The C Richard Stark Jr & Joan E Stark Foundation concentrates its giving on medical education/research and faith-based K–12 education while also supporting local Fort Dodge civic causes, youth development (especially athletics and character programs), and a few national-level philanthropic initiatives like food security. Grants mix one very large institutional gift with several mid-size awards to religious, educational, and community foundations, reflecting both place-based commitments in Iowa and occasional major investments in health research. The foundation favors mission-driven organizations (hospitals, diocesan school funds, community foundations, youth character groups) rather than pure general operating support.
A $1,000,000 grant to Mayo Clinic for medical education, research, and patient care stands out in the C Richard Stark Jr & Joan E Stark Foundation’s recent record. That gift sits alongside a pattern of support for Catholic schooling, local community institutions, and faith-based programming, showing a funder that combines large institutional health philanthropy with smaller place-based awards in Iowa. The foundation’s recent grants also include major support for Dubuque Archdiocesan Fund for a local Catholic school capital campaign, and repeated gifts to St Thomas Aquinas Church for religious programs in Webster City. Its giving reaches hospitals, diocesan funds, churches, community foundations, youth-focused groups, and local park and restoration projects. The mix suggests a foundation that funds both broad mission areas and specific community needs rather than relying on a single model. In Iowa, the grants support Fort Dodge, Webster City, Des Moines, and other nearby communities, while a few awards extend to organizations in other states for medical, religious, or counseling-related work. The foundation’s grant history shows consistent attention to education, faith, health, and civic life.
Medical education and patient care are central in the foundation’s recent giving. It awarded $1,000,000 to Mayo Clinic for medical education, research, and patient care, and another $100,000 to Delta Tau Delta Education Fund for the same broad purpose. Faith-based education is another clear theme. The foundation gave $200,000 to Dubuque Archdiocesan Fund for the promotion of local Catholic school and a capital campaign, and $5,000 to Friends of St Edmonds for the same type of support. Religious programming appears through several churches and parish groups. Grants of $20,000 went to St Thomas Aquinas Church in Webster City and St Joan of Arc Church in Boca Raton for religious programs, while Holy Trinity Parish Foundation in Fort Dodge received $20,000 for the same purpose. It also supports youth development and community wellbeing. Examples include $100,000 to We Will Collective for student athletes and $25,000 to Bastion Institue for promoting healthy lifestyles through positive character and strong values.
$2.7M
$4K
$133K
$2.7M
Most grants fall between $5K and $25K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$25K
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Concentrated giving with one flagship, very large grant and several mid-to-large gifts; mixes major single-year investments (e.g., $1M to Mayo Clinic) with targeted support for local and faith-based organizations. Mostly one-off grants with occasional repeat grantees; portfolio balances national institutional gifts and place-based community funding.
Notable grantees: Mayo Clinic, Dubuque Archdiocesan Fund, Delta Tau Delta Education Fund, Fort Dodge Community Foundation & United Way, Bastion Institute
Typical grant size is concentrated in the midrange: p25 is $5,000, median is $20,000, and p75 is $25,000. The recent record also includes a $1,000,000 outlier, so the foundation makes both large institutional awards and smaller local gifts. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including St Thomas Aquinas Church, St Joan of Arc Church, St Thomas Aquinas Ball, Mind & Spirit Counseling, and Friends of St Edmonds, which points to recurring support rather than one-time-only giving. The foundation is not a donor-advised fund or individual-giving vehicle; it is a private foundation with regional grantmaking and no program-related investments.
Grantmaking is heavily Iowa-centered: 67% of grants went to recipients in the HQ state, and Iowa is also the top state by grant count. Recent Iowa recipients include Fort Dodge, Webster City, Des Moines, Dubuque, and Urbandale. Outside Iowa, grants reached Rochester, MN; Fishers, IN; Boca Raton, FL; Washington, DC; and Coconut Creek, FL. All of the recent grants listed were made to U.S. organizations.
