WASHINGTON AREA VILLAGES EXCHANGE

Name

WASHINGTON AREA VILLAGES EXCHANGE

Legal name

Washington Area Villages Exchange

Website

https://wavevillages.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community-based aging services coordination

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Aging in place support
• Village movement coordination
• Senior services programs
• Community-based aging
• Nonprofit network support

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues of $35 enable villages and organizations to join WAVE, providing access to educational programming, mentoring, and mutual support sessions.
2. Conference Fees: Revenue generated from annual conference registrations: $75 for members, $100 for non-members (includes membership fee), with group discounts at $60/person for 3+ from same village.
3. Donations: General donations accepted to support educational programming, mentoring, and broader village movement. Conference sponsorships also available.
4. Grants: WAVE receives grant funding for specific initiatives. Received $10,000 grant (August 2024) for sponsored village model research in collaboration with Virginia Villages Collective. Acts as fiscal sponsor for Virginia Villages Collective's Aging Well with Virginia Villages program ($115,000 in grants in FY2026).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WAVE is a regional nonprofit membership organization that convenes and supports grassroots, volunteer-driven "villages" helping older adults age in place across Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington DC. Its core offerings include annual conferences, quarterly meetings, a free mentoring program for new villages, recognition awards (Founders Award and Finishing Strong Award), a shared regional calendar, a village directory, and research resources. WAVE operates as the largest regional village organization in the nation, providing coordination, educational programming, and networking services to its member villages.

Product overview

The Washington Area Villages Exchange (WAVE) offers a unified set of community support and educational services for aging-in-place village organizations. The core offerings include the annual WAVE Conference as the flagship event, the Mentoring & Mutual Support Program providing one-on-one and group support, the Founders Award recognizing village excellence, and the Finishing Strong Award for end-of-life programming. Supporting services include a Village Directory with 81 listed villages, a Shared Calendar of regional events, and Research & Reports resources. The Virginia Villages Collective operates as a collaborative initiative focused specifically on Virginia villages. All programs work together to strengthen the village movement across Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington DC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WAVE Village Membership Annual $35 membership for villages and associate members providing access to mentoring, the shared calendar, conference discounts, and the regional village directory.
• WAVE Conference Annual in-person conference held in Silver Spring, MD, bringing together village leaders, advocates, healthcare professionals, and government partners for exchange, inspiration, and collaboration. Features expert speakers, workshops, and networking.
• Mentoring & Mutual Support Program Free one-on-one coaching and group mutual support sessions for WAVE member villages. Offers free mentoring to start-up villages for one year, with group Zoom sessions on specific issues.
• Founders Award Annual award recognizing Villages for outstanding programs and services that reflect values of inclusivity, collaboration, creative problem-solving, and positive impact. Includes prize money for winners.
• Finishing Strong Award Annual award created and funded in 2022 to encourage conversations about end-of-life issues and support innovative Village programming on end-of-life planning that can be replicated.
• WAVE Region Village Directory Directory of 81 villages (open or in development) across Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington DC with contact information and interactive Google Maps location mapping.
• Shared Calendar Public shared calendar featuring social, educational, and cultural events hosted by member villages, WAVE events, Village to Village Network events, WAVE Quarterly Meetings, and WAVE Speaker Series open to all villages in the region.
• Research & Reports Resources Collection of research reports, government resources, surveys, and educational materials supporting village leadership and aging-in-place initiatives, including the Sponsored Villages Report.
• Virginia Villages Collective (VVC) Informal collaboration among 18 Virginia Villages to increase awareness, promote development of new villages, and foster growth and sustainability. WAVE serves as fiscal sponsor for the Aging Well with Virginia Villages program ($115,000 in grants in FY2026).

