Howard E Stark Charitable Foundation
The Howard E. Stark Charitable Foundation is a private foundation created in 2007 and based in Belchertown, Massachusetts. The foundation focuses on funding small, passionate, well-run organizations that make a significant difference in their communities, with particular emphasis on organizations with limited resources and fundraising capacity.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.2M
-4.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$253K
-49.0% YoY
Grant Count
16
-15.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$16K
-39.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To support small tax-exempt organizations that have limited resources, are well run, are passionate in their endeavors, and provide basic services to those in need.
Primary Funding Areas:
- Human Needs
- Animal Welfare
- Other Local Needs
The foundation has a particular focus on food pantries, community kitchens, animal welfare, and local Massachusetts organizations. Specific human needs organizations supported include:
- Match Grant Opportunities
- In-Kind Donations
- General Operation Funds
- Young Mother Programs
- Survival Centers
- Homeless Transition Programs
- Community Kitchens
- Food Pantries
Grantmaking
Grant Range
s:** Typical awards range from $276 to $250,000, with specific human needs grants available up to $15,000.
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in the Northeast United States, with particular emphasis on:
- Massachusetts (especially local organizations)
- New York
- Tennessee
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $2,254,259 (as of 2024)
Total Revenues: $190,857 (2024)
Total Expenses: $589,941 (2024)
Investment Income: $129,395 (2024)
Number of Employees: 0
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,155,203 | $2,254,259 | $2,651,259 |
| Revenue | $227,100 | $190,857 | $339,629 |
| Expenses | $330,081 | $589,941 | $359,902 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $288,295 | $548,510 | $319,151 |
| Net Investment Income | $185,314 | $149,426 | $298,878 |
| Distributable Amount | $210,756 | $215,632 | $218,351 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
88 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Howard E Stark Charitable Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Founder and Grantor: Howard E. Stark
Howard E. Stark was born and raised in Cleveland with five siblings. He graduated from John Adams High School before moving to New York. He began his career with an entry-level position at Lehman Brothers before transitioning to the business brokerage industry. In 1946, he became a broker of radio stations and later expanded into the emerging television industry, representing television stations during their early growth phase.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JENNIFER A FRANZ | Executive Direc | 4 | $8,760 |
| MICHAEL T PAGANO | Trustee | 4 | $7,764 |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation maintains active grant opportunities in human needs and animal welfare categories. The most recent IRS Form 990 filing was dated May 1, 2024, reflecting financial data through fiscal year ending May 2024.
DOWNTOWN AMHERST FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANTS TO 32 ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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