Star Peak Foundation
The Star Peak Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to supporting charitable organizations that benefit communities in the Lower Clark Fork River area, including Bonner County in Idaho and Sanders County in Montana. Its mission focuses on enhancing community development, addressing food insecurity, and providing support for cancer-related services. The foundation primarily funds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations engaged in various human services, with a particular emphasis on projects that serve local populations. Through its grants, the foundation aims to improve the quality of life for residents in the targeted regions.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A 501(c)(3) organization delivering programs specifically for clients in the Lower Clark Fork Valley (Sandpoint east to the Montana border) or a local nonprofit nominated/selected via a community foundation or other intermediary.
Good Fit
- • Direct service programs limited to the Lower Clark Fork Valley / Bonner County communities.
- • Formal 501(c)(3) status and current financial statements and board list available.
- • Ability to provide a detailed project budget, timeline, evaluation plan, and local client targeting.
- • Existing relationships with local community foundations or visibility to the foundation's trustees/intermediaries.
Geography
Observed grants are focused on the Lower Clark Fork Valley and nearby counties, with 2024 grants going to organizations in Montana and Washington and earlier grants including Idaho local groups; the footprint is regionally narrow.
Recipient Variety
Across the two observed years the foundation funded multiple independent nonprofits (six distinct recipients in 2022 and two in 2024), showing a moderate spread of recipients for a small private foundation rather than a single tied beneficiary.
New Applicants
The foundation explicitly states it will consider only preselected applicants; although some recent grants went to intermediaries and new recipients were funded in 2024, the declared 'preselected only' policy and the use of community foundations as recipients make it unlikely that an unfamiliar applicant can enter the portfolio without nomination or intermediary referral.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
