First Descents
Funding Overview
From IRS Form 990 filings · 2021–2026
Total received
$5.4M
Foundation funders
100
Grants recorded
200
Years covered
2021–2026
Who funds First Descents?
First Descents is funded by 100 grantmakers, led by Charities Aid Foundation America ($1.3M), Wend II Inc ($582K), The Joe & Sandy Samberg Foundation Inc ($581K). In total, IRS Form 990 filings record $5.4M in grants to First Descents between 2021–2026.
Show all 100 funders
Funding over time
Grant dollars and counts received per year
From 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $1K (2026) to $1.6M (2022). In 2026 it made 1 grant totaling $1K.
What grants has First Descents received?
Individual grants from IRS Form 990 filings, newest first
| Year | Funder | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sieg Dunlap Foundation | GENERAL CHARITABLE | $1,000 |
| 2025 | The Joe & Sandy Samberg Foundation Inc | CHARITABLE | $250,000 |
| 2025 | Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer | JEANNE C MAYER REMEMBERANCE RELFECTION GARDEN & MS FOCUSED PROGRAMMING | $125,000 |
| 2025 | Haymakers for Hope Inc | TO AID IN FIRSTS MISSION | $87,993 |
| 2025 | Gray Foundation | TO FURTHER THE EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION. | $25,000 |
| 2025 | Tappan Easton Foundation | FIRST DESCENTS (FD) PROVIDES LIFE-CHANGING OUTDOOR ADVENTURES FOR YOUNG ADULTS IMPACTED BY CANCER AND OTHER SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS. SINCE 2001, FD HAS SERVED MORE THAN 10,150 PARTICIPANTS AT OVER 1,100 PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE TO PROVIDE ONGOING PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORTIVE CARE. BEGINNING IN 2020, FD EXPANDED PROGRAMMING TO HEALTHCARE WORKERS ON THE FRONTLINES OF COVID-19. RECOGNIZED FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, FIRST DESCENTS IS A PROUD NONPROFIT PARTNER OF 1% FOR THE PLANET AND WAS HONORED AS A CNN HERO IN 2016. | $25,000 |
| 2025 | National Philanthropic Trust | HEALTH | $17,725 |
| 2025 | Triford Foundation | CHARITABLE | $15,000 |
| 2025 | Greater Washington Community Foundation | GENERAL SUPPORT | $12,500 |
| 2025 | Charities Aid Foundation America | CHARITABLE DONATION | $10,498 |
| 2025 | Bennett Thrasher Foundation Inc | GENERAL OPERATING FUND | $10,000 |
| 2025 | Ud LD Mellam for Mellam Family Foundatio | GRANT USED FOR MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES | $10,000 |
| 2025 | Murray Foundation Inc | PROVIDES LIFE CHANGING OUTDOOR ADVENTURES FOR YOUNG ADULTS IMPACTED BY CANCER AND OTHER SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS | $10,000 |
| 2025 | Joy In Childhood Foundation Inc | Support Sick and Hungry Kids | $10,000 |
| 2025 | The Katherine Estes Rogers Foundation Inc | PROVIDES OUTDOOR ADVENTURES FOR YOUNG ADULTS IMPACTED BY CANCER AND OTHER SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS | $5,500 |
| 2025 | Bailey Family Foundation Inc | CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $5,000 |
| 2025 | Cummins-Levenstein Charitable Foundation | MEDICAL | $5,000 |
| 2025 | The Nancy E Barton Foundation | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL | $4,000 |
| 2025 | Jones S Davis Foundation | GENERAL | $3,900 |
| 2025 | Rimsky Family Foundation | UNRESTRICTED CONTRIBUTION TO HELP FUND ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES | $3,500 |
| 2025 | The James Patrick Griffith Foundation | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $3,000 |
| 2025 | MFS Investment Management Foundation Inc | General & Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| 2025 | Neporent Family Foundation | TO CARRY OUT EXEMPT FUNCTIONS | $2,500 |
| 2025 | Davidson Hooker Fund | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL | $2,500 |
| 2025 | John H Breckjr and Barbara N Breck | GENERAL FUNDING | $2,500 |
| 2025 | JPMorgan Chase Foundation | MATCHING CONTRIBUTION (GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT) | $2,000 |
| 2025 | Ud LD Mellam for Mellam Family Foundatio | GRANT USED FOR MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES | $2,000 |
| 2025 | Phillips-Green Foundation Inc | GENERAL | $750 |
| 2025 | Harry & Beatrice Sley Foundation | General | $520 |
| 2024 | Wend II Inc | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS | $250,000 |
Showing 30 most recent of 200 recorded grants.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who funds First Descents?
First Descents is funded by 100 grantmakers, led by Charities Aid Foundation America ($1.3M), Wend II Inc ($582K), The Joe & Sandy Samberg Foundation Inc ($581K). In total, IRS Form 990 filings record $5.4M in grants to First Descents between 2021–2026.
Who is First Descents's largest funder?
Charities Aid Foundation America is the largest recorded funder of First Descents, with $1.3M across 5 grants (2021–2025).
How much grant funding has First Descents received?
IRS 990 filings record $5.4M in grants to First Descents across 200 grants from 100 funders between 2021–2026. Filings are published on a delay, so recent grants may not appear yet.
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Grant data is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings via Grantable's GrantGraph™. Filings are published on a delay; recent grants may not appear yet.
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