The Starseed Foundation
The Starseed Foundation is a private foundation based in Portland, Oregon, operating as a nonprofit public benefit corporation since June 1998. The foundation supports communities across the United States with a particular emphasis on Oregon-based programs, focusing on arts and culture, environmental education, literacy, and social services.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$10.0M
+26.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$301K
+4.8% YoY
Grant Count
38
-20.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
+32.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Starseed Foundation reported a distributable amount of $428K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Starseed Foundation seeks to provide opportunities and exposure to the arts and environment, to improve the quality of life for those in need, and support social programs that offer cultural and lasting benefit to deserving populations.
The foundation makes gifts to exempt organizations in the following areas:
- Performing and visual arts through education and public performance
- Environmental education and environmental protection work
- Literacy support
- Hunger alleviation and social services
- Educational institutions that support the above goals
- Culture and community improvement (with board approval)
Grantmaking
The Starseed Foundation does not currently accept uninvited grant requests. Organizations interested in applying must first submit a Letter of Inquiry using the foundation's online form. Upon approval of the Letter of Inquiry, organizations are invited to submit a full grant request.
Grant Range
s & Range:**
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation provides support to exempt organizations throughout the United States, with an emphasis on Oregon-based programs. Approximately 84% of grant dollars and roughly 85% of grant count were directed to Oregon organizations in recent years.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $10,011,615
- Total revenues: $1,057,238
- Total expenses: $364,546
- Total giving: $321,202
Staffing: The foundation reports zero full-time employees and operates with volunteer leadership.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $10,011,615 | $7,930,286 | $6,561,765 |
| Revenue | $1,057,238 | $445,653 | $372,409 |
| Expenses | $364,546 | $341,017 | $671,485 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $322,427 | $288,850 | $622,442 |
| Net Investment Income | $246,537 | $255,181 | $119,196 |
| Distributable Amount | $428,165 | $359,318 | $363,863 |
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
205 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Starseed Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Portland Art Museum ($33,500), Scrap ($25,000), Dancing Ground ($19,500).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM PORTLAND, OR | COMMUNITY SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| ALL CLASSICAL PORTLAND PORTLAND, OR | CULTURAL SUPPORT | $1,500 |
| APPLEGATE REGIONAL THEATER VENETA, OR | CULTURAL SUPPORT | $4,000 |
| ART PRESENCE JACKSONVILLE, OR | CULTURAL SUPPORT | $7,500 |
| BODYVOX PORTLAND, OR | CULTURAL SUPPORT | $4,650 |
| CHAMBER MUSIC NW PORTLAND, OR | CULTURAL SUPPORT | $5,400 |
| CLACKAMAS COUNTY CHILDREN COMM MILWAUKIE, OR | COMMUNITY SUPPORT | $12,000 |
| COMMUNITY WAREHOUSE PORTLAND, OR | COMMUNITY SUPPORT | $2,500 |
| CORVALLIS YOUTH SYMPHONY ASSN CORVALLIS, OR | CULTURAL SUPPORT | $8,500 |
| CRAVE THEATER COMPANY PORTLAND, OR | CULTURAL SUPPORT | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation operates with a volunteer board and limited staffing:
- Kenneth Edwards — Executive Director (3 hours/week, $0 compensation)
- Ann Edwards — Vice President (1 hour/week, $0 compensation)
- Tom Schaefer — Secretary (1 hour/week, $0 compensation)
- Jodee Keegan — Director (1 hour/week, $0 compensation)
- Sean Berry — Director (1 hour/week, $0 compensation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KENNETH EDWARDS | EXECUTIVE DI | 3 | — |
| ANN EDWARDS | VP | 1 | — |
| TOM SCHAEFER | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| JODEE KEEGAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SEAN BERRY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has been active in supporting cultural and community initiatives. Recent program areas include:
**Portland Art Museum Campus Expansion:** Support for the Portland Art Museum's expansion and renovation project, which added 95,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space, opening to the public in late 2025.
Starseed Foundation A Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation**Educational Sustainability Programs:** The foundation provided over 5,000 canvas tote bags and 3,000+ Pentel fabric pen color sets to kindergarten through 6th grade students across multiple school districts throughout Oregon, introducing children to reduce, reuse, and recycle principles.
**Community Support:** Provision of winter supplies, clothing, and food items to homeless communities.
**Matching Grants:** The foundation has provided matching challenge grants to organizations such as High Desert Chamber Music for multiple consecutive years.
High Desert Chamber Music receives matching challenge from Starseed FoundationSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Starseed Foundation fund?
The Starseed Foundation seeks to provide opportunities and exposure to the arts and environment, to improve the quality of life for those in need, and support social programs that offer cultural and lasting benefit to deserving populations. The foundation makes gifts to exempt organizations in the following areas: • Performing and visual arts through education and public performance • Environmental education and environmental protection work • Literacy support • Hunger alleviation and social se…
How do I apply for a grant from The Starseed Foundation?
**Grant Sizes & Range:** • Typical grants range from $1,000 to $15,000 • Historical median grant amount: $6,200 • Historical range: $577 to $34,000 **Application Process:** The Starseed Foundation does not currently accept uninvited grant requests. Organizations interested in applying must first submit a Letter of Inquiry using the foundation's online form. Upon approval of the Letter of Inquiry, organizations are invited to submit a full grant request. **Eligibility:** Grants are made only to …
Where does The Starseed Foundation make grants?
The foundation provides support to exempt organizations throughout the United States, with an emphasis on Oregon-based programs. Approximately 84% of grant dollars and roughly 85% of grant count were directed to Oregon organizations in recent years.
What size grants does The Starseed Foundation award?
In 2024, The Starseed Foundation awarded 38 grants totaling $301K — an average of about $8K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Starseed Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Starseed Foundation reported a distributable amount of $428K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Starseed Foundation's EIN?
The Starseed Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-1243038. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Starseed Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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