The Starke Foundation
The Starke Foundation is a private foundation based in Richmond, Virginia. Its mission focuses on providing general-purpose funding to a variety of charitable organizations, with a notable emphasis on religious institutions, food banks, community health initiatives, and educational nonprofits. The foundation supports a diverse range of recipients, including churches, food banks, and educational institutions, reflecting a commitment to community welfare and development. Through its grants, the foundation aims to address pressing social issues and enhance the quality of life for various populations.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Established charities (often Virginia-based) seeking general operating support or modest program funding, such as churches, community service organizations, educational institutions, or local health/welfare groups comfortable with a short mailed letter application.
Good Fit
- • Clear Virginia presence or demonstrated local impact
- • Request framed as general operating or basic program support
- • Ability to make a concise, written case via mailed letter
- • Organizational track record (existing nonprofit status and program history)
- • Willingness to use the named contact and phone-based outreach
Geography
The observed footprint spans three states in the latest year but is heavily weighted to Virginia, which received about three quarters of 2024 dollars, indicating a state-focused but not strictly single-state pattern.
Recipient Variety
Each year shows a small set of independent recipients (6–7 grants per year) across sectors (churches, food bank, YMCA, colleges, health charities), so the portfolio is modest in size but reasonably diverse for a small private foundation.
New Applicants
The filing shows an explicit submission mechanism (a required letter to a named contact with rolling consideration) and the latest year recorded new recipients, so unfamiliar organizations that follow the stated letter-based process appear plausibly able to enter the portfolio despite the absence of a website.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