Recent grants show a strong emphasis on medical education, research, and patient care; Catholic/parochial school support and capital campaigns; religious programs; youth development; and local community improvements such as outdoors, parks, and restorations. The foundation also funded food availability work through the World Prize Foundation.
The middle of the distribution sits in the $20,000 to $25,000 range: p25 is $5,000, median is $20,000, and p75 is $25,000. That pattern suggests many awards are modest, with occasional larger grants for institutional priorities.
Yes. Several grantees appear in multiple years, including St Thomas Aquinas Church, St Joan of Arc Church, St Thomas Aquinas Ball, Mind & Spirit Counseling, and Friends of St Edmonds. That indicates recurring relationships rather than purely one-off support.
Iowa is the main giving state, with 67% of grants going to recipients there. Recent Iowa recipients are spread across Fort Dodge, Webster City, Des Moines, Dubuque, and Urbandale, showing a mix of local and statewide giving within Iowa.
The foundation funds hospitals, diocesan and parish entities, community foundations, youth-focused organizations, and school-related funds. Named recent grantees include Mayo Clinic, Dubuque Archdiocesan Fund, Fort Dodge Community Foundation & United Way, We Will Collective, and St Thomas Aquinas Church.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University Foundation | Ames, IA | $2,395,000 | 2026 | Support for the University |
| We Will Collective | Des Moines, IA | $100,000 | 2026 | Student Athletes |
| St Joan of Arc Church | Boca Raton, FL | $70,000 | 2026 | Religious programs |
| St Thomas Aquinas Church | Webster City, IA | $70,000 | 2026 | Religious programs |
| World Prize Foundation | Des Moines, IA | $25,000 | 2026 | Sustainably increase the quality quantity and availability of food |
| Friends of St Edmonds | Fort Dodge, IA | $15,000 | 2026 | Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign |
| St Thomas Aquinas Ball | Webster City, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign |
| We Will Collective | Des Moines, IA | $100,000 | 2025 | Student Athletes |
| HERO | Webster City, IA | $30,000 | 2025 | Improvement of restorations |
| World Prize Foundation | Des Moines, IA | $25,000 | 2025 | Sustainably increase the quality quantity and availability of food |
| St Thomas Aquinas Church | Webster City, IA | $20,000 | 2025 | Religious programs |
| St Joan of Arc Church | Boca Raton, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | Religious programs |
| Mind & Spirit Counseling | Urbandale, IA | $7,500 | 2025 | Financial resources for college students |
| St Thomas Aquinas Ball | Webster City, IA | $5,000 | 2025 | Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign |
| Friends of St Edmonds | Fort Dodge, IA | $5,000 | 2025 | Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign |
| Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $1,000,000 | 2024 | Medical education, research & patient care |
| Bastion Institue | Washington DC, DC | $25,000 | 2024 | Promotion of healthy lifestyles by encouraging positive character & strong values |
| Van Diest Medical Center Foundation | Webster City, IA | $25,000 | 2024 | Medical education, research & patient care |
| Enhance Hamilton County Foundation | Webster City, IA | $25,000 | 2024 | Improvement of outdoors |
| St Thomas Aquinas Church | Webster City, IA | $20,000 | 2024 | Religious programs |
| St Joan of Arc Church | Boca Raton, FL | $20,000 | 2024 | Religious programs |
| Hamilton County Fair Foundation | Webster City, IA | $15,000 | 2024 | Improvement of outdoors |
| St Thomas Aquinas Ball | Webster City, IA | $5,000 | 2024 | Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign |
| Wilson Brewer Park Foundation | Webster City, IA | $5,000 | 2024 | Improvement of Outdoors |
| Friends of St Edmonds | Fort Dodge, IA | $5,000 | 2024 | Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign |
| Iowa College Foundation | Des Moines, IA | $1,000 | 2024 | Financial resources for college students |
| Dubuque Archdiocesan Fund | Dubuque, IA | $200,000 | 2023 | Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign |
