Wild Waters Foundation
Wild Waters Foundation is a private foundation based in Pearl River, New York. Its 2025 filing reports 13 grants totaling $180,500 to charitable organizations.
Wild Waters Foundation at a glance
In short: Wild Waters Foundation gave $181K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), top state District of Columbia. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $180,500
- +12.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,885
- +4.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $2,645,593
- +8.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (31% 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 Wild Waters Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Myer Greene Degge PO Box 930, Pearl River, NY 10965
Phone: (970) 963-6006
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wild Waters Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Natura International ($56K). Together the top 10 received $170K.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 65 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states and Washington, DC: DC received 31%, Massachusetts 30%, Colorado 25%, Washington 6%, and New York 4%. The listed 2025 grants also include a recipient in Utah.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Wild Waters Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 13 grantees (8%) 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 $6K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% 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 (2020–2025). 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
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $115K (2020) to $181K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $181K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Natura International Washington, DC | Generaloperations | $56,000 |
| Corporate Accountability International Boston, MA | Generaloperations | $54,000 |
| Wilderness Workshop Carbondale, CO | Generaloperations | $14,000 |
| Open Space for Arts & Community Vashon, WA | Generaloperations | $10,000 |
| Southern Utah Wilderness Assoc (Suwa) Salt Lake City, UT | Generaloperations | $7,500 |
| Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork Carbondale, CO | Generaloperations | $7,000 |
| Mt Sopris Nordic Council Carbondale, CO | Generaloperations | $6,000 |
| High Country News Research Paonia, CO | Generaloperations | $5,000 |
| Manitoga Garrison, NY | Generaloperations | $5,000 |
| Roaring Fork Conservancy Basalt, CO | Generaloperations | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Wild 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,645,593 | $614,012 | $241,352 | $180,500 | 13 | $180,500 | $644,203 | $185,340 |
| 2024 | $2,432,933 | $450,750 | $206,365 | $160,000 | 12 | $160,000 | $505,356 | $177,396 |
| 2023 | $2,028,548 | $217,271 | $202,612 | $160,000 | 14 | $160,000 | $188,981 | $157,500 |
| 2022 | $2,013,889 | $355,595 | $198,091 | $158,000 | 13 | $158,000 | $156,373 | $159,749 |
| 2021 | $1,856,385 | $304,343 | $168,784 | $118,500 | 13 | — | $237,146 | $157,749 |
| 2020 | $1,720,826 | $324,530 | $144,279 | $114,500 | 11 | — | $280,380 | $118,677 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wild Waters Foundation reported a distributable amount of $185K 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 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Natura International describes its work as conserving rainforests and other key natural ecosystems, while Wilderness Workshop says its mission is to protect the wilderness, water, and wildlife of western Colorado’s public land. Roaring Fork Conservancy says it works to inspire people to explore, value, and protect the Roaring Fork watershed. Other 2025 grantees describe work in arts and community engagement, preservation of designer Russel Wright’s legacy, and protection of Central Colorado’s lands, waters, and quality of life.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 13 grants totaling $180,500. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $56,000, with a median grant of $6,000. Its largest grants were $56,000 to Natura International and $54,000 to Corporate Accountability International; both were listed for general operations. Other notable grants included $14,000 to Wilderness Workshop, $10,000 to Open Space for Arts & Community, and $7,500 to the Southern Utah Wilderness Association, each listed for general operations. The 2025 filing also lists $5,000 to Roaring Fork Conservancy, $5,000 to Manitoga, and $3,000 to Central Colorado Conservacy.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ann R. McAlpin as president and treasurer, Janet U. McAlpin as secretary, and Timothy L. Sampsel as director.
Wild Waters Foundation is led by Ann R. McAlpin, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ann R. McAlpin
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1 (2021) → $0 (2025)
Timothy L. Sampsel
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1 (2021) → $0 (2025)
Janet U. McAlpin
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1 (2021) → $0 (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2021 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2021 filing was $1, to Ann R McAlpin (President, Treasurer). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Wild Waters Foundation
How much does Wild Waters Foundation give each year?
Wild Waters Foundation gave $181K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $160K across 12 grants.
What is Wild Waters Foundation's typical grant size?
Wild Waters Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,000, and its average grant was $13,885, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wild Waters Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Wild Waters Foundation give grants?
Wild Waters Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 31% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (30%) and Colorado (25%). The most frequent recipient cities were Carbondale, CO (4 grants).
Does Wild Waters Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Wild Waters Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Generaloperations" (13 grants).
Who are Wild Waters Foundation's largest grantees?
Wild Waters Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Natura International ($56,000), Corporate Accountability International ($54,000) and Wilderness Workshop ($14,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wild Waters Foundation?
Wild Waters Foundation reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $181K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $185K (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 Wild Waters Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wild Waters Foundation?
The foundation states 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 Wild Waters Foundation's EIN?
Wild Waters Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3928203. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Wild 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 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wild Waters Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wild-waters-foundation-morg_c8db234826364314bada6ef4f0d4474b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133928203_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wild Waters Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wild-waters-foundation-morg_c8db234826364314bada6ef4f0d4474b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Wild 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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