Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc
Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Briarcliff Manor, New York. In its 2025 filing, it reported 15 grants totaling $78,500 to charitable organizations.
Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc gave $79K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in New York. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $78,500
- +57.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +36.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,233
- +15.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $608,614
- +1.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (6 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (61% 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 Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists G Flaum as the contact and says to apply by letter. It states that there are no restrictions on awards and that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: G Flaum
Mailing address: 90 Chestnut Hill Lane, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510
Phone: (914) 762-1169
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was America Gives ($10K). Together the top 10 received $62K.
Grant Size Distribution
57 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 57 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 61% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 25% to California, 6% to the District of Columbia, 4% to Pennsylvania, and 3% to Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 15 grantees (40%) 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 $6K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 56% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 142% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2024) to $79K (2025). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $79K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| America Gives New York, NY | General Charitablepurpose | $10,000 |
| Fistula Foundation San Jose, CA | General Charitablepurpose | $10,000 |
| Reap New York, NY | General Charitablepurpose | $7,000 |
| Hias Silver Spring, NY | Generalcharitablepurpose | $5,000 |
| Helen Keller International New York, NY | General Charitablepurpose | $5,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Washington, DC | General Charitablepurpose | $5,000 |
| College Track Oakland, CA | General Charitablepurpose | $5,000 |
| Saratoga Literacy League Saratoga Springs, NY | General Charitablepurpose | $5,000 |
| Fresh Air Fund New York, NY | General Charitablepurpose | $5,000 |
| Movember Foundation Culver City, CA | General Charitablepurpose | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc?
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 | $608,614 | $20,750 | $78,500 | $78,500 | 15 | $78,500 | $88,019 | $55,449 |
| 2024 | $599,340 | $23,750 | $52,550 | $50,000 | 11 | $50,000 | $20,787 | $51,328 |
| 2023 | $626,467 | $22,279 | $58,250 | $58,000 | 11 | $58,000 | $32,131 | $51,612 |
| 2022 | $649,242 | $23,162 | $51,400 | $50,200 | 11 | $50,200 | $50,440 | $51,196 |
| 2021 | $645,301 | $23,595 | $58,100 | $57,000 | 9 | — | $20,889 | $47,055 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $55K 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 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, America Gives says it promotes and facilitates philanthropy and provides information about charities; the Fresh Air Fund says it provides New York City children from low-income families with cultural, recreational, and educational experiences; and Helen Keller International says it works with communities on health, nutrition, and vision. College Track describes its work as supporting first-generation scholars from high school through college graduation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 15 grants totaling $78,500. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $10,000, with a median of $5,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $10,000 each to America Gives and the Fistula Foundation; $7,000 to REAP; and $5,000 each to HIAS, Helen Keller International, Planned Parenthood, College Track, Saratoga Literacy League, the Fresh Air Fund, the Movember Foundation, and the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Fund. Friends of the Albany Children’s Fund received $3,500. Delaware Valley College received $3,000; it describes its work as organizing ice hockey events and supporting teams and players.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gary Flaum as president, Jessica Brand as vice president, Tamara Backer as secretary, and Isaac Flaum as treasurer.
Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc is led by Gary Flaum, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gary Flaum
President
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Isaac Flaum
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Brand
Vice President
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tamara Backer
Secretary
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Stephen Flaum (2021–2022) — Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc
How much does Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc give each year?
Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc gave $79K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $50K across 11 grants.
What is Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,233, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc that year got $6K on average.
Where does Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc give grants?
Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (25%) and District of Columbia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants) and Albany, NY (2 grants).
Does Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 93% of Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include America Gives ($10,000), Fistula Foundation ($10,000) and Reap ($7,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc?
Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc reported $609K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $79K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $55K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc?
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists G Flaum as the contact and says to apply by letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc's EIN?
Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6116794. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/erna-and-isaac-stern-foundation-inc-morg_3d1c5580c4694d239286997a2cf7c605
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136116794_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Erna \& Isaac Stern Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/erna-and-isaac-stern-foundation-inc-morg_3d1c5580c4694d239286997a2cf7c605},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Erna & Isaac Stern Foundation Inc'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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