Star Foundation Inc
Star Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Little Falls, New Jersey. Its 2025 filing shows grants to charitable organizations in a range of areas, including hunger relief, health, animal rescue, community education and culture, and conservation.
Star Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Star Foundation Inc gave $63K across 58 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), top state Pennsylvania. 59% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $63,375
- -5.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 58
- -20.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,093
- +19.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $1,012,077
- +1.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (32 of 54, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (29% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Star Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 99 Turnberry Road Unit 7, Little Falls, NJ 07424
Phone: (973) 509-1664
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Star Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Kesher Israel Synagogue ($4K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $25K.
Grant Size Distribution
277 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 277 grants of 277 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to organizations in Pennsylvania (29%), New York (17%), and Washington, DC (13%), followed by California (9%) and New Jersey (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 58 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Star Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 32 of 54 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $963. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 31% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 124% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $51K (2023) to $67K (2024). In 2025 it made 58 grants totaling $63K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden B Ranch Donkey Rescue Santa Rosa Valley, CA | General Purpose | $2,500 |
| Zero Prostate Cancer Alexandria, VA | General Purpose | $2,500 |
| Philabundance Philadelphia, PA | General Purpose | $2,500 |
| Kesher Israel Synagogue West Chester, PA | General Purpose | $2,500 |
| Muddy Paws Rescue New York, NY | General Purpose | $2,000 |
| CASA Essex Newark, NJ | General Purpose | $2,000 |
| People's Forum New York, NY | General Purpose | $2,000 |
| Metavivor Middleton, WI | General Purpose | $2,000 |
| Direct Relief New Hyde Park, NY | General Purpose | $1,500 |
| American Red Cross Boone, IA | General Purpose | $1,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Star Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,012,077 | $95,429 | $81,483 | $63,375 | 58 | $78,118 | $74,181 | $62,913 |
| 2024 | $1,000,131 | $58,498 | $85,017 | $66,800 | 73 | $77,414 | $39,783 | $60,040 |
| 2023 | $1,016,900 | $471,818 | $63,056 | $50,850 | 39 | $59,767 | $428,542 | $47,247 |
| 2022 | $610,388 | $107,184 | $63,399 | $57,373 | 48 | $59,744 | $57,050 | $49,812 |
| 2021 | $566,353 | $100,020 | $64,061 | $50,962 | 59 | $57,595 | $93,554 | $47,762 |
| 2020 | $530,644 | $85,205 | $52,898 | $50,956 | 58 | — | $84,564 | $42,184 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Star Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $63K for 2025 — 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Philabundance says its mission is to drive hunger from its communities and end hunger for good; ZERO PROSTATE CANCER describes its work as advancing early detection, support, and access to care; and Muddy Paws Rescue says it works to end unnecessary euthanasia of companion dogs. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy describes its work as protecting and managing the Appalachian Trail and its corridor.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 58 grants totaling $63,375. Grants ranged from $75 to $2,500, with a median of $1,000. Among the largest grants were $2,500 each to Philabundance and ZERO PROSTATE CANCER, and $2,000 each to People’s Forum and Muddy Paws Rescue. Other reported grants included $1,500 to AIDS UNITED and $1,000 each to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and West Chester Food Cupboard.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael Smolowe, Jill Smolowe, and Jonathan Smolowe as directors.
Star Foundation Inc's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jill Smolowe
Director
On filings since 2020
3.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Smolowe
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Smolowe
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Alan Smolowe (2020–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Star Foundation Inc
How much does Star Foundation Inc give each year?
Star Foundation Inc gave $63K across 58 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $67K across 73 grants.
What is Star Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Star Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,093, across 58 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Star Foundation Inc that year got $1K on average.
Where does Star Foundation Inc give grants?
Star Foundation Inc's top state is Pennsylvania, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (17%) and District of Columbia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (8 grants), Washington, DC (7 grants), West Chester, PA (5 grants) and Philadelphia, PA (3 grants).
Does Star Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Star Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (58 of 58) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Star Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Star Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Kesher Israel Synagogue ($4,000 across 2 grants), Scienceand ($3,000 across 2 grants) and Hidden B Ranch Donkey Rescue ($2,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Star Foundation Inc?
Star Foundation Inc reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $78K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $63K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Star Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Star Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Star Foundation Inc's EIN?
Star Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6161266. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Star Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Star Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Star Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/star-foundation-inc-morg_ce9cd335590d4c52bcf2fb28a2874a3a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136161266_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Star Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/star-foundation-inc-morg_ce9cd335590d4c52bcf2fb28a2874a3a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Star Foundation Inc'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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