The Starbucks Foundation
Looking for Starbucks grants for nonprofits? The Starbucks Foundation is Starbucks's company-sponsored foundation, and this page covers the grants it reports to the IRS on Form 990-PF.
The Starbucks Foundation is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington. It supports thriving communities through grants to nonprofit organizations, from coffee- and tea-growing communities around the world to Seattle and neighborhoods across North America. Its stated areas of work include origin community development, local neighborhood grants, global community initiatives, disaster response, workforce development through educational programs, and hunger relief through FoodShare.
The Starbucks Foundation at a glance
In short: The Starbucks Foundation gave $17.3M across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $466K), top state Massachusetts. 5% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $17,254,434
- -26.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- -49.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $466,336
- +44.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $175,000
- Total assets
- $20,890,653
- -7.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (2 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (36% 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 The Starbucks Foundation
- 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: 2401 Utah Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98134
Phone: (206) 318-1575
Website: https://about.starbucks.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Starbucks Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fidelity Charitable ($5.0M). Together the top 10 received $13.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
439 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 191 grants of 439 (44%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated grantmaking reaches coffee- and tea-growing communities around the world, Seattle, neighborhoods across North America, and communities where Starbucks operates globally. Its website reports that the Global Community Impact Grants program has reached 62 international markets. For 2025, the filing’s recipient-state distribution lists Massachusetts at 36% of grant dollars, New York at 18%, Washington, DC, at 10%, and Oregon at 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Starbucks Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 37 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $625K; repeat grants $457K. How we count
Medians: $625K first-time, $173K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $16.1M (2019) to $23.6M (2024). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $17.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Charitable Boston, MA | Thriving Communities & Disaster Response | $4,989,160 |
| Myriad USA New York, NY | Thriving Communities & Disaster Response | $2,990,412 |
| American Red Cross Washington, DC | Thriving Communities & Disaster Response | $1,100,000 |
| Junior Achievement Worldwide Boston, MA | Thriving Communities & Disaster Response | $1,050,000 |
| Mercy Corps Portland, OR | Thriving Communities & Disaster Response | $1,000,000 |
| Vancouver Foundation | Thriving Communities & Disaster Response | $804,013 |
| Ripple Effect New Albany, IN | Thriving Communities & Disaster Response | $599,758 |
| Planet Water Foundation Phoenix, AZ | Thriving Communities & Disaster Response | $469,300 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Thriving Communities & Disaster Response | $448,000 |
| Care Inc Atlanta, GA | Thriving Communities & Disaster Response | $401,364 |
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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 | $20,890,653 | $15,675,162 | $13,662,031 | $17,254,434 | 37 | $17,320,817 | $388,809 | $935,527 |
| 2024 | $22,542,308 | $2,762,084 | $21,798,299 | $23,584,031 | 73 | $23,691,598 | $1,590,530 | $1,746,892 |
| 2023 | $43,805,725 | $32,343,166 | $24,165,469 | $20,377,157 | 71 | $20,484,164 | $993,382 | $1,760,011 |
| 2022 | $31,947,882 | $13,543,636 | $17,682,484 | $17,145,498 | 148 | $17,314,546 | $136,106 | $1,463,646 |
| 2021 | $35,732,232 | $14,000,443 | $23,284,031 | $16,815,875 | 110 | — | $24,643 | $1,797,401 |
| 2020 | $38,623,752 | $13,671,749 | $17,767,453 | $19,255,569 | 117 | — | $425,568 | $1,948,430 |
| 2019 | $45,817,350 | $11,862,261 | $16,235,488 | $16,114,977 | 326 | — | $284,248 | $2,373,645 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Starbucks Foundation reported a distributable amount of $936K 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 foundation’s stated purpose is to support thriving communities through grants to nonprofit organizations globally. Its website describes its approach as supporting positive impact “from the first ten feet to the last ten feet of coffee,” in partnership with Starbucks partners, licensee partners, and others committed to stronger and more resilient communities.
Its programs include Origin Grants for coffee- and tea-growing communities; Neighborhood Grants for local grassroots organizations nominated by Starbucks partners and alumni; Global Community Impact Grants for locally relevant programs in communities where Starbucks operates; and disaster response. The foundation also describes support for educational programs, workforce development, and hunger relief through FoodShare. The foundation says it has committed to positively impact 1 million women and girls in origin communities by 2030.
