Blue Sands Foundation

Blue Sands Foundation operates as a Washington, DC-based private operating foundation with a hybrid giving model: four named program pillars still being formalized alongside an established pattern of high-conviction, relationship-driven grantmaking. Founded in 2016 and headquartered at 1212 New York Ave NW, Suite 1000, the foundation is led by Executive Director Jada Spriggs and a board that includes Hossein Fateh, Dalia Fateh, Christopher Warnke (primary contact), Eric Hirsch, and Leandro Alves — all serving without compensation.

The mission centers on combining philanthropy with professional guidance to support capable individuals and children of limited resources in building the work and life skills needed for financial independence. Four program pillars anchor the stated strategy: Blue Sands Scholars (educational scholarships), Women Advocacy, Mentoring and Advising, and a general grants program. The foundation's philosophy explicitly expects a "pay it forward" multiplier, with grantees expected to strengthen their broader families and communities over time.

Despite this formal structure, the actual grant record reveals a predominantly personal and relationship-based giving philosophy. Analysis of $7.67 million in documented grants across 114 awards shows heavy concentration in organizations connected to the board's professional and personal networks: UK and Swiss private schools (Aiglon College Switzerland, Prior's Field School UK, Swiss School of Tourism), Georgetown University across four separate departments receiving a combined $325,000, and major children's hospitals (Boston Children's Hospital at $2M, Great Ormond Street at $1.81M). International giving — particularly to UK, Swiss, and Lebanese institutions — accounts for a disproportionate share of total dollars.

First-time applicants should understand that the foundation's online application portal is not yet operational as of mid-2026. The scholarship and grant applications page explicitly states programs will be posted "as soon as they have been finalized." This means the current path to funding runs primarily through existing relationships, mailing list enrollment, and patient monitoring of the website.

Organizations most aligned with the foundation's demonstrated interests include those working in education access and scholarships, children's health, women's advancement, and community-based skill development, particularly in DC, Massachusetts, New York, and California. Proposals that foreground economic self-sufficiency outcomes — not just service delivery metrics — are most likely to resonate with the board's stated philosophy.

Blue Sands Foundation's grantmaking has grown substantially since its early years, with documented total giving of approximately $7.67 million across 114 individual grants spanning fiscal years 2019 through 2023. Annual giving has ranged from $317,621 in FY2019 to a peak of $3,124,392 in FY2023, with FY2020 ($1,018,498), FY2021 ($1,307,166), and FY2022 ($1,161,314) showing a relatively stable middle range. The FY2023 surge — nearly three times FY2022 — coincided with $1,950,500 in new contributions received that year.

Grant size data from the foundation's 990 filings reveals a highly skewed distribution. The median grant is $12,651 against an average of $67,288, indicating that a small number of very large awards dramatically elevate the mean. The range spans from $1,080 at the low end to $2,000,000 for the largest grantee relationship (Boston Children's Hospital, structured across four separate grants). In practice, the majority of awards fall below $15,000 and appear to cover specific tuition installments, housing support, or targeted program donations rather than multi-year general operating support.

Geographically, 25 of 114 documented grants went to Washington, DC-area recipients, with Massachusetts (9 grants), New York (9), California (6), Ohio (3), and South Carolina (3) rounding out the US footprint. A substantial share of total dollars went to international recipients — particularly in the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

By program area, education dominates dollar volume: scholarships and tuition support to Aiglon College Switzerland ($999,352 across 4 grants), Georgetown University ($325,000 across 4 departments), Prior's Field School UK ($161,580), Swiss School of Tourism ($119,420), Tufts University ($71,079), and University of Leeds ($60,259). Children's health is the second-largest category: Boston Children's Hospital ($2M), Great Ormond Street ($1.81M), Children's Hospital IDE ($500K), and Hospital for Special Surgery ($85K combined). Humanitarian giving — Help for Ukraine ($20K), American Near East Refugee Aid ($10K), Refugee International ($10K) — and arts support such as Tate Americas Foundation ($15K) round out the portfolio at smaller amounts.

Among asset-class peers in the education-focused private foundation tier (approximately $17-18M), Blue Sands stands out for the scope and international reach of its giving. While foundations of comparable size typically fund regional or state-level education initiatives with modest grant sizes, Blue Sands has demonstrated the capacity to write seven-figure checks — $1.81M to Great Ormond Street, $2M to Boston Children's Hospital — alongside micro-grants of a few thousand dollars. This bimodal pattern reflects the personal philanthropic priorities of the board rather than a conventional institutional program. None of the four peer foundations listed have public-facing websites or published giving programs, suggesting all operate in the same low-profile, invitation-driven mode typical of family foundations at this asset level. Blue Sands is the only peer with an active website and a stated online application process, making it the most accessible funder in this cohort — even if the portal is not yet live.

No press releases or media coverage specific to Blue Sands Foundation were found for 2025 or 2026. The foundation maintains a minimal public footprint: no LinkedIn presence, no news section on its website, and no Charity Navigator rating — the organization has not filed sufficient electronically submitted 990s to qualify for a star rating as of mid-2026.

The most significant recent development visible in the financial record is a major asset expansion: total assets grew from $9,617,920 in FY2023 to $17,591,909 in FY2024 — an increase of nearly $8 million — accompanied by $9,970,555 in total revenue. This mirrors the foundation's FY2019 pattern, when a $9,416,300 contribution influx first substantially capitalized the endowment. The identity of the FY2024 contributors is not yet public; the complete 990 for fiscal year 2024 had not been filed in final form at the time of this report.

On the program side, the foundation's website as of mid-2026 lists four active program pillars — Blue Sands Scholars, Women Advocacy, Mentoring and Advising, and Grants — and the Scholarship and Grant Applications page signals programs are being formalized. Executive Director Jada Spriggs leads daily operations alongside board members Hossein Fateh, Dalia Fateh, Christopher Warnke (the foundation's listed contact), Eric Hirsch, and Leandro Alves. No leadership changes were identified in the search period. The board composition has remained stable across five years of available 990 filings.

The most important reality about applying to Blue Sands Foundation is that its formal grant program is not yet operational. The scholarship and grant applications page acknowledges this directly: programs will be posted "as soon as they have been finalized." Applicants who submit cold proposals before the portal opens risk wasting effort and potentially signaling unfamiliarity with the funder.

The most strategic action in 2026 is preparation and relationship cultivation, not premature submission. Join the mailing list at bluesands.org — this is the fastest route to notification when programs launch. Monitor the applications page at bluesands.org/programs/scholarship-grant-applications/ monthly.

Align with economic self-sufficiency, not just service delivery. Every grant in the documented record — from elite boarding school scholarships to Make Life Skate Life's Snoubar Skate Program — can be understood as building skills or opening pathways to economic agency. Proposals framing outcomes in terms of financial independence, career readiness, or professional access speak directly to the board's stated philosophy.

Foreground the "pay it forward" multiplier. The mission statement explicitly expects grantees to support "their extended families and respective communities." Include specific language about how program beneficiaries will go on to mentor or strengthen others.

Target geographic sweet spots. Documented US giving clusters in DC (25 grants), Massachusetts (9), New York (9), and California (6). Organizations in these corridors are more likely to be in the board's existing orbit.

Leverage any Georgetown or digital infrastructure connection. Georgetown University received more than $325,000 across four separate departments. If your organization has Georgetown alumni in leadership or on its board, naming that relationship can signal meaningful network alignment.

Do not expect general operating support. The grant record shows purpose-specific giving: scholarship funds, tuition installments, targeted program donations. Structure budget requests around specific, named activities rather than unrestricted operations.

For education and children's health organizations: these two categories dominate dollar volume by a wide margin. Frame your work explicitly around advancing the educational trajectories or health outcomes of children in underserved communities.

Contact: Chris Warnke, 1212 New York Ave NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005. Phone: (202) 607-2300.