Starr Foundation
Starr Foundation is a private foundation based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Its 2025 filing reports 21 grants totaling $138,500, with awards to organizations in Arkansas and several other states.
Starr Foundation at a glance
In short: Starr Foundation gave $139K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Arkansas. 43% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $138,500
- +1.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +133.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,595
- -56.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $2,680,930
- +6.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (9 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Arkansas (82% 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 Starr Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists Joe F. Starr as the contact, with no application form or materials, deadline, or award restrictions specified.
- Contact
Application contact: Joe F Starr
Mailing address: 2 Johnson Ranch Road, Little Rock, AR 72223
Phone: (501) 519-4020
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Starr Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts ($35K). Together the top 10 received $124K.
Grant Size Distribution
95 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 93 grants of 95 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in Arkansas, 14% to Colorado, 2% to Pennsylvania, and 1% to North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Starr Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 21 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 88% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $91K (2021) to $147K (2022). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $139K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Little Rock, AR | TABRIZ 2025 | $35,000 |
| Sona Fayetteville, AR | Undesignated | $25,000 |
| Grand Mesa Arts Center Cedaredge, CO | Undesignated | $20,000 |
| Apple Seeds Teaching Farm Fayetteville, AR | Undesignated | $10,000 |
| Washington Regional Med Foundation Fayetteville, AR | Undesignated | $10,000 |
| Fayetteville Public Education Fnd Fayetteville, AR | Undesignated | $6,000 |
| 20TH Century Club Little Rock, AR | Hope Ball | $5,000 |
| Arkansas Champions Trust Little Rock, AR | Undesignated | $5,000 |
| Arkansas PBS Foundation Conway, AR | Undesignated | $5,000 |
| Leverett Elementary Fayetteville, AR | Undesignated | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Starr 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,680,930 | $306,410 | $155,054 | $138,500 | 21 | $138,500 | $306,410 | $157,837 |
| 2024 | $2,529,574 | $219,025 | $150,653 | $137,000 | 9 | $137,000 | $219,025 | $139,575 |
| 2023 | $2,461,202 | $96,474 | $121,782 | $94,400 | 22 | $94,400 | $96,474 | $125,225 |
| 2022 | $2,487,210 | $468,246 | $162,038 | $146,866 | 22 | $146,866 | $468,246 | $139,920 |
| 2021 | $2,181,002 | $209,312 | $104,925 | $91,295 | 21 | — | $209,312 | $135,630 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Starr Foundation reported a distributable amount of $158K 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 available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, education, health-related organizations, and other charitable organizations. For example, Arkansas Champions Trust says it raises funds for charitable purposes, and Magdalene Serenity House says it helps women affected by trauma, addiction, and incarceration rebuild their lives through housing and support. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 21 grants totaling $138,500. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $35,000, with a median grant of $2,500.
The largest reported grants included $35,000 to Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts for “TABRIZ 2025,” $25,000 to SONA, and $20,000 to Grand Mesa Arts Center. Other awards included $10,000 each to Apple Seeds Teaching Farm and Washington Regional Medical Foundation, and $6,000 to Fayetteville Public Education Foundation. Arkansas Champions Trust received $5,000; its stated mission is to raise funds for charitable purposes. Methodist Family Health Foundation, Magdalene Serenity House, Beloved Asheville, and The CALL each received $1,000. The latter grantees describe their work as supporting children’s and behavioral health services, women rebuilding their lives after trauma and incarceration, community solutions to local challenges, and children and youth in foster care, respectively.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Shannon Arcana and Rene V. Starr as trustees and Joe F. Starr as director.
Starr Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joe F. Starr
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$12K (2021) → $12K (2025)
Rene V. Starr
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shannon Arcana
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Wilma Jo Ann Starr (2021–2022) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $12K, to Joe F Starr (Director).
Frequently asked questions about Starr Foundation
How much does Starr Foundation give each year?
Starr Foundation gave $139K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $137K across 9 grants.
What is Starr Foundation's typical grant size?
Starr Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $6,595, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Starr Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Starr Foundation give grants?
Starr Foundation gives mostly in Arkansas: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fayetteville, AR (8 grants) and Little Rock, AR (8 grants).
Does Starr Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Starr Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Undesignated" (17 grants).
Who are Starr Foundation's largest grantees?
Starr Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts ($35,000), Sona ($25,000) and Grand Mesa Arts Center ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Starr Foundation?
Starr Foundation reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $139K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $158K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Starr Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, education, health-related organizations, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Starr Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Starr Foundation's EIN?
Starr Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 71-0708147. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Starr Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports charitable and educational nonprofits in communities where Enterprise Mobility operates, focusing on health, education, arts, and disaster relief; applicants must be actively supported by an Enterprise Mobility team member, spouse, or domestic partner. Giving varies widely: it reported 9,499 grants in 2024, but its 2025 filing showed one grant of $101.4 million, so that amount is not a typical award. Applications are accepted at any time through eligible Enterprise-affiliated applicants; the Foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$594.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$101.4M
Gannett Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Gannett Foundation’s 2025 grants supported a range of organizations, with listed awards generally between $1,500 and $2,500, though the available figures do not establish a typical grant size or geographic focus. The foundation has wound down: its 2026 filing reports no grants or assets, and no current application process or acceptance of unsolicited requests is stated.
Assets
—
Grants
32
Total Given
$65K
The Anderson Foundation
Paradise Valley, AZ
The Anderson Foundation supports medical treatment and research, education, and environmental conservation, with 2025 grants also benefiting disability services and children’s health. Its 34 grants totaled $88,125, ranging from $250 to $35,000, with a $1,000 median; funding went primarily to Arizona, with some grants elsewhere in the U.S. It gives only to preselected charities and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.0M
Grants
34
Total Given
$88K
Brown Foundation
Little Rock, AR
The Brown Foundation funds charitable organizations in areas including education, community services, youth development, recovery services, and conservation, with most grants going to Arkansas. Its 2025 grants ranged from $700 to $15,000, with a median of $1,000; it gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.4M
Grants
75
Total Given
$118K
WAL-Mart Foundation
Bentonville, AR
The Wal-Mart Foundation funds economic opportunity, sustainability, racial equity, and community programs, with a focus on places where Walmart operates; its 2025 grants ranged from $5,000 to $8.51 million, with a median of $430,000. It accepts unsolicited requests through some program-specific routes, including open Spark Good Local Grants of $250–$5,000; application options vary by program.
Assets
$23.4M
Grants
144
Total Given
$113.9M
Simmons First Foundation Inc
Pine Bluff, AR
The foundation funds youth development programs for K–12 students, especially in education and health care, and its 2027 cycle also includes an Environmental Grant category. Its Mini Grants are $1,000–$2,500 and Make a Difference Grants are $2,500–$25,000; it serves organizations in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. It accepts unsolicited Letters of Intent for Make a Difference and Environmental Grants from April 6 through June 30, 2027.
Assets
$19.3M
Grants
102
Total Given
$868K
More similar funders
More Funders in Arkansas
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Starr Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/starr-foundation-morg_222c05a05c4648ffa8a5d02d25ea350a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_710708147_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Starr Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/starr-foundation-morg_222c05a05c4648ffa8a5d02d25ea350a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Starr 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.
Starr Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?