| Boca Regional Hospital | Boca Raton, FL | $100,000 | 2023 | Ministry for marriage counseling |
| Delta Tau Delta Education Fund | Fishers, IN | $100,000 | 2023 | Medical education, research & patient care |
| Fort Dodge Community Foundation & United Way | Fort Dodge, IA | $60,000 | 2023 | Support causes in Fort Dodge, Webster County and North Central Iowa |
| Bastion Institue | Washington DC, DC | $25,000 | 2023 | Promotion of healthy lifestyles by encouraging positive character & strong values |
| St Thomas Aquinas Church | Webster City, IA | $20,000 | 2023 | Religious programs |
| St Joan of Arc Church | Boca Raton, FL | $20,000 | 2023 | Religious programs |
| Holy Trinity Parish Foundation | Fort Dodge, IA | $20,000 | 2023 | Religious programs |
| SOS Childrens Village | Coconut Creek, FL | $10,000 | 2023 | Provide sports, recreation, health and wellness opportunities for Iowans of all abilities |
| Friends of St Edmonds | Fort Dodge, IA | $5,000 | 2023 | Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign |
| Mind & Spirit Counseling | Urbandale, IA | $5,000 | 2023 | Financial resources for college students |
| St Thomas Aquinas Ball | Webster City, IA | $5,000 | 2023 | Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign |
| Blueprint for Life | Alpharetta, GA | $2,500 | 2023 | Religious programs to equip others to live a life of purpose in light of eternity |
| St Mary's Food | Phoenix, AZ | $1,000 | 2023 | Medical education, research & patient care |
We Will Collective
$100,000Student Athletes
St Joan of Arc Church
$70,000Religious programs
St Thomas Aquinas Church
$70,000Religious programs
World Prize Foundation
$25,000Sustainably increase the quality quantity and availability of food
Friends of St Edmonds
$15,000Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign
St Thomas Aquinas Ball
$5,000Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign
We Will Collective
$100,000Student Athletes
HERO
$30,000Improvement of restorations
World Prize Foundation
$25,000Sustainably increase the quality quantity and availability of food
St Thomas Aquinas Church
$20,000Religious programs
St Joan of Arc Church
$20,000Religious programs
Mind & Spirit Counseling
$7,500Financial resources for college students
St Thomas Aquinas Ball
$5,000Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign
Friends of St Edmonds
$5,000Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign
Mayo Clinic
$1,000,000Medical education, research & patient care
Bastion Institue
$25,000Promotion of healthy lifestyles by encouraging positive character & strong values
Van Diest Medical Center Foundation
$25,000Medical education, research & patient care
Enhance Hamilton County Foundation
$25,000Improvement of outdoors
St Thomas Aquinas Church
$20,000Religious programs
St Joan of Arc Church
$20,000Religious programs
Hamilton County Fair Foundation
$15,000Improvement of outdoors
St Thomas Aquinas Ball
$5,000Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign
Wilson Brewer Park Foundation
$5,000Improvement of Outdoors
Friends of St Edmonds
$5,000Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign
Dubuque Archdiocesan Fund
$200,000Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign
Boca Regional Hospital
$100,000Ministry for marriage counseling
Fort Dodge Community Foundation & United Way
$60,000Support causes in Fort Dodge, Webster County and North Central Iowa
Bastion Institue
$25,000Promotion of healthy lifestyles by encouraging positive character & strong values
St Thomas Aquinas Church
$20,000Religious programs
St Joan of Arc Church
$20,000Religious programs
Holy Trinity Parish Foundation
$20,000Religious programs
Provide sports, recreation, health and wellness opportunities for Iowans of all abilities
Friends of St Edmonds
$5,000Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign
Mind & Spirit Counseling
$5,000Financial resources for college students
St Thomas Aquinas Ball
$5,000Promotion of local catholic school & capital campaign
Blueprint for Life
$2,500Religious programs to equip others to live a life of purpose in light of eternity
St Mary's Food
$1,000Medical education, research & patient care