Michael Stars Foundation
Michael Stars Foundation is a private foundation based in Hawthorne, California. Its 2024 filing reports 13 grants totaling $152,500 to charitable organizations.
Michael Stars Foundation at a glance
In short: Michael Stars Foundation gave $153K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), mostly in California. 69% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $152,500
- +2.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +18.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $11,731
- -13.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $451,131
- -0.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 69% first-time grantees (9 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (84% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Michael Stars Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Its filing says to submit a written request to Suzanne Lerner. There are no deadlines, and the filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Suzanne Lerner
Mailing address: 12955 S Chadron Ave No 1, Hawthorne, CA 90250
Phone: (310) 263-7375
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Michael Stars Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Edward Charles Fdn ($50K). Together the top 10 received $140K.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 58 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 10% to recipients in Washington, DC, 3% to recipients in New York, and 3% to recipients in North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Michael Stars Foundation open to new grantees?
69%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 13 grantees (69%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 23% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $127K (2020) to $161K (2021). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $153K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Edward Charles Fdn Beverly Hills, CA | Charity | $50,000 |
| Step up Women's Network Los Angeles, CA | Charity | $25,000 |
| Children Mending Hearts Toluca Lake, CA | Charity | $10,000 |
| Plan C C O Natl Womens Health San Francisco, CA | Charity | $10,000 |
| Era Coalition Fund for Womens Washington, DC | Charity | $10,000 |
| Baby 2 Baby Los Angeles, CA | Charity | $10,000 |
| Social Good Toluca Lake, CA | Charity | $10,000 |
| Culture Club of S Bay West Hollywood, CA | Charity | $5,000 |
| Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Washington, DC | Charity | $5,000 |
| Win Summit LLC Co Daniella KAH New York, NY | Charity | $5,000 |
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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 | $451,131 | $151,248 | $152,575 | $152,500 | 13 | $152,500 | $1,248 | $1,122 |
| 2023 | $452,458 | $152,518 | $148,567 | $148,492 | 11 | $148,492 | $918 | $1,187 |
| 2021 | $477,071 | $115,696 | $161,351 | $160,739 | 20 | $160,739 | $115,134 | $967 |
| 2020 | $341,794 | $129,113 | $127,435 | $127,400 | 14 | — | $129,113 | $1,598 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Michael Stars Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1K 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
The available filing information does not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose stated missions include mentoring high school girls and young women (Step Up Women’s Network), using art and service learning to combat bullying and intolerance (Children Mending Hearts), and addressing community challenges including inequity, housing and food insecurity, and healthcare inequality (Beloved Asheville). These are the grantees’ missions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $152,500. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000. Notable grants included $50,000 to Edward Charles Fdn, $25,000 to Step Up Women’s Network, and $10,000 each to Children Mending Hearts, Plan C C O Natl Womens Health, Era Coalition Fund for Womens, Baby 2 Baby, and Social Good. PS I Love You Foundation also received $2,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Suzanne Lerner is listed as trustee on the 2024 filing.
Michael Stars Foundation is led by Suzanne Lerner, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Suzanne Lerner
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 Michael Stars Foundation
How much does Michael Stars Foundation give each year?
Michael Stars Foundation gave $153K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $148K across 11 grants.
What is Michael Stars Foundation's typical grant size?
Michael Stars Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $11,731, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Michael Stars Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does Michael Stars Foundation give grants?
Michael Stars Foundation gives mostly in California: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (3 grants), Toluca Lake, CA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Michael Stars Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Michael Stars Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (13 grants).
Who are Michael Stars Foundation's largest grantees?
Michael Stars Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Edward Charles Fdn ($50,000), Step up Women's Network ($25,000) and Children Mending Hearts ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Michael Stars Foundation?
Michael Stars Foundation reported $451K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $153K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Michael Stars Foundation fund?
The available filing information does not state the foundation’s mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Michael Stars Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Michael Stars Foundation's EIN?
Michael Stars Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1935967. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Michael Stars Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Michael Stars Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Michael Stars Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/michael-stars-foundation-morg_851b989b116c4dbdabc1d4d717a958a2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201935967_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Michael Stars Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/michael-stars-foundation-morg_851b989b116c4dbdabc1d4d717a958a2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Michael Stars 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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