Oregon · Nonprofit
THE WAVE FOUNDATION
THE WAVE FOUNDATION (Oregon) receives grants from 7 organizations whose IRS filings report $971,470 to it, the largest being MULTIPLIER ($472,470). 2 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2024
- $776k
- Funders on record
- 7
- Grants received
- $971k
- Net assets
- $178k
What The Wave Foundation does
Mission
The Wave Foundation strengthens community health, local economies, and environmental sustainability. Our work touches an array of interrelated sectors: food, energy, transportation, zero waste, and clean air and water.
As stated on its FY2024 Form 990.
Programs
Healthy and sustainable food: The Wave Foundation made significant strides in advancing the wave marketplace initiative, which supports the inclusion of tribal, bipoc, women, and rural food producers in the food and beverage industry. This initiative promotes food sovereignty, equity, and justice, ensuring that historically underserved fishers, farmers, and ranchers can participate in the market. In 2024, the initiative moved from development to implementation, increasing the visibility and market presence of these producers. The Wave Foundation strengthened its partnership with compass group usa, north america's largest corporate food service organization, to further the marketplace's reach. (see continuation on schedule o). Additionally, The Wave Foundation supported the creation of the wave marketplace, llca tribal-owned private sector entityto facilitate the sale of these products in the food service industry. The foundation also supported the university of idaho's climate-smart commodities grant with the usda in 2024.
$190,636 spentof which $161,158 as grants23% of program spendingCommunity food systems and zero waste:The Wave Foundation launched a strategic collaboration in portland, oregon, to advance a "zero-waste vision" for providence park, the moda center, and other large public venues. This program plays a crucial role in reducing food waste and re-establishing composting operations in the northwest. With support from the usda, The Wave Foundation secured a grant to pilot this project, integrating the wave marketplace into its operations. In april 2024, an educational workshop was held in portland to raise awareness about the initiative. (see continuation on schedule o). The foundation also partnered with the global alliance of latinos in agriculture to expand these programs to the east coast, focusing on baltimore and compass properties. We have applied for several grants (including from the usda and epa) to support this project's growth.during 2024, The Wave Foundation initiated engagements with several aligned partners in oregon (oregon coast visitors association, oregon state university, eco-trust, and other related non-profits) to advance a 100% fish initiative. This initiative would reduce the amount of waste in the seafood production…
$165,771 spent20% of program spendingFood and nutrition relief: as part of our ongoing food and nutrition relief program, initiated during the covid-19 pandemic, The Wave Foundation distributed over 2,000,000 meal equivalents to communities facing hunger in 2024. This program was funded by the state of washington department of agriculture (aka "we feed wa"). In response to the devastating fires in los angeles, the foundation provided food and crisis relief to impacted communities. In collaboration with congressional leaders, The Wave Foundation continued advocating for reforms to national food relief programs, drawing from our successful regional model that emphasizes healthy, sustainable, and culturally relevant foods. (see continuation on schedule o).during 2024, The Wave Foundation initiated discussions with the state of oregon, inquiring about the potential for a pilot program, like the we feed wa program, for communities facing hunger in oregon.
$414,428 spentof which $397,435 as grants50% of program spendingClean energy and transportation: in partnership with climate solutions, clean and prosperous wa, build back black alliance, and oregon businesses for climate, The Wave Foundation continued the breaking barriers collaborative, which supports businesses in transitioning to 100% electrification of regional buildings and transportation infrastructure. In 2024, the collaboration hosted several accelerator programs, helping 25-30 organizations across washington and oregonincluding bipoc-owned businessesreceive technical assistance for electrifying their fleets. This initiative now includes public agencies at the state and local levels.
$24,866 spent3% of program spendingEnvironmental equity and justice: The Wave Foundation continued working with tribal and bipoc communities to advance equity and justice goals within our core programs. Our efforts to reform regional food systems prioritize increasing access for tribal, bipoc, women, and other underrepresented food producers to the larger, more economically viable food and beverage industry. Our clean energy and transportation initiatives directly benefit communities of color, which are often disproportionately affected by climate-related pollution.
$8,289 spent1% of program spendingYouth engagement: in partnership with musco, the bureau of indian affairs, yakama nation, and the us soccer foundation, The Wave Foundation further developed a program to build mini-sports courts in northwest native communities. These courts provide tribal youth with access to sports and promote healthier lifestyles. In 2022, the project partners identified celilo village indian community as the site for the first court, and by 2024, the project was successfully completed with funding from the ford family foundation, roundhouse foundation, and others. The Wave Foundation is continuing to secure additional funding and identify new project sites to expand this initiative.
$24,865 spent3% of program spending
The 6 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $828,855.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2020, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2020, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2020 to 2021, from $915k to $200k (−78%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2020 26% · 2021 54% · 2022 54% · 2023 86% · 2024 80%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
100% of THE WAVE FOUNDATION’s revenue is contributions — more reliant on donations than three-quarters of its peers (88% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 3 of the last 5 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Who funds it, year by year
2020 → 2023: the base narrowed from 3 funders to 1 funder, grant income fell $872k → $4k.
From the IRS filings of THE WAVE FOUNDATION’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
THE WAVE FOUNDATION leans on a few funders — its largest provides 49% of grant income and the top three 90%; half comes from just 2 funders.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 2 funders to its left
63% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund THE WAVE FOUNDATION.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2020 54% · 2021 100% · 2022 100% · 2023 100% — growing more concentrated.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Where its funders are
THE WAVE FOUNDATION draws 93% of its grant income from funders outside Oregon, across 5 states in all.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
THE WAVE FOUNDATION's revenue fell 57% between 2020 and 2024.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 4,264 environment nonprofits $100k–$1M, FY2024
Government funding THE WAVE FOUNDATION receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $1.0M on record — $249k federal, $771k state.
- Department of Agriculture$249k
- OTHER DISTRIBUTION TO TAXABLE SUBRECIP$591k
- PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NON-IT$100k
- DISTRIBUTION TO NON-PROFIT ORG$80k
- FUELS AND UTILITIES$323
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like THE WAVE FOUNDATION
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Oregon
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
97% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
97%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for THE WAVE FOUNDATION: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds THE WAVE FOUNDATION?
- THE WAVE FOUNDATION (Oregon) receives grants from 7 organizations whose IRS filings report $971,470 to it, the largest being MULTIPLIER ($472,470). 2 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does THE WAVE FOUNDATION have?
- IRS filings report 7 organizations giving $971,470 in grants to THE WAVE FOUNDATION, 2 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of THE WAVE FOUNDATION?
- MULTIPLIER is the largest funder on record, with $472,470 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like THE WAVE FOUNDATION find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Oregon. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Wave →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2024 (financials across 2020–2024), and the filings of 7 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing