First Dollar Foundation
First Dollar Foundation is a private foundation based in Napa, California. In 2024, it gave $574,650 through 39 grants to charitable organizations, including schools, humanitarian organizations, and organizations working in health and international development.
First Dollar Foundation at a glance
In short: First Dollar Foundation gave $575K across 39 grants in 2024 (avg $15K), top state California. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $574,650
- +20.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 39
- -7.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $14,735
- +30.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,204,800
- +4.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (4 of 39, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (38% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to First Dollar Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 2335, Napa, CA 94558
Phone: (415) 828-3281
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who First Dollar Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was East Side Prep School ($50K). Together the top 10 received $340K.
Grant Size Distribution
206 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 197 grants of 206 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 38% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 17% each to recipients in New York and Washington, 9% to Texas, and 6% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is First Dollar Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 39 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $9K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 90% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+19%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $366K (2020) to $575K (2024). In 2024 it made 39 grants totaling $575K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| East Side Prep School Kirkland, WA | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Lumin Dallas, TX | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Mentis of Napa Napa, CA | Charitable | $40,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Charitable | $35,000 |
| Give Directly New York, NY | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Helen Keller Int'l New York, NY | Charitable | $30,000 |
| New Incentives Walnut, CA | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Direct Relief Santa Barbara, CA | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Global Partnerships Seattle, WA | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Himalayan Cataract Project Waterbury, VT | Charitable | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with First Dollar Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,204,800 | $832,917 | $577,885 | $574,650 | 39 | $576,219 | $454,949 | $556,339 |
| 2023 | $5,949,768 | $528,616 | $475,789 | $475,593 | 42 | $475,691 | $81,593 | $460,924 |
| 2022 | $5,896,941 | $294,513 | $445,731 | $436,050 | 39 | $437,333 | $181,382 | $433,220 |
| 2021 | $6,048,159 | $576,623 | $490,830 | $483,625 | 45 | $484,729 | $338,639 | $466,353 |
| 2020 | $5,962,366 | $434,581 | $368,262 | $366,174 | 41 | — | $176,137 | $343,319 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, First Dollar Foundation reported a distributable amount of $556K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with a range of charitable purposes. New Incentives says it uses evidence-based programming and cash incentives to increase childhood vaccination rates. Upstream USA says it works to make patient-centered contraceptive care more affordable and accessible. Direct Relief describes its work as humanitarian aid to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies. Global Partnerships says its charitable mission is to expand opportunity for people living in poverty in developing countries.
Other 2024 grantees describe work that includes preserving and restoring sight (Seva Foundation), developing eye care in underserved areas (Himalayan Cataract Project), and building girls’ courage, confidence, and character (Girl Scouts).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 39 grants totaling $574,650. Grants ranged from $250 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest grants were $50,000 each to East Side Prep School and Lumin; $40,000 to Mentis of Napa; $35,000 to Doctors Without Borders; and $30,000 each to Give Directly, Helen Keller Int’l, and New Incentives.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Tim Culler as president and Ellen Birmingham as secretary.
First Dollar Foundation is led by Tim Culler, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Tim Culler
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ellen Birmingham
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about First Dollar Foundation
How much does First Dollar Foundation give each year?
First Dollar Foundation gave $575K across 39 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $476K across 42 grants.
What is First Dollar Foundation's typical grant size?
First Dollar Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $14,735, across 39 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from First Dollar Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does First Dollar Foundation give grants?
First Dollar Foundation's top state is California, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (17%) and Washington (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Napa, CA (6 grants), San Francisco, CA (6 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does First Dollar Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 39 grants with a stated purpose on First Dollar Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (39 grants).
Who are First Dollar Foundation's largest grantees?
First Dollar Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include East Side Prep School ($50,000), Lumin ($50,000) and Mentis of Napa ($40,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is First Dollar Foundation?
First Dollar Foundation reported $6.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $576K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $556K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does First Dollar Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with a range of charitable purposes. New Incentives says it uses evidence-based programming and cash incentives to increase childhood vaccination rates. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from First Dollar Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is First Dollar Foundation's EIN?
First Dollar Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1910598. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does First Dollar Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 4, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in First Dollar Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). First Dollar Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/first-dollar-foundation-morg_3c1b2b89701b4660a03a6c1073f673fe
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_461910598_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{First Dollar Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/first-dollar-foundation-morg_3c1b2b89701b4660a03a6c1073f673fe},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from First Dollar Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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