Members 1ST Charitable Foundation
Members 1st Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Enola, Pennsylvania. Founded by Members 1st Federal Credit Union in 2021, it supports local, grassroots organizations in the communities it serves, with the stated aim of helping them become stronger, healthier, and more financially sound.
Members 1ST Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Members 1ST Charitable Foundation gave $186K across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Pennsylvania. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $185,500
- +62.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- +41.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,524
- +14.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $178,029
- +24.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Members 1ST Charitable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts applications online. Its website describes applications as accepted on a rolling basis, with four funding cycles per year.
- Review Cycle
- The November 1, 2026 submission deadline is the next listed deadline. The February 1, May 1, and August 1, 2026 deadlines have passed; the website lists notification of funding status for the November cycle as December 1, 2026.
- Deadline
- The November 1, 2026 submission deadline is the next listed deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Sara Firestone
Mailing address: 5000 Marketplace Way, Enola, PA 17025
Phone: (717) 697-1161
Website: HTTPS://WWW.MEMBERS1STFOUNDATION.ORG/
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Members 1ST Charitable Foundation
Who Members 1ST Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was LHM Hospice & Social Services Foundation ($10K). Together the top 10 received $60K.
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 132 grants of 132 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The website identifies Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Union, and York counties in South Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania as its service area. All 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Members 1ST Charitable Foundation gives
- 5% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 37% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2021) to $186K (2025). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $186K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| LHM Hospice & Social Services Foundation Harrisburg, PA | Horizons Transitional Housing | $10,000 |
| Thrive Ministry Inc Hanover, PA | Thrive Ministry House, a Trans | $10,000 |
| 18 South Youth Ministries Inc Red Lion, PA | Hope Squad: Peer-to-Peer Suicide Prevention Team | $5,000 |
| 18TH Wonder Improvement Association Reading, PA | The green team of the 18th wonder improvement association | $5,000 |
| Bloom for Women Bethlehem, PA | Community Outreach, Education, | $5,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Allentown Allentown, PA | Make Your M.A.R.K. Program | $5,000 |
| Brethren Housing Association Harrisburg, PA | Transitions Program | $5,000 |
| Caitlin's Smiles Harrisburg, PA | Sending Smiles - Bag of Smiles | $5,000 |
| Cancer Support Community of Greater Lehigh Valley Allentown, PA | 2025 Programming | $5,000 |
| Clinic for Special Children Gordonville, PA | The Equipment to Meet Physical | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Members 1ST Charitable 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $178,029 | $241,440 | $206,617 | $185,500 | 41 | $206,617 | $212 | $8,797 |
| 2024 | $143,206 | $239,932 | $128,547 | $114,500 | 29 | $128,547 | $58 | $3,163 |
| 2023 | $31,821 | $112,432 | $109,064 | $96,000 | 27 | $109,064 | $27 | $1,851 |
| 2022 | $28,453 | $142,433 | $150,105 | $135,000 | 27 | $150,105 | $25 | $1,660 |
| 2021 | $36,125 | $92,758 | $56,633 | $50,000 | 8 | — | — | $583 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Members 1ST Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $9K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to support local, grassroots organizations in its service communities. Its 2024 filing lists awards to 501(c)(3) nonprofits involved in arts and culture, diversity and inclusion, education, financial wellness, health and wellness, social services, and veteran services.
The organizations it funded in 2025 illustrate the range of work supported. Thrive Ministry describes its work as helping victims of domestic violence find healing and freedom. Contact Helpline provides a 24-hour telephone helpline with information, referrals, and listening services. Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh describes its mission as providing healthy nutrition and fostering social connection, while New Bethany offers support to people experiencing poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 41 grants totaling $185,500. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median of $5,000. Among the largest were $10,000 to LHM Hospice & Social Services Foundation for Horizons Transitional Housing and $10,000 to Thrive Ministry for its Thrive Ministry House. Other 2025 awards included $5,000 to 18 South Youth Ministries for a peer-to-peer suicide prevention team and $5,000 to Domestic Violence Services of Cumberland and Perry Counties for emergency shelter.
The foundation’s website says grants of up to $10,000 are awarded each funding cycle and organizations may receive only one grant per calendar year. Applicants must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3), be in good financial standing, meet the foundation’s nondiscrimination requirement, and be based in an eligible county. Applications require an IRS determination letter, IRS Form W-9, and EIN. The foundation does not fund programs or events benefiting specific individuals, political organizations or campaigns, organizational capital campaigns, Parent/Teacher Associations and Organizations, or fraternal organizations. Religious organizations are ineligible unless the proposed program is secular community outreach benefiting the community at large.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sara Firestone as executive director; Karen Roland as president; Linda Weaver as secretary; and Jesse Schwamb as treasurer. It also lists Jill Conway and Laurie Renne as directors, and Jessica Ritchie as a director through February 2025.
Members 1ST Charitable Foundation is led by Sara Firestone, Executive Director since 2023 (on filings since 2021); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sara Firestone
Executive Director
Director → Executive Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
2.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Roland
President
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jill Conway
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laurie Renne
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jesse Schwamb
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda Weaver
Secretary
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Jessica Ritchie (2021–2025) — Director · Filing note: Thru feb 25
- Former: Mark Ely (2024) — President
- Former: Michael Wilson (2021–2023) — President
- Former: Sue Rising (2021–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Members 1ST Charitable Foundation
How much does Members 1ST Charitable Foundation give each year?
Members 1ST Charitable Foundation gave $186K across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $115K across 29 grants.
What is Members 1ST Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Members 1ST Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $4,524, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Members 1ST Charitable Foundation give grants?
Members 1ST Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Harrisburg, PA (8 grants), Allentown, PA (5 grants), York, PA (4 grants) and Reading, PA (3 grants).
Does Members 1ST Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 41 grants with a stated purpose on Members 1ST Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Members 1ST Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Members 1ST Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include LHM Hospice & Social Services Foundation ($10,000), Thrive Ministry Inc ($10,000) and 18 South Youth Ministries Inc ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Members 1ST Charitable Foundation?
Members 1ST Charitable Foundation reported $178K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $207K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $9K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Members 1ST Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to support local, grassroots organizations in its service communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Members 1ST Charitable Foundation?
The foundation accepts applications online. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Members 1ST Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Members 1ST Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-2733969. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 23, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Members 1ST Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Members 1ST Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/members-1st-charitable-foundation-morg_def949bc5d1d4bcd946c625c912d094a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_842733969_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Members 1ST Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/members-1st-charitable-foundation-morg_def949bc5d1d4bcd946c625c912d094a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Members 1ST Charitable 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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