Elaine Stern Foundation
The Elaine Stern Foundation is a private foundation located in Southfield, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports $750,000 in grants to 15 organizations, all in Michigan.
Elaine Stern Foundation at a glance
In short: Elaine Stern Foundation gave $750K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $50K), mostly in Michigan. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $750,000
- +2.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- -6.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $50,000
- +9.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $16,901,823
- +6.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (1 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Elaine Stern Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation stated in its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 27777 Franklin Road 2500, Southfield, MI 48034-8222
Phone: (248) 351-3000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Elaine Stern Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Alternatives for Girls ($100K). Together the top 10 received $610K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
70 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 36 grants of 70 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Michigan. The 2025 filing lists grants to organizations in Detroit and other Michigan communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Elaine Stern Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 15 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $50K; repeat grants $50K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 93% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $618K (2019) to $830K (2021). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $750K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alternatives for Girls Detroit, MI | College and Career Readiness Program Support. | $100,000 |
| Brilliant Detroit Detroit, MI | Operations Support at Dexter-Linwood Neighborhood Hub. | $75,000 |
| Detroit Public Media Wixom, MI | Capital campaign and pbs kids programming support for the milwaukee junction neighborhood hub. | $75,000 |
| Humble Design Inc Southfield, MI | Program support for the detroit metro area operations, with a focus on supporting military veterans. | $65,000 |
| Detroit Horse Power Detroit, MI | Capital Commitment for Development of Urban Equestrian Center. | $60,000 |
| Beyond Basics Farmington Hills, MI | Summer Literacy Program Support. | $50,000 |
| College Career and Beyond Detroit, MI | College Access and Success Program Support. | $50,000 |
| Michigan State University - Hillel East Lansing, MI | Leadership Development Program Support. | $50,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $50,000 |
| Winning Futures Troy, MI | Workforce Prep Mentoring Program Support. | $45,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Elaine Stern Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $16,901,823 | $956,459 | $965,670 | $750,000 | 15 | $798,730 | $789,519 | $812,837 |
| 2024 | $15,934,507 | $604,843 | $961,471 | $730,550 | 16 | $786,209 | $413,430 | $798,973 |
| 2023 | $15,545,437 | $422,309 | $890,311 | $685,000 | 14 | $730,204 | $262,192 | $733,769 |
| 2022 | $14,135,434 | $270,029 | $968,919 | $771,000 | 14 | $808,298 | $109,408 | $768,951 |
| 2021 | $18,385,440 | $866,944 | $1,060,352 | $830,000 | 11 | $875,887 | $668,744 | $886,771 |
| 2020 | $17,309,163 | $2,307,044 | $1,033,297 | $791,000 | 10 | — | $1,922,718 | $746,182 |
| 2019 | $16,236,802 | $433,757 | $815,272 | $618,000 | 7 | — | $295,761 | $769,017 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Elaine Stern Foundation reported a distributable amount of $813K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations whose work spans education, youth development, community services, and other activities. For example, Alternatives for Girls says it helps homeless and high-risk youth avoid violence, teen pregnancy, and exploitation; Brilliant Detroit says it supports school readiness for children ages 0–5 and healthy, stable families; and Detroit Horse Power says it teaches urban youth to ride and care for horses to develop skills for future success.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $750,000 through 15 grants. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $100,000, with a median of $50,000.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $100,000 to Alternatives for Girls for college and career readiness program support; $75,000 each to Brilliant Detroit for operations support at its Dexter-Linwood neighborhood hub and to Detroit Public Media for a capital campaign and PBS Kids programming support for the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood hub; and $65,000 to Humble Design Inc. for Detroit metro area operations, with a focus on supporting military veterans. Other grants included $60,000 to Detroit Horse Power for development of an urban equestrian center and $50,000 each to Beyond Basics for summer literacy program support and College Career and Beyond for college access and success program support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists R Christopher Cataldo as president, director, and trustee; Sheri Cataldo as secretary, director, and trustee; and James M Reinhart as director and trustee.
Elaine Stern Foundation is led by R. Christopher Cataldo, President, Director & Trustee on every filing since 2019; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
R. Christopher Cataldo
President, Director & Trustee
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James M. Reinhart
Director & Trustee
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $24K (2025)
Sheri Cataldo
Secretary, Director & Trustee
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $24K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Megan E. Borland (2019) — Treasurer, Director & Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $24K, to Sheri Cataldo (Secretary, Director, Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Elaine Stern Foundation
How much does Elaine Stern Foundation give each year?
Elaine Stern Foundation gave $750K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $731K across 16 grants.
What is Elaine Stern Foundation's typical grant size?
Elaine Stern Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $50,000, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Elaine Stern Foundation that year got $50K on average.
Where does Elaine Stern Foundation give grants?
Elaine Stern Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (7 grants) and Southfield, MI (2 grants).
Does Elaine Stern Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 7% of Elaine Stern Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Elaine Stern Foundation's largest grantees?
Elaine Stern Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Alternatives for Girls ($100,000), Brilliant Detroit ($75,000) and Detroit Public Media ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Elaine Stern Foundation?
Elaine Stern Foundation reported $16.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $799K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $813K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Elaine Stern Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations whose work spans education, youth development, community services, and other activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Elaine Stern Foundation?
The foundation stated in its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Elaine Stern Foundation's EIN?
Elaine Stern Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4062393. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Elaine Stern Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 20, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Elaine Stern Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/elaine-stern-foundation-morg_d2e2ba6dfe1640f3a22079205f296365
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_814062393_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Elaine Stern Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/elaine-stern-foundation-morg_d2e2ba6dfe1640f3a22079205f296365},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Elaine Stern Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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