Waitt Foundation

Waitt Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Waitt Foundation focuses on ocean conservation. It works in partnerships with governments, leading research institutes and NGOs but also runs a smaller grantmaking program for emerging issues in ocean and marine habitat conservation.

IP TAKE: Waitt’s larger grants go mainly to large organizations with which it partners in large-scale conservation projects. The foundation also runs a rapid ocean conservation grants program, which awards smaller grants to organizations working locally in pressing areas of conservation. Grantmaking is global in scope; about half of all grants go to U.S.-based organizations that work internationally.

This foundation accepts applications for its rapid ocean conservation program on an ongoing basis and reviews applications monthly. Prospective grantees should submit budgets, timelines and proof of nonprofit status with their applications.

PROFILE: Based in La Jolla, California, the Waitt Foundation was established in 1993 by Gateway Inc. Founder Ted Waitt. An Iowa native and the son of a fourth-generation cattle rancher, Waitt retired from his position as CEO of Gateway in 2004 and has since focused on the Waitt Foundation and a few other endeavors, including Avalon Capital, the Waitt Institute and the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention. The Waitt Foundation focuses on global marine conservation projects by partnering with governments, research institutes and NGOs on large scale projects to protect the world’s oceans. In addition to these partnerships, the foundation also runs a smaller grantmaking program, awarding rapid ocean conservation (ROC) grants to projects that offer “solutions to emerging conservation issues and ocean protection.”

While the Waitt Foundation supports ocean conservation broadly, its most recent work has focused on creating solutions to global issues of overfishing and increasing marine protected areas around the world. The foundation also prioritizes projects that “include positive economic development outcomes for those communities and nations seeking sustainable fishers in their waters.” Recent grantee partners include the University of California at Santa Barbara, the Phoenix Islands Protected Area Conservation Trust, the Bahamas National Trust and Seattle’s Marine Conservation Institute. Recipients of the foundation’s smaller ROC grants include Costa Rica’s Mision Tiburon, Peru’s Inkaterra Asociacion and Seacology, a U.S.-based organization that works with island populations around the world to support vulnerable and endangered ecosystems.

The Waitt Foundation’s grantmaking totals about $7 million a year. Its larger grants, which go to governments, leading research institutes and NGOs, are generally made in amounts between $100,000 and $1 million and support large-scale projects. The foundation’s ROC grants, meanwhile, go to smaller organizations working in emerging areas and pressing conservation issues. These grants generally range from $5,000 to $20,000 and support small, localized projects and immediate needs. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s recent tax returns or its projects spotlight page.

The Waitt Foundation accepts applications for its ROC grants on a rolling basis via its online application portal. Applicants are required to submit a project budget, timeline and proof of nonprofit status with applications. Applications are reviewed monthly. The foundation does not accept applications for its larger grants, choosing instead to partner with organizations with which it maintains ongoing relationships. The foundation does, however, invite organizations to contact the foundation with ideas via its contact page.

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