top state is Maine, with 24% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (24%) and California (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (5 grants).
Does Wave Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Wave Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Wave Foundation's largest grantees?
Wave Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Camps Newfound and Owatonna ($20,000), Brearley School ($20,000) and First Christian Church ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Wave Foundation?
Wave Foundation reported $643K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $142K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $36K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Wave Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose work includes education, maritime exhibits and education, community giving, and services for children and families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wave Foundation?
The foundation states in its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Wave Foundation's EIN?
Wave Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1134776. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Wave 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). Wave Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wave-foundation-morg_53df2c4b61d24b7d87953ed331a01b95
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_841134776_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wave Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wave-foundation-morg_53df2c4b61d24b7d87953ed331a01b95},
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 Wave 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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