Hopestar Foundation
Hopestar Foundation is a private foundation based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its 2024 filing reports 24 grants totaling $121,883 to organizations working in areas including health, early childhood, education, and community services; those areas describe the listed grantees and grants, not a stated foundation mission.
Hopestar Foundation at a glance
In short: Hopestar Foundation gave $122K across 24 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $121,883
- +275.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 24
- +2300.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,078
- -84.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $559
- Total assets
- $204,666
- -54.1% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Illinois (62% 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 Hopestar Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Elizabeth H Star as the contact and says to submit a letter. It lists no award restrictions. The foundation’s stated policy is not to restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- None listed on the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- None listed on the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Elizabeth H Star
Mailing address: 428 East 4Th Street Suite 408, Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: (704) 333-0568
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Hopestar Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Nurture NC ($52K). Together the top 10 received $117K.
Grant Size Distribution
28 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 25 grants of 28 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Illinois (62%) and North Carolina (31%), followed by South Carolina, Virginia, and Massachusetts (2% each). The listed grants also include a $1,000 award to the National WIC Association in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
Cities
How Hopestar Foundation gives
- Giving grew 217% 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 $32K (2023) to $267K (2020). In 2024 it made 24 grants totaling $122K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Nurture NC Chicago, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $51,500 |
| Healthconnect One (Nurture NC) Chicago, IL | Healthconnect one (hc one) is the national leader in advancing equitable, community-based, peer-to-peer support for pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early parenting. | $23,500 |
| NC Philanthropy Liaison (NC OSP) Raleigh, NC | The North Carolina office of state budget & management (OSBM) delivers the highest quality budget development and management services for state government. | $10,000 |
| The Center for Native Health Inc Whittier, NC | The mission of the center for native health is the reduction of health disparities for native communities through engagement in the preservation and respectful application of traditional knowledge. | $10,000 |
| East Carolina University (ECU) Greenville, NC | Providing cultural enrichment and powerful inspiration as we work to sustain and improve quality of life. | $5,000 |
| Yancy County Da Trauma Informed Space Burnsville, NC | Represent the state with integrity and professionalism, protect victims and their rights, and pursue justice | $4,800 |
| Stanly Community College Foundation Albemarle, NC | Stanly community college foundation, inc. Was founded for the purpose of soliciting and collecting funds to provide scholarships and aid to students and faculty of stanly community college and to provide financial support. | $4,350 |
| Carolinas Collaborative Greenville, SC | Launched in 2010, the institute for child success (ICS) is an independent research and applied policy organization. ICS works to create a culture that facilitates and fosters the success of all children. ICS supports policymakers, service providers, government agencies, funders, and business leaders focused on early childhood development, healthcare, and education, with the goal of improving the lives of young children prenatal to age eight and their families. ICS helps young children succeed by working with stakeholders to seek holistic solutions to complex early childhood challenges. | $2,500 |
| Child Care Aware of America Symposium Arlington, VA | We advance a child care system that effectively serves all children and families. Our work is strengthened by a national network of child care resource and referral agencies and diverse members and partners. | $2,500 |
| The Hackett Center Policy Academy Sudbury, MA | Bellwether education partners is a national nonprofit focused on dramatically changing education and life outcomes for underserved children. We do this by helping education organizations accelerate their impact and by working to improve policy and practice. | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Hopestar Foundation?
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 | $204,666 | $371,872 | $324,678 | $121,883 | 24 | $319,300 | $137,072 | $15,743 |
| 2023 | $445,503 | $429,950 | $150,440 | $32,495 | 1 | $32,495 | — | $17,878 |
| 2022 | $88,920 | $135,417 | $169,615 | $106,641 | 1 | $106,641 | — | $3,962 |
| 2021 | $121,608 | $95,327 | $112,639 | $38,445 | 1 | $38,445 | $71,047 | $3,999 |
| 2020 | $154,786 | $282,116 | $331,194 | $267,072 | 1 | — | $106,093 | $4,957 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Hopestar Foundation reported a distributable amount of $16K 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 foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations whose own missions include advancing community-based support for pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early parenting; reducing health disparities for Native communities; and expanding nutrition services for mothers and young children. Other recipients’ stated work includes early childhood policy, child care, education, scholarships, and community wellness.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $121,883 through 24 grants. Grants ranged from $84 to $51,500, with a median of $559. The largest awards included $51,500 to Nurture NC and $23,500 to HealthConnect One (Nurture NC), both in Chicago; $10,000 to the NC Philanthropy Liaison in Raleigh; and $10,000 to The Center for Native Health in Whittier, North Carolina.
The 2024 filing also lists $5,000 for East Carolina University, $4,800 for Yancy County DA Trauma Informed Space, and $4,350 for the Stanly Community College Foundation. Other listed awards include $2,500 each for Carolinas Collaborative, Child Care Aware of America Symposium, and The Hackett Center Policy Academy, and $1,000 for the National WIC Association.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Elizabeth H Star, Julia R Winer, and Benjamin D Winer as trustees.
Hopestar Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Benjamin D. Winer
Trustee
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julia R. Winer
Trustee
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth H. Star
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Elizabeth H Star-Winer (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Bradley D. Winer (2020–2022) — Trustee
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 Hopestar Foundation
How much does Hopestar Foundation give each year?
Hopestar Foundation gave $122K across 24 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $32K across 1 grant.
What is Hopestar Foundation's typical grant size?
Hopestar Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $559, and its average grant was $5,078, across 24 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Hopestar Foundation give grants?
Hopestar Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was North Carolina (31%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charlotte, NC (6 grants), Raleigh, NC (4 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does Hopestar Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 33% of Hopestar Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Hopestar Foundation's largest grantees?
Hopestar Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Nurture NC ($51,500), Healthconnect One (Nurture NC) ($23,500) and NC Philanthropy Liaison (NC OSP) ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Hopestar Foundation?
Hopestar Foundation reported $205K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $319K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $16K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Hopestar Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hopestar Foundation?
The filing lists Elizabeth H Star as the contact and says to submit a letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Hopestar Foundation's EIN?
Hopestar Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 80-6198680. 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). Hopestar Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/hopestar-foundation-morg_79e318d0f7524cc687f3dffcffeb4332
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_806198680_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Hopestar Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/hopestar-foundation-morg_79e318d0f7524cc687f3dffcffeb4332},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Hopestar 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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