The Ocean Foundation - Serving Global Ocean Environments

Enriched Impact Investor · Found: 2026-03-11 08:12

As the only community foundation for the ocean, our mission is to improve global ocean health, climate resilience and the blue economy.

Source: https://oceanfdn.org/

Funding Details

Funder

The Ocean Foundation

Funding Goal

To improve global ocean health, climate resilience, and the blue economy by connecting communities with informational, technical, and financial resources for ocean stewardship — through grantmaking, fiscal sponsorship, and capacity building.

Funding Amount

Not publicly disclosed on homepage; varies by program. Check RFP Opportunities page for active calls.

How to Apply

Visit the Grantmaking page and RFP Opportunities section for active calls. Fiscal Sponsorship applicants should review the Fiscal Sponsorship Program page. Corporations and NGO partners can initiate contact via the Partner page. General inquiries via the Contact Us page or phone.

Target Region

Global

Contact

1320 19th St, NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20036 | Phone: (202) 887-8996 | Contact form: https://oceanfdn.org/contact

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:52

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Project or organization must be focused on ocean health, marine conservation, or the blue economy
• Fiscal sponsorship applicants must demonstrate an ocean stewardship mission and project readiness

Project Scope

• Grantmaking and fiscal sponsorship programs are open globally, including island and coastal communities
• Projects related to plastics, coastal resilience, ocean science, or blue economy are prioritized thematic areas

Required Documents

• Check the RFP Opportunities page for active, time-limited grant calls before submitting inquiries
• Corporate and NGO partners should review the partnership page to identify the correct engagement pathway

Constraints

• No specific funding cap is stated publicly — contact the foundation directly for program-specific amounts
• Fiscal sponsorship is a service, not a grant — it provides infrastructure support; separate grantmaking has its own criteria

Summary

The Ocean Foundation is the only community foundation dedicated exclusively to the ocean, founded over 20 years ago to bridge a significant philanthropy gap — historically the ocean has received only 7% of environmental grantmaking and less than 1% of total philanthropy. Their mission spans global ocean health, climate resilience, and the blue economy, with programs ranging from direct grantmaking to fiscal sponsorship and capacity building. The foundation operates several conservation initiatives including Blue Resilience, Ocean Heritage, Ocean Science Equity, and a dedicated Plastics Initiative. They also provide community foundation services such as fiscal sponsorship (helping projects and organizations operate under their nonprofit infrastructure), grantmaking, and carbon offset programs for coastal habitats. Their work explicitly targets communities that need funding for marine science and conservation. The Ocean Foundation works globally and creates partnerships to connect communities with resources for ocean stewardship goals. They have notable corporate partners and carry a 4-star Charity Navigator rating, indicating strong financial accountability. Their capacity building offerings include technical tools, training, and expert guidance across a range of ocean-related topics. While the homepage does not publish specific grant program details or funding amounts, the foundation actively makes grants, offers fiscal sponsorship to ocean-focused projects, and explicitly invites partnerships from NGOs, researchers, corporations, and communities engaged in ocean conservation and sustainable blue economy work.

Historical Context

The Ocean Foundation has operated for over 20 years. It publishes annual reports (most recent: FY2025). It holds a 4-star Charity Navigator rating and is a registered 501(c)3 (Tax ID #71-0863908). The foundation has historically noted that the ocean receives only 7% of environmental philanthropy and less than 1% of total philanthropy, which motivated its founding.

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