The Starr Foundation is a private foundation established in 1955 that makes invitation-only grants in health and medicine, education, culture, public policy and international relations, human needs, and the environment, in New York City and globally.
Not publicly available.
The Starr Foundation was established in 1955 by Cornelius Vander Starr (C.V. Starr). After his death, he left the majority of his estate to the Foundation (1968). The Foundation states it is a private foundation endowed by his personal estate and is independent from the companies he founded that were later consolidated under American International Group (AIG), as well as separate from the Starr Companies. The Foundation’s grantmaking has been stewarded across generations, including under longtime Chair Maurice R. (“Hank”) Greenberg. As of December 31, 2024, the Foundation reported an endowment valued at $1.7 billion and stated the endowment has provided more than $4 billion in grants.
The Starr Foundation makes grants to U.S. organizations determined by the IRS to be section 501(c)(3) charities, and to organizations outside the U.S. that are equivalent to U.S. public charities. The Foundation indicates it supports long-term partnerships and also provides operating grants, while maintaining the ability to respond quickly to urgent needs. It reports being deeply invested in New York City while also supporting communities and organizations worldwide.
As of December 31, 2024, the Foundation reported that its endowment has provided more than $4 billion in grants and was valued at $1.7 billion. It reports $1.4B+ awarded in Health & Medicine (1,656 grants to 300 organizations), $482M+ awarded in Human Needs (3,131 grants to 528 organizations), $423M+ awarded in Public Policy & International Relations (1,679 grants), and $95M+ awarded in Environment (327 grants to 50 organizations). The Foundation states it provided a $25 million lead grant that contributed to establishing the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, pledged $10 million toward the reconstruction and restoration of Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral after the 2019 fire, and committed $115 million to debt-free medical education.
The Foundation references partnerships and support for institutions and organizations including Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, The Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Rogosin Institute, and Hospital for Special Surgery. It also cites partners and grantees including City Harvest, Citymeals on Wheels, the International Rescue Committee, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Perelman Performing Arts Center, The Public Theater, the Asia Society, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
The Starr Foundation states it is a private foundation endowed by the personal estate of C.V. Starr and is neither a corporate foundation nor a family foundation. It states it has always been separate and independent from the companies associated with its founder. The Foundation notes that its 990-PF forms are available on its Financials page. For general inquiries, it provides a central email contact and states it is not able to respond to inquiries regarding unsolicited proposals.