Stephen M Silberstein Foundation
The Stephen M Silberstein Foundation is a private foundation based in Belvedere, California. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including journalism and media, civil liberties, voting and redistricting, environmental protection, reproductive health, and economic policy.
Stephen M Silberstein Foundation at a glance
In short: Stephen M Silberstein Foundation gave $8.5M across 47 grants in 2024 (avg $182K), mostly in California. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $8,537,600
- +23.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 47
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $181,651
- +23.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $73,957,652
- -3.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (6 of 47, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (67% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Stephen M Silberstein Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1 Cliff Road, Belvedere, CA 94920-2345
Phone: (415) 435-1692
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Stephen M Silberstein Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was MCF Donor Advised Fund ($4.0M). Together the top 10 received $6.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
237 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 72 grants of 237 (30%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in California (67%), Washington, DC (23%), New York (9%), New Mexico (1%), and Alaska (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 47 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Stephen M Silberstein Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 47 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $91K; repeat grants $195K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $75K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−14%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 91% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $5.5M (2022) to $9.9M (2021). In 2024 it made 47 grants totaling $8.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MCF Donor Advised Fund Novato, CA | Umbrella Organization for Many Local Nonprofit Orgs. | $4,000,000 |
| Media Matters for America Washington, DC | Educational Radio Broadcasting | $350,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation San Francisco, CA | Defend & Preserve Individual Right & Liberties | $300,000 |
| National Vote at Home Institute Washington, DC | Ensure the security of our elections and puting voter's needs first | $250,000 |
| Propublica New York, NY | Investigative Reporting | $250,000 |
| Democracy Now New York, NY | Support Public Radio Journalism | $200,000 |
| National Redistricting Foundation Washington, DC | To dismantle unfair electoral maps and create a redistricting system based on democratic values | $200,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Foundation New York, NY | Deliver Health Care Services, Sex Educucation | $200,000 |
| Sierra Club Foundation San Francisco, CA | Protect Wild Places & Responsible Resource Use | $200,000 |
| Center for American Progress Washington, DC | Support Research & Education in Economics | $150,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $73,957,652 | $5,642,213 | $8,647,894 | $8,537,600 | 47 | $8,647,894 | $4,324,931 | $9,516,058 |
| 2023 | $76,963,334 | $4,080,261 | $6,998,194 | $6,920,000 | 47 | $6,998,194 | $3,108,410 | $8,205,292 |
| 2022 | $79,881,267 | $5,636,039 | $5,655,993 | $5,526,000 | 39 | $5,526,000 | $4,733,098 | $7,843,571 |
| 2021 | $79,901,221 | $6,376,686 | $9,945,902 | $9,875,200 | 49 | $9,875,200 | $5,504,106 | $8,268,122 |
| 2020 | $83,470,437 | $3,013,132 | $6,909,129 | $6,791,000 | 55 | — | $2,895,003 | $6,736,907 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Stephen M Silberstein Foundation reported a distributable amount of $9.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants supported organizations with varied missions. Media Matters for America describes its work as monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in U.S. media. The National Vote At Home Institute says it educates citizens about the benefits of Vote at Home policies, while the National Redistricting Foundation says it seeks to oppose racial and partisan gerrymandering through litigation and public education.
Other supported organizations describe work on civil liberties and civil rights (the ACLU Foundation), protecting and improving the natural and human environment (the Sierra Club Foundation), advancing democracy reforms (Common Cause), and bringing the interests of low- and middle-income workers into economic policy discussions (the Economic Policy Institute).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 47 grants totaling $8,537,600. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $4,000,000, with a median grant of $75,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $4,000,000 to MCF Donor Advised Fund for an umbrella organization serving local nonprofit organizations; $350,000 to Media Matters for America for educational radio broadcasting; and $300,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation to defend and preserve individual rights and liberties. Other grants included $250,000 each to the National Vote At Home Institute and ProPublica; $200,000 each to Democracy Now, the National Redistricting Foundation, Planned Parenthood Foundation, and Sierra Club Foundation; and $150,000 each to the Center for American Progress, Common Cause, and the Economic Policy Institute.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Stephen M Silberstein as president and treasurer and Paul Silberstein as secretary.
Stephen M Silberstein Foundation is led by Stephen M. Silberstein, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Stephen M. Silberstein
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Silberstein
Secretary
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Stephen M Silberstein Foundation
How much does Stephen M Silberstein Foundation give each year?
Stephen M Silberstein Foundation gave $8.5M across 47 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $6.9M across 47 grants.
What is Stephen M Silberstein Foundation's typical grant size?
Stephen M Silberstein Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $75,000, and its average grant was $181,651, across 47 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Stephen M Silberstein Foundation that year got $91K on average.
Where does Stephen M Silberstein Foundation give grants?
Stephen M Silberstein Foundation gives mostly in California: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (23%) and New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (14 grants), San Francisco, CA (8 grants), New York, NY (6 grants) and Oakland, CA (6 grants).
Does Stephen M Silberstein Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of Stephen M Silberstein Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 47) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Stephen M Silberstein Foundation's largest grantees?
Stephen M Silberstein Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include MCF Donor Advised Fund ($4,000,000), Media Matters for America ($350,000) and American Civil Liberties Union Foundation ($300,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Stephen M Silberstein Foundation?
Stephen M Silberstein Foundation reported $74.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $8.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $9.5M (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 Stephen M Silberstein Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants supported organizations with varied missions. Media Matters for America describes its work as monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in U.S. media. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Stephen M Silberstein Foundation?
The foundation 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 Stephen M Silberstein Foundation's EIN?
Stephen M Silberstein Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1852739. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Stephen M Silberstein 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Stephen M Silberstein Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/stephen-m-silberstein-foundation-morg_69a4cf96cd074b08990dcde43ba9afc5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_911852739_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Stephen M Silberstein Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/stephen-m-silberstein-foundation-morg_69a4cf96cd074b08990dcde43ba9afc5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Stephen M Silberstein 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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