Starfish Fund
Starfish Fund is a private foundation based in Naples, Florida. Its website describes a mental-health mission focused on making care accessible, particularly for children and families who cannot afford it, and says its counseling center serves Hernando County, Florida.
Starfish Fund at a glance
In short: Starfish Fund gave $548K across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), top state Virginia. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $548,364
- +25.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 40
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,709
- +0.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $7,754,785
- +42.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (15 of 40, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (41% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Starfish Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1528 Marsh Wren Lane, Naples, FL 34105
Phone: (571) 228-1849
Website: https://the-starfish.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Starfish Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Center for American Liberty ($200K). Together the top 10 received $425K.
Grant Size Distribution
168 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 161 grants of 168 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia (41%), Pennsylvania (24%), North Carolina (15%), New Jersey (11%), and Tennessee (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Starfish Fund open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 40 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 63% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 131% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $246K (2020) to $548K (2025). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $548K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Center for American Liberty Leesburg, VA | General - Liberty Fund | $200,000 |
| Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | Remd Program | $56,800 |
| Special Olympics PA Norristown, PA | General Operations | $25,000 |
| United Methodist Church of Summit Summit, NJ | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Knowing Love Ministies Inc Saxapahaw, NC | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Penn State Womens Soccer Booster CL Boalsburg, PA | General Operations | $22,000 |
| Brett Boyer Foundation Nashville, TN | General Operations | $20,000 |
| Advancing Native Missions Afton, VA | General Operations | $20,000 |
| Grace Church of Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | General Operations | $20,000 |
| The Darren Daulton Fdn Philadelphia, PA | General Operations | $11,564 |
Ready to take the next step with Starfish Fund?
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 | $7,754,785 | $2,937,959 | $609,910 | $548,364 | 40 | $548,364 | $2,948,459 | $419,086 |
| 2024 | $5,426,736 | $744,017 | $486,783 | $436,000 | 32 | $445,000 | $731,226 | $358,523 |
| 2023 | $5,169,502 | $333,181 | $549,401 | $479,600 | 32 | $479,600 | $319,841 | $384,310 |
| 2022 | $5,385,722 | $1,137,747 | $396,201 | $336,000 | 29 | $336,000 | $824,363 | $438,696 |
| 2021 | $4,644,176 | $452,065 | $313,610 | $251,500 | 35 | — | $468,518 | $314,884 |
| 2020 | $4,505,721 | $647,194 | $305,818 | $245,500 | 26 | — | $718,455 | $241,738 |
| 2019 | $4,164,345 | $192,087 | $308,613 | $263,500 | 25 | — | $269,512 | $257,903 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Starfish Fund reported a distributable amount of $419K 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
The website says the Starfish Foundation provides mental-health support to children and families, including therapy, counseling, and educational programs. It describes its aim as making mental-health care affordable and accessible.
The 2025 grantees’ stated missions show varied activities among organizations supported. For example, Drexel University describes its work as advancing knowledge and society while preparing students for professional and civic lives. Advancing Native Missions says it supports Native mission groups working among unreached people groups. Other 2025 recipients include Overlook Foundation, which says it advances high-quality health care, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace, which says it provides beds to children in need.
Grantmaking
In 2025, Starfish Fund made 40 grants totaling $548,364. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $200,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Among the largest grants were $200,000 to Center for American Liberty for its “General - Liberty Fund,” $56,800 to Drexel University for its “REMD Program,” and $25,000 each to Special Olympics PA, United Methodist Church of Summit, and Knowing Love Ministries for general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Albert L Lord Jr as president/director; Suzanne D Lord and Albert L Lord III as directors; and Christine L Deguzman as secretary/director. The website lists Dory Richards as president, Laura May as vice-president, and Ashley Bailey as outreach director.
Starfish Fund is led by Albert L. Lord Jr., President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Albert L. Lord Jr.
President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christine L. Deguzman
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$3K (2022) → $0 (2025)
Albert L. Lord III
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne D. Lord
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2022 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2022 filing was $3K, to Christine L Deguzman (Secretary/DIREC).
Frequently asked questions about Starfish Fund
How much does Starfish Fund give each year?
Starfish Fund gave $548K across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $436K across 32 grants.
What is Starfish Fund's typical grant size?
Starfish Fund's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $13,709, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Starfish Fund that year got $7K on average.
Where does Starfish Fund give grants?
Starfish Fund's top state is Virginia, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (24%) and North Carolina (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Durham, NC (6 grants), Summit, NJ (5 grants), Philadelphia, PA (3 grants) and Chapel Hill, NC (2 grants).
Does Starfish Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 93% of Starfish Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (37 of 40) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Starfish Fund's largest grantees?
Starfish Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Center for American Liberty ($200,000), Drexel University ($56,800) and Special Olympics PA ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Starfish Fund?
Starfish Fund reported $7.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $548K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $419K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Starfish Fund fund?
The website says the Starfish Foundation provides mental-health support to children and families, including therapy, counseling, and educational programs. It describes its aim as making mental-health care affordable and accessible. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Starfish Fund?
The foundation 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 Starfish Fund's EIN?
Starfish Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 02-0811842. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Starfish Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 29, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Starfish Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/starfish-fund-morg_22b1fee4418142f6b648c3f39bd5060e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_020811842_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Starfish Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/starfish-fund-morg_22b1fee4418142f6b648c3f39bd5060e},
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 Starfish Fund'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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