First Push Foundation
First Push Foundation is a private foundation based in Santa Cruz, California. It supports and fosters arts and culture; its 2024 filing reports 12 donations to organizations and the purchase of a building intended for future programming.
First Push Foundation at a glance
- Total assets
- $2,170,014
- +19.1% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $385,000
- -79.2% vs 2024
- Qualifying distributions (2025)
- $28,119
- -7.0% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $33,005
- +3.2% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026.
How to apply to First Push Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 340 Soquel Ave 205, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Phone: (831) 325-7264
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who First Push Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
12 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 12 grants of 12 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in California (35%), Washington (26%), Arizona (19%), Colorado (13%), and Florida (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $15K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Skate Like a Girl Seattle, WA | Arts and Culture | $3,000 |
| Cowtown Skate Tempe, AZ | Arts and Culture | $2,000 |
| International Skateboarding Hall of Fame Simi Valley, CA | Arts and Culture | $1,480 |
| Launch Community Through Skateboarding Fort Collins, CO | Arts and Culture | $1,000 |
| The Skatepark Project Vista, CA | Arts and Culture | $1,000 |
| Skate Wild Foundation Laguna Niguel, CA | Arts and Culture | $1,000 |
| Skateistan Seattle, WA | Arts and Culture | $1,000 |
| The Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona Phoenix, AZ | Arts and Culture | $1,000 |
| Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks Santa Cruz, CA | Arts and Culture | $1,000 |
| Fresno Skateboard Salvage Fresno, CA | Arts and Culture | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with First Push Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,170,014 | $385,000 | $33,005 | — | — | $28,119 |
| 2024 | $1,822,686 | $1,850,000 | $31,981 | $15,480 | 12 | $30,251 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states that it was formed to support and foster the arts and culture. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose own missions include creating inclusive skateboarding communities, expanding access to skateboarding, building safe public skateparks, and supporting parks and recreational and cultural activities. For example, Skate Like a Girl describes its mission as promoting confidence, leadership, and social justice through skateboarding; The Skatepark Project says it helps underserved communities create safe and inclusive public skateparks for youth.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $15,480 across 12 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $3,000, with a median grant of $1,000.
The largest grants were $3,000 to Skate Like a Girl and $2,000 to Cowtown Skate. Other listed recipients included the International Skateboarding Hall of Fame ($1,480), Launch Community Through Skateboarding ($1,000), The Skatepark Project ($1,000), Skate Wild Foundation ($1,000), Skateistan ($1,000), The Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona ($1,000), Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks ($1,000), Fresno Skateboard Salvage ($1,000), Make Life Skate Life ($1,000), and Boards for Bros ($1,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert Denike as president, Nathan Benjamin as secretary, and Michael Eyre as treasurer.
First Push Foundation is led by Robert Denike, President on every filing since 2023; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert Denike
President
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Michael Eyre
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Nathan Benjamin
Secretary
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2025. "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 Push Foundation
How large is First Push Foundation?
First Push Foundation reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $385K.
What does First Push Foundation fund?
The foundation states that it was formed to support and foster the arts and culture. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from First Push Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does First Push Foundation make grants?
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in California (35%), Washington (26%), Arizona (19%), Colorado (13%), and Florida (6%).
What is First Push Foundation's EIN?
First Push Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 92-2867166. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2025.
Does First Push Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
Live grants for the work First Push Foundation funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in First Push Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). First Push Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/first-push-foundation-morg_63b71c1a7df74fbc804d025517f26f4e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_922867166_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{First Push Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/first-push-foundation-morg_63b71c1a7df74fbc804d025517f26f4e},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-05. 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 Push 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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