The Michael Stars Foundation focuses its giving on advancing women's economic opportunity and gender equality, alongside support for civil liberties and entertainment-industry philanthropy. Its grants are concentrated and strategic, often directed to a small set of repeat grantees that run direct-service and advocacy programs, primarily in Southern California and the entertainment sector. The foundation favors mid-sized gifts that support programmatic work and public-interest efforts rather than a broad scatter of small grants.
Michael Stars Foundation C/o Jeff Busse has a clear preference for concentrated giving: repeat grants to a small circle of organizations working on women’s economic opportunity, gender equality, civil liberties, and entertainment-industry philanthropy. That pattern is visible across several years of support for Step Up Women's Network in Los Angeles, which received multiple awards, including $25,992 in 2024 and $25,000 in 2025, as well as earlier support of $20,000 in 2023. The foundation also backed advocacy-oriented organizations such as the Aclu Foundation of Southern California, reflecting an interest in policy and legal work alongside direct-service programs. Its portfolio reaches beyond one issue area, but the through line is support for organizations serving women, families, and communities in California and other U.S. cities. The grants are mostly mid-sized and appear to be aimed at sustaining ongoing program work rather than one-off projects. Recent awards also show support for community and relief groups such as Tender Foundation Inc, Children Mending Hearts, and Baby 2 Baby.
Women’s economic empowerment is a recurring theme. In 2024, the foundation gave $25,992 to Step Up Women's Network in Los Angeles, and it followed with $25,000 in 2025, both tied to career and advancement work. Advocacy for gender equity and civil liberties is another clear thread: the Aclu Foundation of Southern California received $25,000 in 2023, while the Era Coalition Fund for Womens and the National Network of Abortion Funds each received $10,000 in later grants. The foundation also supports entertainment-related philanthropy and related community relief. Entertainment Industry Foundation received $25,000 in 2023, and Utah Film Center received $10,000 in 2024. Local service organizations appear as well, including Tender Foundation Inc, which received $50,000 in 2024 and $10,000 in 2023.
Typical grants cluster around the middle of the range: the 25th percentile is $5,000, while both the median and 75th percentile are $10,000, indicating many awards at that level. Larger gifts appear selectively, including $50,000 awards, but the overall pattern favors repeat support at familiar amounts. The foundation’s recent record shows recurring grants to the same organizations across multiple years, especially in Los Angeles and other California cities. It is a private foundation with no program-related investments reported, and it does not fund individuals. No application process is indicated in the data.
$153K
$451K
$151K
$153K
Most grants fall between $5K and $10K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Concentrated giving: a small number of mid-size grants with repeat funding to core grantees; mix of program and advocacy support rather than many one-off small awards.
Notable grantees: Step Up Women’s Network, Fund for Women’s Equality, Inc., ACLU Foundation of Southern California, Tender Foundation, Inc., Entertainment Industry Foundation
Grantmaking is regional and heavily California-focused. California recipients account for 60% of grants, and the top city cluster includes Los Angeles, Toluca Lake, Richmond, and San Diego. Outside California, the foundation has awarded grants to Atlanta, New York, Washington, DC, Brooklyn, Lanham, Watertown, Beaverton, Salt Lake City, and Gaithersburg. All recorded grants in the recent set went to U.S. recipients, with no non-U.S. countries appearing in the distribution.
Its recent grants center on women’s economic opportunity, gender equality, civil liberties, entertainment-industry philanthropy, and local youth and family services. The named recipients in the record include Step Up Women's Network, Aclu Foundation of Southern California, Entertainment Industry Foundation, and Tender Foundation Inc.
The grant-size distribution is centered on $10,000. The 25th percentile is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is also $10,000, so most awards are in that mid-sized range.
Yes. The same organizations appear across multiple years, including Step Up Women's Network, Social Good, Tender Foundation Inc, and Children Mending Hearts. That pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-time awards.
California is the top state by grant count, with 60% of grants going to recipients in the state. Recent California recipients include organizations in Los Angeles, Toluca Lake, Richmond, San Diego, Pasadena, and San Francisco.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDWARD CHARLES FDN | BEVERLY HILLS, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| STEP UP WOMEN'S NETWORK | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| PLAN C C O NATL WOMENS HEALTH | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| SOCIAL GOOD | TOLUCA LAKE, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| ERA COALITION FUND FOR WOMENS | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| CHILDREN MENDING HEARTS | TOLUCA LAKE, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| BABY 2 BABY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| BRADY CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT GUN | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| CULTURE CLUB SOUTH BAY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| WIN SUMMIT LLC CO DANIELLA KAH | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| BELOVED ASHEVILLE | ASHEVILLE, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| CULTURE CLUB OF S BAY | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| PS I LOVE YOU FOUNDATION | REDONDO BEACH, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| TENDER FOUNDATION INC | ATLANTA, GA | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| STEP UP WOMEN'S NETWORK | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,992 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| BLACK WOMEN LEAD | SAN DIEGO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| UTAH FILM CENTER | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| MS FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| CHILDREN MENDING HEARTS | TOLUCA LAKE, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| CHOOSE LOVE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| SOCIAL GOOD | RICHMOND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| FOR FREEDOMS FEDERATION LLC | NEVADA CITY, CA | $1,500 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| RICHSTONE FAMILY CENTER | HAWTHORNE, CA | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| FUND FOR WOMEN'S EQUALITY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $28,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| ACLU FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| STEP UP WOMEN'S NETWORK | LOS ANGELES, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| OUTWARD BOUND ADVENTURES | PASADENA, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| NATIONAL NETWORK OF ABORTION FUNDS | BEAVERTON, OR | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| CHILDREN MENDING HEARTS | TOLUCA LAKE, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| SOCIAL GOOD | RICHMOND, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| TAKE THE LEAD | WATERTOWN, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| TENDER FOUNDATION INC | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAING | LANHAM, MD | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| FRIENDS OF GALA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| UNITED HELP UKRAINE INC | GAITHERSBURG, MD | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| RICHSTONE FAMILY CENTER | HAWTHORNE, CA | $500 | 2023 | CHARITY |
PLAN C C O NATL WOMENS HEALTH
$10,000CHARITY
SOCIAL GOOD
$10,000CHARITY
ERA COALITION FUND FOR WOMENS
$10,000CHARITY
CHARITY
BRADY CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT GUN
$5,000CHARITY
CULTURE CLUB SOUTH BAY
$5,000CHARITY
WIN SUMMIT LLC CO DANIELLA KAH
$5,000CHARITY
CULTURE CLUB OF S BAY
$5,000CHARITY
PS I LOVE YOU FOUNDATION
$2,500CHARITY
TENDER FOUNDATION INC
$50,000CHARITY
BLACK WOMEN LEAD
$10,000CHARITY
FOR FREEDOMS FEDERATION LLC
$1,500CHARITY
NATIONAL NETWORK OF ABORTION FUNDS
$10,000CHARITY
TAKE THE LEAD
$10,000CHARITY
TENDER FOUNDATION INC
$10,000CHARITY
HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAING
$10,000CHARITY
FRIENDS OF GALA
$5,000CHARITY