Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Nov 1998.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
76 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
17 people listed on the 990; $294K paid to officers and key staff (Part VII, Section A).
Tricia Watts’s $127K as Executive Director is at the 96th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $100K–1M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 4 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tricia Watts | $127,011 | $134,349 | $150,056 | $3,465 | — |
| Trisha Watt | $127,011 | — | — | — | — |
| Scott Wingate | — | — | — | $43,809 | $109,958 |
| Julie Uffman | $39,828 | $39,828 | $38,670 | — | — |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
See Wave Foundation INC executive salaries →Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Educates and engages communities about aquatic life and environmental conservation through programs.
Questions for Wave Foundation INC
Your first name shows with your question. Wave Foundation INC answers here, for everyone.
Educational Programs
Provides curriculum for teachers and students that further the educational goals of WAVE Foundations mission and Newport Aquariums programming which includes educational camps, community outreach and after school program.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2024. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 61-1325992) · Dispute this lineVolunteer Programs
Recruit, on-board, train and schedule volunteers to provide education to Newport Aquarium guests as well as the Greater Cincinnati area. Volunteer programs include exhibit interpreters, dive services, summer naturalist teem programming, outreach education specialists, husbandry aids and episodic volunteers to support our fundraising…
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2024. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 61-1325992) · Dispute this lineConservation Programs
Provides funding for conservation projects locally, nationally, and internationally. Also includes merchandise sales which include animal art, animal adoptions, shark tooth necklaces, coin drops and Kentucky wild cards. Funds raised from the sales of these items help to support our conservation effort.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2024. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 61-1325992) · Dispute this lineFunders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2024 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY24 | End FY24 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $1.2M | $511K |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $1.8M | $2.0M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $5K | $675K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $3.1M | $3.2M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $143K | $122K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $3.0M | $3.1M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1 | $10K | $10K | ||
| Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3 | $12K | $12K | ||
| Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Ln 5 | $187K | $61K | $69K | $57K |
| Pay of disqualified personsLn 6 | $400K | $389K | $11K | $0 |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $92K | $68K | $14K | $9K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $44K | $34K | $6K | $4K |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $4K | $0 | $4K | $0 |
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $4K | $0 | $4K | $0 |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $1K | $0 | $1K | $0 |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $26K | $11K | $7K | $8K |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $20K | $13K | $4K | $3K |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $50K | $47K | $2K | $1K |
| TravelLn 17 | $8K | $7K | $1K | $680 |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $21K | $10K | $6K | $4K |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $23K | $12K | $7K | $5K |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $66K | $58K | $1K | $6K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $969K | $732K | $138K | $99K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 17, 2025 | $916K | $969K | −$53K | $3.1M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 14, 2024 | $1.1M | $787K | $286K | $3.0M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 14, 2023 | $982K | $555K | $427K | $2.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 4, 2022 | $624K | $333K | $291K | $2.3M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 9, 2021 | $497K | $474K | $23K | $1.9M | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2024 990
Part I · Summary $916,200 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 12 of 12 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $916,200 across 9 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $969,262 across 16 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $3,201,198 assets, 12 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $3,079,694 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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