Examples of grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. Mercy Corps describes its mission as helping people build secure, productive, and just communities by alleviating suffering, poverty, and oppression. World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Junior Achievement USA says it aims to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. American Friends of Bean Voyage describes providing training and market access support to smallholder women coffee producers in Latin America.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 37 grants totaling $17,254,434. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $4,989,160, with a median of $175,000.
Among its 2025 grants, the foundation gave $4,989,160 to Fidelity Charitable for “Thriving Communities & Disaster Response,” $2,990,412 to Myriad USA for the same stated purpose, $1,100,000 to the American Red Cross, $1,050,000 to Junior Achievement Worldwide, and $1,000,000 to Mercy Corps. Other reported grants included $599,758 to Ripple Effect, $469,300 to Planet Water Foundation, and $448,000 to World Central Kitchen.
The foundation’s website says Starbucks partners and alumni nominate local organizations for Neighborhood Grants. For Global Community Impact Grants, the foundation invites international licensees to nominate local nonprofits. Its 2025 website update reports more than $3.5 million in grants to over 100 nonprofits across 50 markets that year, including market co-investment.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sara Trilling as President/Director and Michelle Burns as President/VP/Secretary/Director. Other listed directors are Brady Brewer, AJ Jones III, Mark Brown, and Dominic Carr. Tai Fung is listed as Treasurer; Kelly Goodejohn as Executive Officer; Katie Jones as Assistant Treasurer; and Joshua C. Gaul as Assistant Secretary.
The Starbucks Foundation is led by Michelle Burns, President, Vice President, Secretary & Director since 2025 (on filings since 2019); none of the 10 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michelle Burns
President, Vice President, Secretary & Director
Secretary & Director → Vice President, Secretary & Director, 2022
Vice President, Secretary & Director → President, Vice President, Secretary & Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sara Trilling
President & Director
Director → Vice President & Director, 2021
Vice President & Director → President & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brady Brewer
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aj Jones III
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dominic Carr
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Brown
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tai Fung
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joshua C. Gaul
Assistant Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katie Jones
Assistant Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelly Goodejohn
Executive Officer
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Michael Conway (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Alicia Vermaele (2021–2024) — Executive Officer
- Former: Curtis Freeman (2019–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Rossann Jill Williams (2019–2022) — President & Director
- Former: Rachel Gonzalez (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Gina Woods (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Curt Freeman (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Virginia Tenpenny (2020–2021) — Director & Former Executive Officer
- Former: John Kelly (2019–2020) — President, Director & Former Secretary
- Former: Lucy Helm (2019–2020) — Vice President & Director
- Former: Vivek Varma (2019–2020) — Former President & Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Starbucks Foundation
How much does The Starbucks Foundation give each year?
The Starbucks Foundation gave $17.3M across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $23.6M across 73 grants.
What is The Starbucks Foundation's typical grant size?
The Starbucks Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $175,000, and its average grant was $466,336, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Starbucks Foundation that year got $625K on average.
Where does The Starbucks Foundation give grants?
The Starbucks Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (18%) and District of Columbia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (5 grants), Seattle, WA (5 grants), Boston, MA (3 grants) and Atlanta, GA (3 grants).
Does The Starbucks Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on The Starbucks Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Thriving Communities & Disaster Response" (37 grants).
Who are The Starbucks Foundation's largest grantees?
The Starbucks Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Fidelity Charitable ($4,989,160), Myriad USA ($2,990,412) and American Red Cross ($1,100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Starbucks Foundation?
The Starbucks Foundation reported $20.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $17.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $936K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Starbucks Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to support thriving communities through grants to nonprofit organizations globally. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Starbucks Foundation?
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 The Starbucks Foundation's EIN?
The Starbucks Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1795425. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Starbucks Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Does Starbucks give grants to nonprofits?
Yes. The Starbucks Foundation, Starbucks's company-sponsored foundation, awarded 37 grants totaling $17.3M in 2025, according to its IRS Form 990-PF. Starbucks may also give through corporate programs that are not reported on the foundation's 990.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 14, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Starbucks Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Starbucks Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-starbucks-foundation-morg_63541779c50f4438941ef30c29fdbebd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_911795425_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Starbucks Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-starbucks-foundation-morg_63541779c50f4438941ef30c29fdbebd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Starbucks 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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