First Book
Washington, District of Columbia · EIN 521779606 · Private foundation
Based in Washington, District of Columbia, First Book has awarded $6.0M across 25 grants in our index of public IRS filings, with giving recorded as recently as 2024. Its largest grant on record went to Ashoka. This profile covers its focus areas, top grant recipients, year-by-year giving, and how a nonprofit should approach it.
What First Book funds
First Book's giving carries a documented focus on youth development.
Populations it has supported include youth pop.
Grant history
The largest grants Bespoke Grants has on record for First Book, by amount:
| Recipient | Location | Grant | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashoka Youth Empowerment | Arlington, VA | $2.8M | 2024 |
| Teach for All Youth Empowerment | New York, NY | $2.8M | 2024 |
| Book Harvest Diverse book coalition | Durham, NC | $25K | 2022 |
| Reach Out and Read Boston Diverse book coalition | Boston, MA | $25K | 2022 |
| Raising a Reader Diverse book coalition | Milpitas, CA | $25K | 2022 |
| Reach Out and Read Greater New York Diverse book coalition | New York, NY | $25K | 2022 |
| Aft Diverse book coalition | Washington, DC | $25K | 2022 |
| Parents As Teachers Diverse book coalition | St Louis, MO | $25K | 2022 |
| Reach Out and Read Ri Diverse book coalition | Providence, RI | $25K | 2022 |
| The Asia Foundation BOOKS TO CHILDREN | San Francisco, CA | $22K | 2020 |
| The Asia Foundation BOOKS TO CHILDREN | San Francisco, CA | $21K | 2019 |
| The Asia Foundation BOOKS TO CHILDREN | San Francisco, CA | $21K | 2017 |
| Room to Read Diverse book coalition | San Francisco, CA | $15K | 2022 |
| Heart of America Diverse book coalition | Washiington, DC | $15K | 2022 |
| Parentchild Diverse book coalition | New York, NY | $15K | 2022 |
First Book giving by year
Total grants Bespoke Grants has indexed for each filing year:
How to apply for funding from First Book
First Book's public IRS filing does not spell out a formal application process. Foundations of this size often give primarily to organizations they already know, so a concise letter of inquiry or a warm introduction is usually the best first contact — not a full proposal.
Is First Book the right funder for your nonprofit?
This page shows what First Book has funded. Bespoke Grants tells you whether it fits your mission — and finds every other foundation that does. Free, no credit card.
Match my nonprofit to funders →Frequently asked questions about First Book
- Does First Book accept grant applications?
- First Book's public filing does not specify an application process. A brief letter of inquiry or a warm introduction is usually the best first step with a private foundation of this size.
- What does First Book fund?
- First Book's grants focus on youth development. Recent recipients include Ashoka, Teach for All, Book Harvest. Its full grant history is listed above.
- How much does First Book give in grants?
- First Book reported $2.8M in grants in its most recent IRS filing (FY2020). Across all years in our data it has awarded $6.0M over 25 grants.
- Where is First Book located?
- First Book is based in Washington, District of Columbia. Its IRS employer identification number (EIN) is 521779606.
- How can I find foundations similar to First Book?
- Bespoke Grants matches your nonprofit against 225,000+ foundations like First Book, ranking each by how well it fits your mission, location, and budget — with the reasoning shown. It is free to search.
Find more funders like First Book
Foundations similar to First Book
Other District of Columbia grantmakers with overlapping priorities: