The Lodestar Foundation
Phoenix, AZ · EIN 20-4480084. Reported 266 grants totalling $6,478,699 to 93 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation told the IRS it does not accept unsolicited requests: it contributes only to organizations it selects itself.
Does this foundation accept applications?
No -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation to check a box if it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds". The Lodestar Foundation checked it on its most recent filing, as 78% of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered did. An unsolicited request is unlikely to go anywhere.
Organizations it funds that make grants of their own
6 of the organizations The Lodestar Foundation funded make grants themselves, and it reported 17 grants totalling $1,473,500 to them. That is 24% of the $6,226,199 of its giving we could match to a registered organization. Each is classified by the IRS as a philanthropy or grantmaking organization, reported grants to at least 25 organizations of its own, and has at least 10 funders behind it.
All of them file Form 990, which never asks whether an organization funds only groups it picks, so there is no answer on record either way.
What that does not mean. It does not mean an application to any of them reaches this foundation's money. A private foundation's grant to a community foundation or a federated campaign is often a donor-advised fund or a gift designated for a purpose the foundation chose, and has nothing to do with any open programme the receiving organization runs. Its return's purpose text sometimes names a family fund or a designated purpose, which is the plainest case of money no applicant can reach; where it names none, neither return says which. The list is who this foundation paid that also makes grants. Whether any of them would fund you is a question for its own page.
| Grantmaker | Kind | State | Received | Grants | Years | Last | Only funds organizations it picks? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Community Foundation | community foundation | Arizona | $786,000 | 6 | 3 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
| Jewish Community Foundation of | community foundation | Arizona | $480,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
| Valley of the Sun United Way | federated giving programme | Arizona | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc | grantmaking organization | New York | $40,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| The San Diego Foundation | community foundation | California | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 | Its form does not ask |
| National Council of Nonprofits | grantmaking organization | District of Columbia | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 | Its form does not ask |
A floor, not a full list. A grantmaker appears here only where this foundation's return named it clearly enough for us to match the name to an EIN, which we manage for about two thirds of 990-PF grant rows, and only where that grantmaker has a page on this site. There may be more. Dollars here are summed by EIN across every spelling on its returns, so a figure can differ from the matching row in the full list below, which groups names as written. And the IRS classification cannot tell a grantmaker from a funders' association or a donor-advised fund sponsor, so a payment to one of these may be dues or an account rather than support for a grants programme.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $15,333. Half of everything it gave fell between $8,889 and $25,000; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $425,000.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seachange Capital Partners Inc | New York, NY | $1,854,199 | 106 | 5 | 2025 |
| Arizona Community Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $786,000 | 6 | 3 | 2025 |
| Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix | Scottsdale, AZ | $480,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Arizona State University Foundation for a New Amer | Tempe, AZ | $175,000 | 8 | 5 | 2025 |
| Arizona Justice Project Inc | Phoenix, AZ | $161,000 | 4 | 3 | 2025 |
| Keep Our Republic Charitable Fund | Natl Harbor, MD | $160,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Core | Potomac, MD | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Valley of the Sun United Way | Phoenix, AZ | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Barrow Neurological Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $144,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Global Impact | Alexandria, VA | $135,000 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Civic Ventures | San Francisco, CA | $125,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Social Venture Partners International | Seattle, WA | $100,000 | 2 | 1 | 2025 |
| Policy Impact | Berkeley, CA | $95,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa | Cedar Falls, IA | $92,200 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Independent Sector | Washington, DC | $76,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Acumen Fund Inc | New York, NY | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Indiana University Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Synergos Institute Inc | New York, NY | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| The Niskanen Center Inc | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Stand Up Republic Foundation Inc | Washington, DC | $65,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Valley of the Sun Young Mens Christian Association | Phoenix, AZ | $61,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Calmatters | Sacramento, CA | $57,250 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Philanthropy Workshop Inc | New York, NY | $52,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washingt | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Foundation for National Progress | San Francisco, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cda Collaborative Learning Projects Inc | Cambridge, MA | $40,000 | 2 | 1 | 2025 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc | New York, NY | $40,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Arizona Community Foundation - Social Venture Part | Phoenix, AZ | $38,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Trustees of Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| United Philanthropy Forum | Washington, DC | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Balboa Park Conservancy | San Diego, CA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Giving Tuesday Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Represent US Education Fund | Florence, MA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Thoreau Farm Trust Inc | Concord, MA | $26,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Contina Impact | Berkeley, CA | $26,000 | 2 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Project on Government Oversight Inc | Washington, DC | $26,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| American Friends of Forum 2000 Inc | New York, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Defending Democracy Together Institute | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Freedom House Inc | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Internews Network | Arcata, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| New Venture Fund | Baltimore, MD | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Protect Democracy Project | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| St Paul Conservatory of Music | Saint Paul, MN | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Tesseract Research Center Inc | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Arouet Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| National Public Radio Inc | Baltimore, MD | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Renew Democracy Initiative Inc | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Social Finance Inc | Boston, MA | $17,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bridge Alliance Education Fund | State College, PA | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Circle the City | Phoenix, AZ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Commonwealth Club of California | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Bottom Line Inc | Boston, MA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Wildlife Habitat Council Inc | Bethesda, MD | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Nonprofit Management Center of the Permian Basin | Midland, TX | $14,800 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits | Phoenix, AZ | $14,750 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sandra Day Oconnor Institute | Phoenix, AZ | $12,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| The San Diego Foundation | San Diego, CA | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Boys & Girls Aid Society of Oregon | Portland, OR | $10,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| American Business Immigration Coalition | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Arizona Local News Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Center for the Future of Arizona | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Church of the Holy Apostles | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Global Impact | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Global Washington | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Grace Sober Living | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Historical League Inc | Tempe, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Idealistorg Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| K2 Adventures Foundation | Scottsdale, AZ | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Mollen Foundation for Childhood Obesity | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| National Kidney Foundation Inc | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Population Media Center Inc | S Burlington, VT | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project Inc | Tucson, AZ | $8,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Players Philanthropy Fund | Towson, MD | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Social Good Fund Inc | Richmond, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Wikimedia Foundation Inc | Washington, DC | $7,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network | Mesa, AZ | $6,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest | Phoenix, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Arizona Housing Coalition | Phoenix, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Global Fellows in Courage | Providence, RI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Harmony Project Phoenix | Phoenix, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Council of Nonprofits | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| National Kidney Foundation of Arizona | Tempe, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Not My Kid Inc | Scottsdale, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity | Austin, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Umom New Day Centers Inc | Phoenix, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Valleywise Health Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Phoenix Sister Cities Inc | Phoenix, AZ | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Foundation for Post Conflict Development | New York, NY | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Maine Youth Leadership Inc | Portland, ME | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| National Conflict Resolution Center | San Diego, CA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
37 of 93 (40%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 38%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one, and this foundation told the IRS it does not.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Core
Researching the topic of philanthrocapitalism - Arizona Community Foundation
NPR and Arizona Together for Impact Fund - Arizona Justice Project Inc
Larry Hammond Justice Fellowship - Indiana University Foundation
The Legacy Library: An Environmental Scan - Seachange Capital Partners Inc
Sustained Collaboration Network Coordinator Support - Valley of the Sun United Way
General Operations and Central Arizona Shelter Services
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 244 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 49 | $822,809 | $13,333 |
| 2022 | 40 | $940,166 | $20,000 |
| 2023 | 45 | $1,570,590 | $17,778 |
| 2024 | 52 | $1,362,528 | $13,278 |
| 2025 | 80 | $1,782,606 | $14,900 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
34% of its giving went to organizations in New York.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more. Unlike this foundation, none of them is on record as funding only organizations it picks, and each page says what its filings show.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Lodestar Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 4455 East Camelback Road C250, Phoenix, AZ, 85018. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS.
EIN 20-4480084 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.