Quantifiable outcome

• Virginia Villages delivered 51,958+ service hours by 1,200 volunteers to 2,936 members, with volunteer hours valued at $1,921,926
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Virginia Villages Collective (VVC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024In August 2024, WAVE received a $10,000 grant with VVC support to research Villages started under auspices of sponsoring organizations. Research investigates how sponsorships work and factors for starting a Village using this model.
• Virginia Villages Collective (VVC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024WAVE signed MOU with Virginia Villages Collective in June 2024 to collaborate to promote development of Villages in Virginia. WAVE provides financial management of funds received for village development. VVC builds network connections with organizations in aging-services network, recruits Village sponsors, and seeks funding.
• Virginia General AssemblycoreOthersVirginia General Assembly provided second year of funding for Aging Well with Virginia Villages program ($115,000 in FY2026) through Virginia Villages Collective with WAVE as fiscal sponsor.
• Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)minorOthersFederal agency that awarded Rapp at Home a $100,000 grant for the Rappahannock Rural Health Network development. WAVE member village received this funding.
• Village to Village Network (VtVN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization providing support, resources, and networking for village organizers. WAVE collaborates on joint conferences (WAVE-VtVN Joint Conference October 2023) and shares resources. WAVE Board includes VtVN Board representation.
• Maryland Department of AgingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWAVE partners with Maryland Department of Aging to promote and strengthen villages and encourage development of innovative approaches to help people remain in their homes. MDOA Supportive Communities program provides grants to villages.
• DC Department of Aging and Community LivingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDC Government agency (DACL) that supports villages in the District. Laura Newland is Director. WAVE collaborates on village development and shares village directory with DACL.
• Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood & Community ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairfax County government department supporting villages in Virginia. Season Zellman serves as Long Term Care Program Development Coordinator. WAVE maintains collaborative relationship for village development.
• Montgomery County Office of Aging and Disability ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontgomery County, MD government office supporting villages. Pazit Aviv serves as Village Coordinator. WAVE collaborates on village development in the county.
• Regional Transportation CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransportation partnership supporting LOWLINC and Rapp at Home villages with expanded rides for healthcare appointments. Part of village transportation programs recognized by Founders Awards.
• Bob Blancato / Matz, Blancato & AssociatesminorOthersNational policy advocate for older adults who delivered luncheon keynote at 2025 WAVE Conference on Federal Landscape for Villages. Provides policy expertise and connections.
• Maryland Department of AgingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMDOA presents at WAVE events on Supportive Communities program and grants available for villages. Listening sessions held to gather village input for state aging programs.
• WISE CitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization that presented WISE Connect platform at WAVE July 2025 session - a free online resource for older adults to connect to local programs. Marie Brodsky and Kat Close presented.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AARP: Large national nonprofit advocating for people 50+ and the most prominent incumbent in aging-services advocacy. WAVE operates in a more grassroots, regional niche but addresses the same overarching population of older adults aging in place.
• USAging (formerly n4a): National association representing Area Agencies on Aging and Local Aging Network partners. WAVE partners with several of these agencies (Maryland Department of Aging, Fairfax County) but USAging operates at the national policy/lobbying level.
• National Council on Aging: National nonprofit working to improve aging services; WAVE Treasurer Wendy Zenker was previously SVP at NCOA. NCOA plays a federal advocacy and program-design role broader than WAVE's regional convening role.
• Meals on Wheels America: National organization supporting a network of local programs that deliver meals to seniors. Compares to WAVE as a national umbrella for community-based aging services, though its focus is narrower (nutrition vs. comprehensive village model).
• LeadingAge: National association of nonprofit aging-services providers, including continuing care at home models (e.g., Goodwin Living At Home, which WAVE Board Member Rommel Jones directs). Comparable in focusing on aging in community but covers a broader provider portfolio.

Others

• Aging Life Care Association: Professional association for geriatric care managers. Adjacent membership-organization in the aging-services space; WAVE's member villages often coordinate with Aging Life Care professionals but the two organizations serve different roles.

Direct peers

• DC Villages Collaborative: Coalition of DC-based villages serving older adults in the District. WAVE Board Member Nicole Furnace serves as Lead Consultant for DC Villages Collaborative (since June 2025), indicating deep operational overlap.
• Village to Village Network: National umbrella organization for the village movement in the U.S. Direct peer of WAVE - both convene, support, and advocate for villages; WAVE is a regional affiliate and has cross-board representation with VtVN.
• Beacon Hill Village: One of the founding villages of the U.S. village movement in Boston. Comparable to WAVE's member villages as a grassroots, member-driven aging-in-place organization with similar programming model.
• Arlington Neighborhood Village: WAVE member village in Virginia; founder Carol Paquette is a WAVE board member and convenor of VVC. Comparable as a fully operational village organization providing transportation, social events, and home services to older adults.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCt8kMPtGRCN4KBIyFmotspw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-area-villages-exchange

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about WASHINGTON AREA VILLAGES EXCHANGE