California · Nonprofit
SCHOLARS FIRST
SCHOLARS FIRST (California) receives grants from 4 organizations whose IRS filings report $737,500 to it, the largest being NOBBS FAMILY FOUNDATION ($703,500). 3 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2019
- $57k
- Funders on record
- 4
- Grants received
- $738k
- Net assets
- $0
What Scholars First does
Mission
The mission of Scholars First is to enable worthy children, especially those at-risk and disadvantaged, to obtain the education they need in order to become independent, productive and contributing members of society.
As stated on its FY2019 Form 990.
Program
Since inception, first foundation has generously provided two employees and resources to administer the scholarship program. The firm made a management decision to redirect assets to programs that provide opportunities with nonprofits in our communities to engage more employees. As a result, the Scholars First board voted to continue the scholarships but under new management.during the 2019 year, Scholars First directly funded 18 scholarships. The board of directors approved distribution of assets to continue the scholarships at the following public charities (con sch o):1) glen doherty memorial foundation2) orangewood foundation3) desert community foundation.see schedule n for more details.in addition, nobbs family foundation, a private foundation who has been a donor to Scholars First will continue the scholarship program in which they have irs approval to carry out such a program.Scholars First has proudly funded approximately 280 student scholarships since inception totaling nearly $1,500,000.
The first program described on its most recent Form 990, which lists programs largest first by expense.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2018 to 2019, from $1.4M to $0 (−100%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 1 of the last 3 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2019: the base broadened from 2 funders to 3 funders, grant income fell $391k → $112k.
From the IRS filings of SCHOLARS FIRST’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
SCHOLARS FIRST leans on a few funders — its largest provides 95% of grant income and the top three 99%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 99% · 2018 91% · 2019 89% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Where its funders are
99% of SCHOLARS FIRST's grant income comes from California funders.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Organizations like SCHOLARS FIRST
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In California
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
91% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
45%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for SCHOLARS FIRST: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds SCHOLARS FIRST?
- SCHOLARS FIRST (California) receives grants from 4 organizations whose IRS filings report $737,500 to it, the largest being NOBBS FAMILY FOUNDATION ($703,500). 3 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does SCHOLARS FIRST have?
- IRS filings report 4 organizations giving $737,500 in grants to SCHOLARS FIRST, 3 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of SCHOLARS FIRST?
- NOBBS FAMILY FOUNDATION is the largest funder on record, with $703,500 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like SCHOLARS FIRST find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in California. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Scholars First →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2019 (financials across 2017–2019), and the filings of 4 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing