Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation
The Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Northbrook, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported making 17 grants totaling $48,500 to charitable organizations.
Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation gave $49K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Illinois. 29% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $48,500
- +27.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +13.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,853
- +12.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,670,473
- -0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (5 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (44% 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 Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2025 IRS filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 627 Landwehr Road, Northbrook, IL 60062
Phone: (312) 787-2203
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute ($5K). Together the top 10 received $36K.
Grant Size Distribution
174 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 174 grants of 174 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 44% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 19% to New York, 16% to the District of Columbia, 6% to Colorado, and 5% to Alabama. The listed recipients also included organizations in Connecticut and New Hampshire.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 17 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 51% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 46% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $38K (2024) to $100K (2022). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $49K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| Japan Society New York, NY | General Purpose | $5,000 |
| National Womens Law Center Washington, DC | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| The Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $4,000 |
| Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $3,000 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $3,000 |
| World Wildlife Fund Washington, DC | General Purpose | $3,000 |
| The Rocky Mountain Institute Boulder, CO | General Purpose | $3,000 |
| Southern Poverty Law Center Montgomery, AL | General Purposes | $2,500 |
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation Chicageo, IL | General Purposes | $2,500 |
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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 | $1,670,473 | $51,544 | $65,216 | $48,500 | 17 | $51,445 | $38,078 | $111,358 |
| 2024 | $1,684,145 | $98,783 | $52,643 | $38,000 | 15 | $40,590 | $86,730 | $99,926 |
| 2023 | $1,638,005 | $146,804 | $115,769 | $78,250 | 20 | $81,704 | $135,739 | $83,944 |
| 2022 | $1,607,370 | $1,446,417 | $106,430 | $99,675 | 63 | $99,790 | $1,439,777 | $62,303 |
| 2021 | $266,983 | $16 | $96,025 | $89,305 | 59 | $89,305 | $16 | $89,901 |
| 2020 | $362,992 | $548 | $102,728 | $95,695 | 59 | — | $548 | $82,191 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $111K 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 organizations whose own missions include connecting Japanese arts and culture with audiences (Japan Society), advancing and protecting women’s legal rights (National Women’s Law Center), conserving nature (World Wildlife Fund), and fostering knowledge and a scholarly community (University of Chicago). The Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute describes its work as using psychoanalytic knowledge to help individuals, families, and communities grow and thrive. The Southern Poverty Law Center describes its work as advancing racial justice and human rights.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $48,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000, with a median grant of $2,500.
Notable 2025 grants included $5,000 each to the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute, Japan Society, and National Women’s Law Center; $4,000 to the Art Institute of Chicago; and $3,000 each to Lincoln Park Zoo, the University of Chicago, World Wildlife Fund, and the Rocky Mountain Institute. Other listed recipients included the Southern Poverty Law Center ($2,500), Sandy Hook Promise Foundation ($2,000), and Proctor Academy ($1,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James D. Stern as secretary and Jeffrey S. Stern and Robin Stern as directors.
Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeffrey S. Stern
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robin Stern
Director
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
James D. Stern
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Judith C. Stern (2020–2022) — President & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation
How much does Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation give each year?
Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation gave $49K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $38K across 15 grants.
What is Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $2,853, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation give grants?
Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (19%) and District of Columbia (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute ($5,000), Japan Society ($5,000) and National Womens Law Center ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation?
Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $51K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $111K (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 Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation?
The foundation states on its 2025 IRS 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 Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation's EIN?
Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4159217. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Richard and Judith Stern Family 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 29, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Richard and Judith Stern Family Foundation funds
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