The 2009 recipient of the Thomas C. Wales Award for Passionate Citizenship was Charles Duze. Charles is a Seattle-based software engineer who in his spare time founded the Little Drops Orphanage Fund, an entirely volunteer-run organization that supports orphanages in six countries in Africa. As of the fall of 2009, Charles and his colleagues at Little Drops have helped thousands of children.

Four other Puget Sound community leaders received recognition from the Foundation as 2009 honorees: Ari Kohn, Akemi Matsumoto, Rev. Rick Reynolds, and Mary Jean Ryan.