Start It Foundation
Start It Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. In its 2025 filing, it reported 15 grants totaling $24,888, with recipients including arts, cultural, educational, and community-service organizations.
Start It Foundation at a glance
In short: Start It Foundation gave $25K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Washington. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $24,888
- +19.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,659
- -4.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $551,588
- -6.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (3 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (82% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Start It Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Start It Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was 5TH Avenue Theatre Association ($5K). Together the top 10 received $22K.
Grant Size Distribution
64 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 64 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, 14% to recipients in New York, and 4% to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Start It Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 15 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 94% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $21K (2024) to $30K (2022). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $25K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 5TH Avenue Theatre Association Seattle, WA | Rising Star Project | $5,000 |
| Seattle Theatre Group Seattle, WA | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Experience Learning Community Seattle, WA | General & Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Village Theatre Issaquah, WA | Village Theater New Works | $2,000 |
| Pacific Science Center Foundation Seattle, WA | General & Unrestricted | $1,500 |
| Seattle Art Museum Seattle, WA | General & Unrestricted | $1,500 |
| West Seattle Food Bank Seattle, WA | General & Unrestricted | $1,500 |
| Book-It Repertory Theatre Seattle, WA | General & Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| Museum of Flight Foundation Tukwila, WA | General & Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| The Actors Fund of America New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $1,000 |
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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 | $551,588 | $2,218 | $42,111 | $24,888 | 15 | $32,891 | $7,216 | $35,171 |
| 2024 | $591,481 | $27,149 | $36,915 | $20,750 | 12 | $28,559 | $18,893 | $32,892 |
| 2023 | $601,247 | $16,845 | $41,092 | $26,000 | 12 | $33,619 | $8,372 | $30,529 |
| 2022 | $625,494 | $5,243 | $44,409 | $30,000 | 12 | $37,525 | $3,249 | $31,945 |
| 2021 | $664,660 | $58,241 | $39,859 | $25,187 | 13 | $32,712 | $49,794 | $37,228 |
| 2020 | $645,507 | $13,644 | $40,580 | $26,671 | 12 | — | $6,622 | $33,412 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Start It Foundation reported a distributable amount of $35K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants included support for organizations whose own missions span the performing and visual arts, science education, and community services. For example, 5th Avenue Theatre Association describes its mission as nurturing, advancing, and celebrating musical theatre, while Pacific Science Center Foundation says it ignites children’s curiosity and fuels a passion for discovery and critical thinking. West Seattle Food Bank says it works to ensure community members have access to essential necessities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $24,888. Grant amounts ranged from $388 to $5,000, with a median grant of $1,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $5,000 each to 5th Avenue Theatre Association for its Rising Star Project and Seattle Theatre Group for general and unrestricted purposes; $2,000 each to Experience Learning Community and Village Theatre; and $1,500 each to Pacific Science Center Foundation, Seattle Art Museum, and West Seattle Food Bank. Other reported grants included $1,000 to Book-It Repertory Theatre, Museum of Flight Foundation, The Actors Fund of America, Theatre Development Fund, and Santa Clara Foster & Adoptive Parents Association.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kevin Robert Cheung as president, director, and secretary.
Start It Foundation is led by Kevin Robert Cheung, President, Director & Secretary on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kevin Robert Cheung
President, Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Start It Foundation
How much does Start It Foundation give each year?
Start It Foundation gave $25K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $21K across 12 grants.
What is Start It Foundation's typical grant size?
Start It Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,659, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Start It Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Start It Foundation give grants?
Start It Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (7 grants) and New York, NY (4 grants).
Does Start It Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 80% of Start It Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Start It Foundation's largest grantees?
Start It Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include 5TH Avenue Theatre Association ($5,000), Seattle Theatre Group ($5,000) and Experience Learning Community ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Start It Foundation?
Start It Foundation reported $552K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $33K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $35K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Start It Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose own missions span the performing and visual arts, science education, and community services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Start It Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Start It Foundation's EIN?
Start It Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1164217. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Start It 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 25, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Start It Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Start It 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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