Third Wave Fund
Third Wave Fund is a fiscally sponsored nonprofit founded in 1992 that has redistributed over $23 million to more than 600 BIPOC gender justice grantee partners since 1997 through six specialized grant programs serving QTBIPOC-led movements across the U.S. and territories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Third Wave Fund does
Third Wave Fund is a U.S.-based philanthropic grantmaking organization founded in 1992 and fiscally sponsored by Proteus Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity. The organization began actively funding grantees in 1997 and has since raised and redistributed over $23 million to intersectional BIPOC gender justice movements across more than 600 grantee partners. Its mission centers on resourcing QTBIPOC-led organizations working in gender justice, reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ liberation, disability justice, and sex worker rights, with stated priority for movements in regions historically underfunded by traditional philanthropy.
Third Wave Fund operates a portfolio of six specialized grant programs: Mobilize Power Fund (rapid response), Grow Power Fund (up to six years of general operating support for emerging organizations with budgets under $200,000), Accountable Futures Fund (transformative justice grants up to $21,000), Disability Frontlines Fund (four-year disability justice grants of $10,000-$50,000 per year), Sex Worker Giving Circle (participatory grantmaking with $3M+ redistributed since 2018), and Own Our Power Fund. The organization also runs the Mic Check! Podcast and a paid Artist-in-Residence Program as ecosystem-building activities.
Revenue is generated through individual donations (500+ donors contributing approximately half of the annual budget) supplemented by foundation grants; the organization does not sell products or services. Operations are supported by standard nonprofit technology tools including Fluxx (grant management portal), Spoke (SMS outreach), and Google Forms (intake). The leadership team operates under a Co-Director model (Ana Conner and Kiyomi Fujikawa) following a transition from a single Executive Director structure.
Third Wave Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Third Wave Fund
- Legal name
- Third Wave Fund
- Website
- https://thirdwavefund.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Third Wave Fund is a fiscally sponsored nonprofit founded in 1992 that has redistributed over $23 million to more than 600 BIPOC gender justice grantee partners since 1997 through six specialized grant programs serving QTBIPOC-led movements across the U.S. and territories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Third Wave Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Philanthropic Grantmaking
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)
Keywords
Where Third Wave Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Third Wave Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Third Wave Fund receives contributions from 500+ individual donors who make up almost half of their annual budget. They offer monthly sustainer programs and one-time donation options.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Third Wave Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Third Wave Fund is a philanthropic grantmaking organization that mobilizes donations from individuals and foundations to provide grants, capacity-building support, and fellowships to grassroots QTBIPOC-led organizations advancing gender justice, reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ liberation, disability justice, and sex worker rights. Its offerings include six specialized grant programs (Mobilize Power, Sex Worker Giving Circle, Own Our Power, Disability Frontlines, Grow Power, Accountable Futures), the Mic Check! Podcast, and an Artist-in-Residence Program.
Product overview
Third Wave Fund is a philanthropy organization that does not offer a unified technology product or platform. Instead, it provides a portfolio of grant programs supporting BIPOC gender justice and liberation movements, including the Mobilize Power Fund (rapid response), Sex Worker Giving Circle (fellowship and grants to sex worker movements), Own Our Power Fund, Disability Frontlines Fund (disability justice organizing), Grow Power Fund (multi-year holistic support for emerging organizations), and Accountable Futures Fund (transformative justice). The organization also runs the Mic Check! Podcast for movement storytelling and an Artist-in-Residence Program supporting visual artists for social change.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mobilize Power Fund
- Sex Worker Giving Circle
- Own Our Power Fund
- Disability Frontlines Fund
- Grow Power Fund
- Accountable Futures Fund
- Mic Check! Podcast
- Artist-in-Residence Program
Quantifiable outcome
- $23M+ raised and redistributed to gender justice movements
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Third Wave Fund
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Third Wave Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Third Wave Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Third Wave Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Proteus Fund: Proteus Fund is Third Wave Fund's fiscal sponsor and itself operates as a public charity running multiple progressive donor collaboratives and movement funds. Comparable as an adjacent, larger infrastructure player in the same funding ecosystem.
- Open Society Foundations: Large global progressive foundation with significant investments in gender equity, racial justice, and human rights. Comparable as a much larger incumbent funder of the same broad movement causes Third Wave Fund focuses on.
- Funders for Reproductive Rights: Funder affinity network mobilizing resources for reproductive rights and justice. Comparable as a higher-level coordinating body that both channels dollars to and complements movement-focused funders like Third Wave Fund.
Direct peers
- Astraea Foundation: Philanthropic foundation dedicated exclusively to LGBTQI rights worldwide. Comparable as a niche, identity-focused grantmaker with deep movement ties and pooled-fund giving circle structures.
- Ms. Foundation for Women: National public foundation funding women, girls, and gender justice movements across the U.S. Directly comparable to Third Wave Fund as a BIPOC- and gender-justice-focused grantmaker providing multi-year, general operating support.
- Borealis Philanthropy: Philanthropic intermediary running racial-justice, disability, and movement funder collaboratives. Overlaps with Third Wave Fund in operating pooled/donor-funded initiatives aimed at under-resourced movements.
- Groundswell Fund: Public foundation resourcing reproductive justice, LGBTQ+, and Black-led movement infrastructure. Closely mirrors Third Wave Fund's intersectional, movement-led grantmaking model and participatory funding practices.
Emerging players
- Mijente: Latinx-led movement support hub combining organizing, narrative, and resource mobilization. Comparable as a peer organization that both funds and convenes within intersectional BIPOC and gender-justice spaces.
- Forward Together: National movement support organization advancing gender, reproductive, and racial justice. Comparable as a peer in the same movement ecosystem with significant crossover in grantee networks and narrative work.
- Black Feminist Fund: African-diaspora feminist pooled fund resourcing Black women's and girls' organizing globally. Most comparable as an emerging pooled/community-led fund model targeting adjacent intersectional constituencies.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Third Wave Fund social profiles
Digital presenceThird Wave Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Third Wave Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Third Wave Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Third Wave Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Third Wave Fund
What does Third Wave Fund do?
Third Wave Fund is a philanthropic grantmaking organization that mobilizes donations from individuals and foundations to provide grants, capacity-building support, and fellowships to grassroots QTBIPOC-led organizations advancing gender justice, reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ liberation, disability justice, and sex worker rights. Its offerings include six specialized grant programs (Mobilize Power, Sex Worker Giving Circle, Own Our Power, Disability Frontlines, Grow Power, Accountable Futures), the Mic Check! Podcast, and an Artist-in-Residence Program.
Is Third Wave Fund a public or private company?
Third Wave Fund is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Third Wave Fund founded?
Third Wave Fund was founded in 1992. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Third Wave Fund based?
Third Wave Fund is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Third Wave Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: individual Donations.
Who are Third Wave Fund's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Proteus Fund, Open Society Foundations and Funders for Reproductive Rights. Direct peers are Astraea Foundation, Ms. Foundation for Women, Borealis Philanthropy and Groundswell Fund. Emerging players are Mijente, Forward Together and Black Feminist Fund.
Does Third Wave Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Third Wave Fund.
What industry is Third Wave Fund in?
Third Wave Fund's product category is Philanthropic Grantmaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAN, Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.