The North Star Charitable Foundation
The North Star Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including education, food access, social and community action, conservation, and reproductive health.
The North Star Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: The North Star Charitable Foundation gave $15.2M across 56 grants in 2024 (avg $271K), top state New York. 34% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $15,193,596
- +229.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 56
- +47.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $271,314
- +123.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $20,553,696
- +9.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (19 of 56, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (26% 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 The North Star Charitable Foundation
- 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: C/O Bbh Co 140 Broadway Pb-Tax S, New York, NY 10005
Phone: (212) 493-8000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The North Star Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Planned Parenthood Federation of America ($4.0M). Together the top 10 received $11.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
193 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 61 grants of 193 (32%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (26%), Washington (16%), the District of Columbia (16%), Colorado (16%), and Massachusetts (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 56 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The North Star Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 19 of 56 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $183K; repeat grants $317K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 150% from 2021 to 2024. 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 $3.8M (2020) to $15.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 56 grants totaling $15.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America New York, NY | General Purposes | $4,000,000 |
| The Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO | General Purposes | $1,559,000 |
| Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Boston, MA | General | $1,250,000 |
| Capital Area Food Bank Washington, DC | General | $1,100,000 |
| Feel Good Action Seattle, WA | General | $1,000,000 |
| Seattle Aquarium Society Seattle, WA | General Operating | $801,000 |
| Conservation International Arlington, VA | General Purposes | $570,000 |
| Malala Fund Washington, DC | General | $550,000 |
| United Services Organization (USO) Washington, DC | General Purposes | $500,000 |
| New Jersey Institute for Social Justice Newark, NJ | General Operating | $350,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The North Star Charitable 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $20,553,696 | $24,401,071 | $15,302,669 | $15,193,596 | 56 | $15,198,296 | $7,718,497 | $488,110 |
| 2023 | $18,776,325 | $14,109,745 | $4,619,759 | $4,605,000 | 38 | $4,609,020 | $5,107,578 | $535,659 |
| 2022 | $11,244,557 | $10,084,288 | $11,750,672 | $11,746,750 | 36 | $11,749,215 | $183,514 | $595,007 |
| 2021 | $15,361,771 | $6,360,553 | $6,074,328 | $6,072,000 | 31 | $6,074,100 | $60,325 | $551,270 |
| 2020 | $15,075,546 | $10,206,945 | $3,846,624 | $3,839,000 | 32 | — | $81,591 | $417,724 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The North Star Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $488K 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for educational institutions, food banks, community organizations, and other charitable organizations. For example, The Colorado College describes its mission as providing a liberal arts education that prepares students for lifelong learning and leadership. Capital Area Food Bank says it works to improve equitable access to food and opportunity, while Feel Good Action describes its work as using social networks and digital media to advance resilient communities, just societies, and a healthy planet.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 56 grants totaling $15,193,596. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $4,000,000, with a median of $75,000. Among the largest were $4,000,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation for general purposes, $1,559,000 to The Colorado College for general purposes, and $1,100,000 to Capital Area Food Bank for general purposes. Other significant grants included $1,250,000 to Protestant Episcopal Cathedral, $1,000,000 to Feel Good Action, and $801,000 to Seattle Aquarium Society.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Valerie A Mars and Philip M White as chairmen. Christopher M White, Justin F White, Kelly J Chapman, and Molly Christine Lynch are listed as vice-chairmen.
The North Star Charitable Foundation is led by Philip M. White, Chairman on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Philip M. White
Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Valerie A. Mars
Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher M. White
Vice Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin F. White
Vice Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelly J. Chapman
Vice Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Molly Christine Lynch
Vice Chairman
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
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 The North Star Charitable Foundation
How much does The North Star Charitable Foundation give each year?
The North Star Charitable Foundation gave $15.2M across 56 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.6M across 38 grants.
What is The North Star Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The North Star Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $75,000, and its average grant was $271,314, across 56 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The North Star Charitable Foundation that year got $183K on average.
Where does The North Star Charitable Foundation give grants?
The North Star Charitable Foundation's top state is New York, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Washington (16%) and District of Columbia (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (7 grants), Seattle, WA (7 grants), Glenwood Springs, CO (4 grants) and Aspen, CO (4 grants).
Does The North Star Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The North Star Charitable Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (56 of 56) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The North Star Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The North Star Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Planned Parenthood Federation of America ($4,000,000), The Colorado College ($1,559,000) and Protestant Episcopal Cathedral ($1,250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The North Star Charitable Foundation?
The North Star Charitable Foundation reported $20.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $15.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $488K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The North Star Charitable Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for educational institutions, food banks, community organizations, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The North Star Charitable Foundation?
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 The North Star Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The North Star Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-5425456. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The North Star Charitable Foundation 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 November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The North Star Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The North Star Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-north-star-charitable-foundation-morg_6e560ca0a1654f228466a6f5b9128a6f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_465425456_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The North Star Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-north-star-charitable-foundation-morg_6e560ca0a1654f228466a6f5b9128a6f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 The North Star Charitable 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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