The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation
The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation is a private foundation established in 1982 and located in Los Angeles, California. The foundation was founded by Fran and Ray Stark. Ray Stark was a noted film and theater producer whose work included Academy Award-winning films such as "Funny Girl" and "Goodbye Girl," as well as "The Owl and the Pussycat," "The Way We Were," "The Sunshine Boys," "Murder by Death," "The Cheap Detective," "Annie," and "Steel Magnolias." His stage work included "Funny Girl," "Any Wednesday," and "The World of Suzie Wong." In 1980, Stark received the Irving G. Thalberg Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
Key facts about The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation
- EIN
- 95-3767859
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,722,103
- Grants made (2024)
- 51
- Average grant
- $72,982
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (10 of 51, 2024)
- Total assets
- $29,454,783
- Primary geography
- California (88% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation's 51 itemized 2024 grants were California (88%) and Connecticut (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (25 grants), New York, NY (9 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Santa Monica, CA (2 grants). 27% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Preservation and Promotion of Art in the Community" (10 grants), "Educational Institutions and Programs" (9 grants) and "Medical Programs, Research, Education and Disease Prevention" (6 grants).
Is The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 51 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $89K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 62% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation
- How to evaluate The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$29.5M
-1.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.7M
+36.8% YoY
Grant Count
51
+2.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$73K
+34.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving focuses primarily on:
- Education
- Health organizations
- Human services
- Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking
- Preservation and promotion of art in the community
Grantmaking
Grant Range
$1,000 to $650,000
Average Grant
amount varies by year
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily in California, New York, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 51 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2024:
- Total Assets: $29,454,783
- Total Revenue: $4,023,663
- Total Expenses: $4,444,676
- Total Giving: $3,722,103
- Giving Rate: 9.1% of assets
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $29.9 million
- Total Giving: $2.7 million
- Annual Expenses: Not specified in available data
The foundation's investments total approximately $26.8 million.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $29,454,783 | $29,877,466 | $30,524,148 |
| Revenue | $4,023,663 | $2,692,491 | $1,008,061 |
| Expenses | $4,444,676 | $3,329,173 | $3,517,054 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,872,113 | $2,864,153 | $2,989,912 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,144,075 | $1,872,701 | $1,216,967 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,579,094 | $3,159,664 | $3,207,673 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
252 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Los Angeles County Museum of Art ($983,337), University of Southern California ($800,000), Academy Foundation ($500,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART Los Angeles, CA | PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF ART IN THE COMMUNITY | $983,337 |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Los Angeles, CA | MEDICAL PROGRAMS, RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND DISEASE PREVENTION | $800,000 |
| ACADEMY FOUNDATION Los Angeles, CA | PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF THEATRICAL AND PERFORMING ARTS IN THE COMMUNITY | $500,000 |
| CONNECTICUT COLLEGE New London, CT | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS | $250,000 |
| THE WILLOWS COMMUNITY SCHOOL Culver City, CA | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS | $235,000 |
| HAMMER MUSEUM Los Angeles, CA | PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF ART IN THE COMMUNITY | $229,850 |
| HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES Los Angeles, CA | PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES FOR FORMERLY GANG INVOLVED AND RECENTLY INCARCERATED MEN AND WOMEN | $105,000 |
| LOS ANGELES LGBTQ CENTER Los Angeles, CA | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS | $75,000 |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART Los Angeles, CA | PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF ART IN THE COMMUNITY | $50,000 |
| MUSEUM OF MODERN ART - ANNUAL FUND New York, NY | PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF ART IN THE COMMUNITY | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Rochelle A Edwards (listed as contact person)
- Wendy Stark Morris (listed in personnel records)
The foundation operates with minimal staff, with one employee listed in recent filings.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wendy Stark Morrissey | Director | 35 | $110,000 |
| Anita Rosenstein | Director | 1 | — |
| Herbert Allen | Director | 1 | — |
| Bonnie Grey | Director | 10 | $40,000 |
| Allison Gorsuch | Director | 10 | $40,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation announced scholarship winners for the 2025 Stark Reading and Declamation Contest, indicating ongoing educational support initiatives beyond traditional grantmaking.
Stark Foundation announces scholarship winners of the 2025 Stark ReadingFrequently Asked Questions
What does The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation fund?
The foundation's giving focuses primarily on: • Education • Health organizations • Human services • Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking • Preservation and promotion of art in the community
How do I apply for a grant from The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily in California, New York, and the District of Columbia.
What size grants does The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation award?
In 2024, The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation awarded 51 grants totaling $3.7M — an average of about $73K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation's EIN?
The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3767859. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Fran & Ray Stark Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.