The Firstenburg Foundation
The Firstenburg Foundation is a private foundation based in Vancouver, Washington. In 2024, it made 68 grants totaling $1,344,550, with listed awards supporting organizations working on housing, shelter, homelessness services, youth programs, and community needs.
The Firstenburg Foundation at a glance
In short: The Firstenburg Foundation gave $1.3M across 68 grants in 2024 (avg $20K), mostly in Washington. 47% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,344,550
- -1.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 68
- +3.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $19,773
- -4.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $42,840,324
- +34.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (27 of 57, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Washington (80% 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 The Firstenburg Foundation
- How to Apply
Its listed restrictions exclude grants to or for individuals, religious organizations, international organizations without a qualified domestic 501(c)(3) representative, private foundations, endowments, dinners, balls,…
Its listed restrictions exclude grants to or for individuals, religious organizations, international organizations without a qualified domestic 501(c)(3) representative, private foundations, endowments, dinners, balls, ticketed events, political purposes, lobbying activities, and purposes outside its funding priorities.
- Review Cycle
- Submission deadlines coincide with grant cycles, which may vary.
- Deadline
- Submission deadlines coincide with grant cycles, which may vary.
- Contact
Application contact: Jennifer Rhoads
Mailing address: 1220 Main Street Suite 203, Vancouver, WA 98660
Phone: (360) 699-4212
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Firstenburg Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Specialized Housing Inc ($215K). Together the top 10 received $699K.
Grant Size Distribution
313 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 237 grants of 313 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation is based in Vancouver, Washington. In 2024, 80% of its grant dollars went to recipients in Washington and 20% to recipients in Oregon.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 68 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Firstenburg Foundation open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 27 of 57 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $27K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $24K repeat.
- 30% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−19%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 284% 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 $1.3M (2024) to $2.1M (2020). In 2024 it made 68 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Specialized Housing Inc Beaverton, OR | To Be Applied to Felida Park Senior Housing | $215,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of SW Washington Vancouver, WA | To Be Applied as Capacity Building | $50,000 |
| Community House on Broadway Longview, WA | To Be Applied to Emergency Shelter | $50,000 |
| Council for the Homeless Vancouver, WA | To Be Applied as Capacity Building | $50,000 |
| Janus Youth Programs Portland, OR | To Be Applied to Key Housing Prevention | $50,000 |
| Outsiders Inn Vancouver, WA | To Be Applied as Program Support | $50,000 |
| Share Inc Vancouver, WA | To be applied as flexible funds for housing programs | $50,000 |
| Vancouver Housing Authority Vancouver, WA | To Be Applied as Program Support | $48,000 |
| Washington Gorge Action Programs Bingen, WA | To be applied as program support for housing & shelter programs | $45,000 |
| Fish of Vancouver Vancouver, WA | To Be Applied as Capacity Building | $43,550 |
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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 | $42,840,324 | $9,978,899 | $1,948,806 | $1,344,550 | 68 | $5,239,692 | $9,658,310 | $1,843,874 |
| 2023 | $31,943,544 | $1,976,248 | $1,958,780 | $1,361,456 | 66 | $1,756,935 | $1,745,046 | $1,864,680 |
| 2022 | $31,979,918 | $823,914 | $2,514,092 | $1,821,236 | 61 | $2,198,604 | $815,634 | $1,895,308 |
| 2021 | $33,670,353 | $4,266,258 | $2,026,484 | $1,659,997 | 59 | $1,815,870 | $3,966,554 | $2,116,762 |
| 2020 | $31,436,816 | $24,268 | $2,488,301 | $2,128,747 | 59 | — | $673,988 | $1,778,042 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Firstenburg Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M 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 in the available information. The 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes, including housing and shelter programs, housing services, emergency shelter, and organizational capacity building.
Grantee missions illustrate the work represented in the Foundation’s giving. Specialized Housing Inc. says it provides housing to low-income individuals with disabilities. Community House on Broadway says it provides temporary housing and related support for homeless individuals and families. The Council for the Homeless describes its work as providing community leadership, advocacy, and practical solutions to prevent and end homelessness in Clark County. These are grantees’ descriptions of their own missions, not statements of the Foundation’s mission.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 68 grants totaling $1,344,550. Awards ranged from $50 to $215,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Among the largest listed grants were $215,000 to Specialized Housing Inc. for Felida Park senior housing, and $50,000 each to Boys & Girls Club of SW Washington for capacity building, Community House on Broadway for emergency shelter, Council for the Homeless for capacity building, Janus Youth Programs for key housing prevention, Outsiders Inn for program support, and SHARE Inc. for flexible funds for housing programs. Other listed awards included $48,000 to Vancouver Housing Authority for program support and $45,000 to Washington Gorge Action Programs for housing and shelter program support.
The Foundation says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants must complete the foundation form, including information about the organization and project, a budget, and required attachments. The filing states that submission deadlines coincide with grant cycles, which may vary.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jeffrey Wayne Firstenburg as president, William Firstenburg as secretary, Bruce Firstenburg as treasurer, and Jennifer Rhoads as executive director. It also lists Jeffrey William Firstenburg, Shelly Firstenburg, Molly Linz, and Nicole Flack as directors.
The Firstenburg Foundation is led by Jennifer Rhoads, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 1 of 8 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jennifer Rhoads
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$93K (2022) → $134K (2024)
Jeffrey Wayne Firstebburg
President
Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey William Firstenburg
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shelly Firstenburg
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Molly Linz
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Flack
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bruce Firstenburg
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Firstenburg
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Joyce Chiles (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Marc Grignon (2020–2022) — Executive Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $134K, to Jennifer Rhoads (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Firstenburg Foundation
How much does The Firstenburg Foundation give each year?
The Firstenburg Foundation gave $1.3M across 68 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 66 grants.
What is The Firstenburg Foundation's typical grant size?
The Firstenburg Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $19,773, across 68 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Firstenburg Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does The Firstenburg Foundation give grants?
The Firstenburg Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Oregon (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Vancouver, WA (50 grants), Kelso, WA (3 grants), Longview, WA (2 grants) and Portland, OR (2 grants).
Does The Firstenburg Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 68 grants with a stated purpose on The Firstenburg Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Be Applied as Program Support" (22 grants), "To Be Applied as Capacity Building" (12 grants) and "To Be Applied as Program Support Paddle Raise" (3 grants).
Who are The Firstenburg Foundation's largest grantees?
The Firstenburg Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Specialized Housing Inc ($215,000), Share Inc ($70,000 across 2 grants) and Community Roots Collaborative ($60,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Firstenburg Foundation?
The Firstenburg Foundation reported $42.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Firstenburg Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided in the available information. The 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes, including housing and shelter programs, housing services, emergency shelter, and organizational capacity building. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Firstenburg Foundation?
Its listed restrictions exclude grants to or for individuals, religious organizations, international organizations without a qualified domestic 501(c)(3) representative, private foundations, endowments, dinners, balls,… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Firstenburg Foundation's EIN?
The Firstenburg Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 68-0525464. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Firstenburg Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-firstenburg-foundation-morg_021afc2fdd2e4d61a28f20e719234b70
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_680525464_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Firstenburg Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-firstenburg-foundation-morg_021afc2fdd2e4d61a28f20e719234b70},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 The Firstenburg 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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