Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203
The Leonard and Shirley Sterling Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in San Antonio, Texas. In its 2025 filing, it reported making 14 grants totaling $152,173 to charitable organizations, including universities, health organizations, and community organizations.
Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 at a glance
In short: Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 gave $152K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Texas. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $152,173
- -6.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,870
- -6.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,870
- Total assets
- $5,066,111
- -1.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (1 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (52% 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 Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: P O Box 2950 Tax Dept Floor 5, San Antonio, TX 78299-2950
Phone: (210) 220-4623
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Brandeis University ($14K). Together the top 10 received $123K.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 66 grants of 66 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 52% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas. Other recipient-state shares were Massachusetts, Virginia, and Florida at 10% each, and Maryland at 5%. The listed grants also included recipients in Georgia and Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 14 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $14K repeat.
- 93% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 52% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 62% 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 (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 $152K (2025) to $315K (2022). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $152K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brandeis University Waltham, MA | Economics Scholarship | $14,493 |
| American Diabetes Assoc Inc Merrifield, VA | Unrestricted Gift | $14,493 |
| American Heart Association St Petersburg, FL | Cardiovascular Research | $14,493 |
| The University of Texas System Austin, TX | Research | $14,493 |
| Our Lady Of The Lake Univ Endow Fd San Antonio, TX | Unrestrict Business | $14,493 |
| University Of The Incarnate Word San Antonio, TX | Unrestricted Bus | $14,493 |
| St Marys University San Antonio, TX | Unrestricted Bus | $14,493 |
| American Cancer Society INC Hagerstown, MD | Research | $7,246 |
| Arthritis Foundation Inc Atlanta, GA | Unrestricted Research | $7,246 |
| Jewish Federation Of San Antonio San Antonio, TX | Annual Campaign | $7,246 |
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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 | $5,066,111 | $192,758 | $250,866 | $152,173 | 14 | $200,575 | $144,355 | $321,400 |
| 2024 | $5,124,219 | $168,825 | $253,209 | $162,750 | 14 | $207,979 | $124,457 | $291,800 |
| 2023 | $5,203,524 | $-43,277 | $341,759 | $239,500 | 13 | $473,151 | $112,854 | $274,871 |
| 2022 | $5,588,560 | $639,109 | $411,546 | $314,755 | 13 | $362,621 | $591,242 | $301,797 |
| 2021 | $5,360,997 | $154,009 | $322,500 | $227,785 | 12 | — | $106,650 | $302,768 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 reported a distributable amount of $321K 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 included support for university scholarships and research, cardiovascular research, and charitable organizations. The grantees describe their own work in varied ways: Brandeis University says it advances the humanities, arts, and sciences and provides a broad liberal arts education; St. Mary’s University describes its Catholic Marianist mission as forming people in faith and educating leaders for the common good; and the University of the Incarnate Word describes a commitment to educational excellence in a context of faith and development of the whole person.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $152,173 through 14 grants. Grants ranged from $7,246 to $14,493, with a median grant of $10,870. Notable grants included $14,493 each to Brandeis University for an economics scholarship, the American Diabetes Association as an unrestricted gift, the American Heart Association for cardiovascular research, the University of Texas System for research, Our Lady of the Lake University Endowment Fund, the University of the Incarnate Word, and St. Mary’s University. It also gave $7,246 each to the American Cancer Society for research, the Arthritis Foundation for unrestricted research, the Jewish Federation of San Antonio for its annual campaign, UT Health Science Center for research, and National Jewish Health as an unrestricted grant.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Marilynn Gerson as co-trustee.
Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 is led by Marilynn Gerson, Co-Trustee on every filing since 2021 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marilynn Gerson
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$33K (2021) → $32K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Frost Bank (2021–2022) — Co-Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $32K, to Marilynn Gerson (Co-Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203
How much does Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 give each year?
Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 gave $152K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $163K across 14 grants.
What is Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203's typical grant size?
Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203's median grant in 2025 was $10,870, and its average grant was $10,870, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 that year got $7K on average.
Where does Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 give grants?
Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 gives mostly in Texas: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (10%) and Virginia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Antonio, TX (6 grants).
Does Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 give general operating support?
Yes: 50% of Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Research" (3 grants).
Who are Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203's largest grantees?
Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203's largest 2025 grantees include Brandeis University ($14,493), American Diabetes Assoc Inc ($14,493) and American Heart Association ($14,493), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203?
Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 reported $5.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $201K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $321K (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 Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for university scholarships and research, cardiovascular research, and charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203?
The foundation states 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 Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203's EIN?
Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3746420. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 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
(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). Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/leonard-and-shirley-sterling-char-fd-fb203-morg_b7a534b1516c47a1b01f72cc659d2112
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263746420_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203 funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/leonard-and-shirley-sterling-char-fd-fb203-morg_b7a534b1516c47a1b01f72cc659d2112},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Leonard and Shirley Sterling Char FD FB203'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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