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North Star Charitable Foundation

Annual Giving
$15.2M
Grant Range
$5K - $4.0M

North Star Charitable Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $15.2 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $4,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (U.S.-based organizations)

Contact Details

Address: C/O BBH Co, 140 Broadway PB-Tax S, New York, NY 10005

Note: The foundation does not have a public website, email, or phone number for grant inquiries.

Overview

North Star Charitable Foundation was established in 2014 as a private grantmaking foundation. As of 2024, the foundation holds total assets of $20.6 million and distributed $15.2 million in charitable grants, representing 99.3% of its total expenses. The foundation operates as a family philanthropy with leadership from the Mars family, supporting a diverse range of causes including education, healthcare access, reproductive rights, environmental conservation, food security, and social justice initiatives. The foundation makes contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited funding requests. Since its founding, North Star Charitable Foundation has awarded 219 individual grants totaling approximately $39.7 million through 2023.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with specific names or application cycles. Instead, it makes grants on a discretionary basis to organizations selected by its leadership and board.

Grant Amounts:

  • Range: $5,000 to $4,000,000
  • Median grant: $75,000
  • Total grants in 2024: 56 grants
  • Total grants in 2023: 38 grants

Priority Areas

Based on recent grantmaking activity, the foundation supports:

Education

  • Independent schools and colleges
  • Educational access and equity programs
  • Notable recipients: Emma Willard School ($1,000,000), The Colorado College ($1,559,000), Bard College

Healthcare & Reproductive Rights

  • Family planning and reproductive health services
  • Healthcare access
  • Notable recipient: Planned Parenthood Federation ($4,000,000)

Food Security & Hunger Relief

  • Food banks and nutrition programs
  • Notable recipient: Capital Area Food Bank ($1,100,000)

Social Justice & Human Rights

  • Girls' education and empowerment
  • Legal advocacy and family support
  • Notable recipients: Malala Fund ($400,000), Family Law CASA of King County ($200,000)

Environmental Conservation & Education

  • Aquariums and marine conservation
  • Outdoor education and wilderness programs
  • Notable recipients: Seattle Aquarium Society ($250,000), Wilderness Inquiry ($200,000)

Faith-Based Institutions

  • Religious organizations and cathedral support
  • Notable recipient: Protestant Episcopal Cathedral ($1,250,000)

Community Development

  • Grassroots organizing and civic engagement
  • Notable recipient: Feel Good Action ($1,000,000)

What They Don't Fund

The foundation's Form 990 indicates they provide primarily "general" or "general purpose" grants rather than project-specific funding. As they do not accept unsolicited applications, there are no published exclusions.

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is led by members of the Mars family (the family behind Mars, Incorporated, the global confectionery and pet care company):

Board Leadership:

  • Valerie A. Mars - Chairman
  • Philip M. White - Chairman
  • Christopher M. White - Vice Chairman
  • Justin F. White - Vice Chairman
  • Kelly J. Chapman - Vice Chairman
  • Molly Christine Lynch - Vice Chairman

All board members serve without compensation. Valerie Anne Mars is a billionaire heiress and businesswoman, daughter of Forrest Mars Jr., who serves as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Mars, Incorporated and has been on the company's board of directors since 2014. She is known for her commitment to environmental conservation, serving on the boards of Conservation International and the Open Space Institute.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The North Star Charitable Foundation explicitly states in its IRS filings that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." Grants are awarded at the discretion of the board of trustees to organizations they have identified and selected.

Organizations cannot apply for funding through any formal application process, online portal, or by submitting proposals.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation operates on a discretionary grantmaking model without public application cycles or decision timelines.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications, as none are accepted.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

For Organizations Seeking to Connect with This Funder:

Given that North Star Charitable Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application strategies do not apply. Organizations that have received funding appear to fall into several categories:

  1. Established Institutions - The foundation has supported well-known national organizations (Planned Parenthood Federation, Malala Fund) and prestigious educational institutions (The Colorado College, Emma Willard School, Bard College).

  2. Geographic Connections - While the foundation is based in New York, it has funded organizations across multiple states including Washington, DC, Colorado, Washington State, and Minnesota, suggesting the board's personal connections or interests may span multiple regions.

  3. General Operating Support - The vast majority of grants are designated for "general purposes" or "general operating" support rather than specific projects, indicating the foundation trusts recipient organizations to deploy funds where most needed.

  4. Diverse Issue Areas - The foundation does not appear to limit itself to one or two cause areas, instead supporting a wide range of missions from reproductive rights to aquatic conservation to girls' education.

  5. Significant Gift Sizes - While the median grant is $75,000, the foundation is capable of making transformational gifts in the six and seven-figure range to organizations aligned with board priorities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications. They identify and select all grant recipients internally.

  • Family Foundation Structure: As a Mars family foundation, grantmaking decisions reflect the personal philanthropic interests and values of family members serving as trustees.

  • Broad Philanthropic Portfolio: The foundation supports diverse causes including education, reproductive rights, food security, environmental conservation, social justice, and faith-based institutions.

  • General Operating Support Preference: Most grants are unrestricted "general purpose" funding rather than project-specific grants.

  • Significant Grant Range: While many grants are in the $50,000-$200,000 range, the foundation has made grants as large as $4 million and as small as $5,000.

  • Invitation-Only Grantmaking: Organizations must be identified and invited by the trustees; there is no pathway for unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry.

  • Geographic Flexibility: Despite being New York-based, the foundation funds organizations nationwide with no apparent geographic restrictions.

References

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