Start Something That Matters Foundation
Start Something That Matters Foundation is a private foundation based in Beverly Hills, California. Its 2024 filing lists grants to organizations working in areas that include mental health treatment, access to psychedelic therapy, and international community engagement.
Start Something That Matters Foundation at a glance
In short: Start Something That Matters Foundation gave $2.3M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $178K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,313,263
- -32.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -7.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $177,943
- -27.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $45,000
- Total assets
- $1,122,760
- -10.4% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (88% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Start Something That Matters Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Cillp 9401 Wilshire Blvd 500, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Start Something That Matters Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
75 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 28 grants of 75 (37%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in California (88%), Tennessee (5%), Pennsylvania (4%), Oregon (2%), and New York (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Start Something That Matters Foundation gives
- Giving grew 71% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.3M (2021) to $6.8M (2022). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $2.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 13 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $2,313,263 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,122,760 | $2,234,617 | $2,373,370 | $2,313,263 | 13 | $2,313,263 | $706,896 | $47,191 |
| 2023 | $1,252,836 | $480,103 | $3,539,941 | $3,439,579 | 14 | $3,439,579 | $413,553 | $176,182 |
| 2022 | $4,312,062 | $5,691,434 | $7,007,688 | $6,820,368 | 15 | $6,820,368 | $2,765,017 | $214,168 |
| 2021 | $5,625,083 | $2,135,603 | $1,443,413 | $1,349,000 | 12 | $1,349,000 | $1,842,739 | $262,203 |
| 2020 | $5,117,148 | $416,707 | $1,835,395 | $1,769,290 | 21 | — | $362,773 | $284,916 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Start Something That Matters Foundation reported a distributable amount of $47K 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 is provided. The 2024 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, PSFC says it supports research on and clinical trials of new mental health treatments and patient access to those treatments. Amigos of Costa Rica says it connects global resources with Costa Rican organizations, while Business for Social Good says it facilitates donations from the real estate community to its giving partners. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $2,313,263. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $745,263, with a median of $45,000. Notable awards included $745,263 to UC Berkeley Foundation – Psyche…; $500,000 each to an individual recipient… and PSFC; and $250,000 to an individual recipient – Mycoskie Fellowships. Other listed grants included $100,000 to Charity Water – The Well Campaign, $50,000 to Legacy of Light, and $40,000 to Amigos of Costa Rica.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Blake T. Mycoskie as Director and Michael Lee Mycoskie as Secretary.
Start Something That Matters Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Blake T. Mycoskie
Director
President & Sole Director → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Lee Mycoskie
Secretary
Secretary & Treasurer → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
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 Start Something That Matters Foundation
How much does Start Something That Matters Foundation give each year?
Start Something That Matters Foundation gave $2.3M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.4M across 14 grants.
What is Start Something That Matters Foundation's typical grant size?
Start Something That Matters Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $45,000, and its average grant was $177,943, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Start Something That Matters Foundation give grants?
Start Something That Matters Foundation gives mostly in California: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does Start Something That Matters Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Start Something That Matters Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
How large is Start Something That Matters Foundation?
Start Something That Matters Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $47K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Start Something That Matters Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, PSFC says it supports research on and clinical trials of new mental health treatments and patient access to those treatments. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Start Something That Matters Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Start Something That Matters Foundation's EIN?
Start Something That Matters Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1031067. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Start Something That Matters 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 August 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 24, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in Start Something That Matters Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Start Something That Matters Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/start-something-that-matters-foundation-morg_e60527358be947078bd9bb9d24c99f42
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_461031067_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Start Something That Matters Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/start-something-that-matters-foundation-morg_e60527358be947078bd9bb9d24c99f42},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Start Something That Matters 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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