CARESTAR Foundation

Name

CARESTAR Foundation

Legal name

CARESTAR Foundation

Website

https://carestarfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking — Health Equity

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Emergency medical services
• Health equity funding
• Community paramedicine grants
• Racial equity advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grantmaking: CARESTAR Foundation was founded in 2017 as a result of the sale of CALSTAR (California Shock Trauma Air Rescue). The foundation uses its endowment to make grants to organizations working to improve racial equity in emergency and prehospital care across California.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CARESTAR Foundation is a California-based philanthropic foundation that provides grant funding to community-based organizations, LEMSAs, EMS agencies, researchers, and tribal health entities working to advance racial equity in emergency medical services and prehospital care. Its core offerings include multi-year Transformations & Innovations Grants, Community Paramedicine Grants, the Leighton Memorial Award, and supporting research and convening resources.

Product overview

CARESTAR Foundation is a philanthropic grantmaking organization, not a technology product company. Its 'offerings' consist of grant programs and informational resources focused on advancing racial equity in California emergency medical services. The primary grant programs include the Transformations & Innovations Grants Program (funding community collaboratives working to transform EMS systems), Community Paramedicine Grants (supporting CP and TAD programs for LEMSAs), and the Leighton Memorial Award (recognizing rural/frontier/tribal area initiatives). Supporting resources include a curated Research Library of peer-reviewed articles on EMS equity topics, periodic Newsletters, and the organization's 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. All offerings are grant-funded initiatives and informational content rather than commercial products or software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transformations & Innovations Grants Program A multi-year grant initiative that invests in community-based collaboratives reimagining and transforming local emergency and prehospital care. Funding is available up to $100,000 for one-year grants and up to $300,000 for multi-year grants, and requires collaboration between EMS provider agencies, LEMSAs, and community-based organizations. Target applicants are California-based collaboratives working on racial equity in EMS.
• Community Paramedicine Grants One-time grants of $50,000 supporting the expansion of community paramedicine (CP) and Triage to Alternate Destinations (TAD) programs across California. The grants are awarded to Local EMS Agencies (LEMSAs) pursuing CP or TAD programs, with an 18-month grant period. Supplemental funding is provided in partnership with CVS Health.
• Leighton Memorial Award An annual $100,000 grant award honoring Jeff Leighton, given to collaboratives in rural, frontier, or tribal areas of California that have demonstrated success in improving emergency and prehospital care with a focus on addressing inequity. First awarded in 2021 to Neighbors Together For Good.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2M invested in 10 nonprofit organizations working on racial equity in EMS (2023)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• UCSF Benioff Children's HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2025$300,000 grant for study examining EMS providers' perspectives on caring for children in acute agitation. Research builds on prior work revealing disparities in use of physical restraints on Black children during EMS encounters.
• Possibility Lab at UC BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2024Partnership for first-of-its-kind study exploring racial and gender equity in the EMS workforce. Study analyzes effect of EMS provider race and gender match on patient satisfaction and conducts statewide survey to identify causes of disparities.
• Alameda County EMS AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2024Partnership with Possibility Lab and CARESTAR for study on racial and gender equity in EMS workforce. Agency provides data for analyzing effect of EMS provider race and gender match on patient care.
• California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2024Strategic partnership to advance equity and accessibility in California's EMS system. CARESTAR awarded $400,000 grant to support EMSA's equity priorities including defining equity and transparency, enhancing Community Paramedicine and Triage to Alternate Destinations programs, and hosting a Data Summit.
• California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished Statewide Impact Framework measuring performance and disparities across key areas in EMS and turning data into action for sustaining and scaling a more equitable EMS system.
• California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide multicultural health advocacy organization. Grant supports analysis of community needs and experiences, and local/state spending on law enforcement, public health, and mental health services for policy recommendations on first response reforms.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• California Health Care Foundation: California-focused health philanthropy that has directly co-funded CARESTAR-led grants. Operates a similar grantmaking model targeting health system improvement across California and shares a key board member (Sandra Shewry) with CARESTAR.
• California Wellness Foundation: Long-standing California health philanthropy focused on equity and wellness for vulnerable communities. Director Fatima Angeles previously worked there, providing direct organizational overlap with CARESTAR's grantmaking focus on health equity for underserved populations.
• Blue Shield of California Foundation: California-focused health philanthropy with a comparable mission of health system improvement for underserved communities. CARESTAR CEO Tanir Ami previously worked there, creating direct programmatic and leadership overlap.
• Tides Foundation: San Francisco-based progressive philanthropy intermediary that partners with donors and funds social justice and equity work, including health-related causes. Operates a comparable model of funding equity-driven systems change, particularly in California.
• San Francisco Foundation: Historic Bay Area community foundation funding equity, health, and racial justice initiatives across the San Francisco region. Overlaps with CARESTAR's geographic focus on Northern California and its racial-equity lens.
• California Community Foundation: Los Angeles-based community foundation making grants across health, equity, and social justice causes in California. Directly comparable as a California community-rooted grantmaking organization with overlapping equity priorities.

Broad incumbents

• The California Endowment: One of the largest California-focused health foundations, supporting a much broader portfolio of health equity, access, and community initiatives. While much larger and more diversified, its health-equity mandate substantially overlaps with CARESTAR's mission.
• Kaiser Permanente Community Health: Large corporate health foundation funding community health, equity, and access initiatives across California and the U.S. Overlaps with CARESTAR on health equity but operates at much greater scale as part of a broader portfolio.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The largest U.S. philanthropy focused on health and health equity, including a long-running commitment to building a Culture of Health. Sets frameworks and standards that smaller foundations like CARESTAR often adapt at the state and local level.

Regional players

• Sierra Health Foundation: Sacramento-based foundation funding health equity and community health across Northern California. Smaller-scale and more regionally focused than CARESTAR's California-wide mandate, but comparable in grantmaking approach to underserved populations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@carestarfoundation5955
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carestar-foundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/carestarfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments13 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CARESTAR Foundation