Lodestar Foundation

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OVERVIEW: The Lodestar Foundation awards grants to encourage philanthropy and support collaboration in Arizona and beyond. It aims to build capacity in the social sector by promoting philanthropy, volunteering, public service and nonprofit collaboration.

IP TAKE: The Lodestar Foundation is a funder that offers multiple types of grants to help nonprofits build capacity and foster collaboration with other nonprofits. Notably, this foundation gives for the promotion of philanthropy rather than to specific community needs or issue areas. It does not focus on any particular issue area, but broadly funds local nonprofits in the fields of human services, health, community development, economic opportunity, and arts & culture. This makes it an excellent funder for any regional nonprofits looking to expand their impact, no matter what field you work in, as long as you can show how your work aligns with Lodestar’s mission and values.

This is a transparent funder that maintains a comprehensive list of past grants dating back to the year 2000, including category, type, and value. However, it is not the most accessible. It does not maintain a full time staff aside from one grants manager or offer a formal application system, preferring to conduct its grantmaking by invitation only based on the interests of its founders. However, grantseekers who believe they would be a good fit for Lodestar’s giving are encouraged to reach out to discuss their work and potential opportunities for expansion or collaboration.

PROFILE: Established in 1999, the Lodestar Foundation is based in Phoenix, Arizona, by real-estate developer Jerry Hirsch and philanthropist Lois Savage. Its mission is to “increase philanthropic resources by supporting organizations, programs and projects that serve primarily to encourage philanthropy, public service and/or volunteerism” and “increase philanthropic impact by encouraging and supporting long-term collaborations among nonprofits working in the same or complementary areas.” The name Lodestar was chosen because it refers to a guiding star or principle, as well as the first sighting of a gold vein in a mine, a nod to Arizona’s gold rush history. Lodestar is part of a family of foundations also including the Lodestar Charitable Foundation, the Lodestar Jewish Donor Advised Fund, and the Lodestar Foundation Fund. Grantmaking areas of interest are growing and promoting philanthropy and long-term collaborations among philanthropic organizations.

Grants for Community Development and Civic Engagement

Lodestar’s Grants aim to “maximize strategic impact by focusing on projects that support systemic changes in the way nonprofits conduct business.” Lodestar makes direct grants and also is involved with field-building activities to educate others about philanthropy and collaboration. Challenge and matching grants are common here. There are two main strategic funding areas at Lodestar:

  • Encouraging Philanthropy: Grants to support “organizations that primarily exist to encourage philanthropy, volunteerism, or public service.” It supports both donor networks and nonprofits that work to expand the reach of philanthropy, promote volunteerism, and encourage civic engagement.

  • Supporting Collaboration: Grants for “nonprofits that have made the joint decision to explore and/or implement permanent relationships.” This involves funding long-term collaborations, joint programming, mergers, acquisitions, associations and strategic capacity-building tools for nonprofits.

In addition to its main grants, Lodestar also awards grants for Special Projects, support has gone to groups like the Global Leadership Foundation, Forum 2000, and the EastWest Institute. Lodestar partners have included the Foundation Center, Seachange Capital Partners, the Patterson Foundation, and the Lyda Hill Foundation. Local funder collaboratives include the Arizona Nonprofit Capacity Building Landscape Project, the Funder Collaborative for Summer Youth Programs, and the Neighborhood Funder Collaborative.

IMPORTANT GRANT DETAILS:

Foundation grants generally range from $5,000 to $50,000, but may range into the hundreds of thousands or even up to the millions for select grantees. View the funder’s grants page to learn more about the types of organizations it supports.

  • Lodestar grants primarily support local nonprofits in Arizona. However, some grants are made to national and international organizations with operations in Arizona.

  • Lodestar does not provide an online application or clear avenue for grant seekers to submit a letter of inquiry or apply for funding. However, the funder welcomes informal communications from groups whose work aligns with Lodestar’s mission.

  • Final decisions are made by founders Jerry Hirsch and Lois Savage.

Grantseekers may reach out to the foundation by phone at 602.956.2699 or by email at info@lodestarfoundation.org.

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