The Starr Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1955 by Cornelius Vander Starr, a global insurance entrepreneur who founded C.V. Starr & Co. and pioneered international business ventures, including establishing his first insurance operation in Shanghai in 1919. Based in New York City, the Foundation has grown to become one of the largest private foundations in the United States, with a history of impact-driven philanthropy spanning nearly seven decades.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.4B
+8.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$73.5M
-22.6% YoY
Grant Count
90
-18.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$817K
-5.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation's mission is rooted in Cornelius Vander Starr's belief that "the earth is one home and humankind is one family, all of which share a common denominator of purposefulness, dedication, loyalty, fellow feeling, and shared hopes."
The Starr Foundation approaches philanthropy through building partnerships, creating opportunities, sustaining collaborations, and investing in the future. The Foundation supports organizations with strong leadership and the capacity to address complex challenges with durable results.
Primary funding areas include:
- Education — Traditionally one of the largest areas of giving, with particular emphasis on scholarships for deserving students
- Health & Medicine — Healthcare initiatives and medical research
- Culture — Cultural institutions and arts programs
- Public Policy & International Relations — Policy development and international engagement
- Human Services — Upgrading delivery of basic social services
- Cancer Research — Through the Starr Cancer Consortium initiative
Grantmaking
The Foundation provides both operating grants that enable enduring progress and maintains flexibility to respond to urgent needs. The approach is characterized by long-term commitment bolstered with funding agility.
Grant Range
$50,000
Average Grant
$609,200
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation's purview is both local and global. It is deeply invested in New York City while also supporting communities and organizations around the world. Primary geographic areas of focus include New York, the District of Columbia, and Connecticut, though international grantmaking is also a significant component of the Foundation's work.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets (2024): $1,355,680,250
Annual Giving (2024): $73,539,720
Total Revenues (2024): $233,262,198
Total Expenses (2024): $102,450,945
The Foundation maintains substantial financial capacity with assets exceeding $1.3 billion and has distributed more than $4 billion in grants worldwide throughout its history.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,355,680,250 | $1,251,907,083 | $1,301,319,456 |
| Revenue | $233,262,198 | $76,763,274 | $52,118,922 |
| Expenses | $102,450,945 | $125,273,533 | $101,941,987 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $74,956,501 | $96,194,453 | $76,430,471 |
| Net Investment Income | $232,480,664 | $43,563,867 | $15,402,791 |
| Distributable Amount | $72,369,704 | $76,248,743 | $78,964,339 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Current Leadership:
- Courtney O'Malley — President (as of August 2023)
- Maurice R. Greenberg — Board Chair (1969–2024)
Board & Staff:
- Martha Livingston — Vice President & Corporate Secretary
- Yelena Lukonen — Director of Finance, Assistant Treasurer, Head of Technology
- Additional board members include E.E. Matthews, H.I. Smith, and J.W. Greenberg
Staff Size: 7 employees
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MR EE MATTHEWS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MR HI SMITH | TREASURER & DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MR JW GREENBERG | BOARD CHAIRMAN & DIR. AS OF 03/19/24 | 1 | — |
| MR MR GREENBERG | BOARD CHAIRMAN & DIR. THRU 03/19/24 | 5 | — |
| MR S GREENBERG | DIRECTOR AS OF 03/19/24 | 1 | — |
| MRS CP GREENBERG | DIRECTOR THRU 3/17/24 | 1 | — |
| MS A OSEI | ASSISTANT VP | 35 | $115,713 |
| MS COURTNEY O'MALLEY | PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR | 35 | $467,114 |
| MS K GREENBERG | DIRECTOR AS OF 03/19/24 | 1 | — |
| MS M LIVINGSTON | SENIOR VICE PRES. & CORP. SECRETARY | 35 | $301,889 |
| MS Y LUKONEN | ASSISTANT TREASURER & DIRECTOR OF FIN. | 35 | $205,041 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has announced several major initiatives and grants in recent periods:
**National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations** — $10 million grant
**University of Miami Miller School of Medicine** — $10 million grant to the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute
**Starr Cancer Consortium** — Sixth iteration announced with $5 million in awards to support cancer research at institutions including Weill Cornell Medicine
Starr Cancer Consortium - The Starr Foundation**Conditional Cash Transfer Program** — Partnership with New York City and other major philanthropic foundations to unveil the nation's first-ever conditional cash transfer program
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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