Sterling college uses education as a force to advance ecological thinking and action through affordable experiential learning that prepares people to be knowledgeable, skilled, and responsible leaders in the communities in which they live. We address critical ecological problems caused by unlimited growth and consumption that is destroying the planet as we have known it, such as: fossil fuel dependence and rapid climate change, destruction of biodiversity and loss of wild places, promotion of harmful agricultural practices that threaten human and natural communities, persistence of structural oppression that impacts human and ecological wellbeing, and the deterioration of civil society through estrangement from community, nature, and place.
Key facts about Sterling College
In short: Sterling College gave $1.4M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $107K), top state New Mexico. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 03-0197728
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,396,280
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- Average grant
- $107,406
- Median grant
- $122,000
- Total assets
- $4,994,466
- Primary geography
- New Mexico (18% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$5.0M
-42.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.4M
+9.9% YoY
Grant Count
13
+18.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$107K
-7.0% YoY
How Sterling College gives
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
About Sterling College
Based on IRS filings
Sterling College is a nonprofit organization focused on Education, based in Craftsbury Common, VT. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $5.0M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 13 grants totaling $1.4M. Net investment income was $103K.
Focus Areas
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 13 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
24 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ST JOHN'S COLLEGE Santa Fe, NM | GRANT SUBAWARD | $244,520 |
| COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC Bar Harbor, ME | GRANT SUBAWARD | $137,560 |
| WARREN WILSON COLLEGE Asheville, NC | GRANT SUBAWARD | $137,250 |
| BENNINGTON COLLEGE Bennington, VT | GRANT SUBAWARD | $133,450 |
| RANDOLPH COLLEGE Lynchburg, VA | GRANT SUBAWARD | $132,250 |
| BLACKBURN COLLEGE Carlinville, IL | GRANT SUBAWARD | $127,000 |
| ANTIOCH COLLEGE Yellow Springs, OH | GRANT SUBAWARD | $122,000 |
| PRESCOTT COLLEGE Prescott, AZ | GRANT SUBAWARD | $112,250 |
| NORTHLAND COLLEGE Ashland, WI | GRANT SUBAWARD | $110,000 |
| UNITY ENVIRONMENTAL UNIVERSITY New Gloucester, ME | GRANT SUBAWARD | $75,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,994,466 | $8,707,303 | $8,224,987 |
| Revenue | $4,553,144 | $9,107,124 | $9,079,705 |
| Expenses | $8,371,971 | $8,760,471 | $8,764,137 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $102,899 | $162,296 | $9,909 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 26, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 7, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Sterling College is led by Scott Thomas, President on every filing since 2024; 2 of 15 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Scott Thomas
President
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$105K (2024) → $224K (2025)
Allison Hooper
Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2020
Vice Chair → Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Chehayl
Trustee Thro
Chair → Trustee, 2022
Trustee → Trustee Thro, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jo D. Saffeir
Trustee Thro
Trustee → Trustee Thro, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Tessler
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cathy Berry
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chief Don Stevens
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alan Ross
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bill Jarvis
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christina Erickson
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lori Collins-Hall
COO
Interim President → COO, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$107K (2022) → $79K (2025)
Sherilyn Peterson
Vice Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Koenig
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ellen Falduto
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (19)
- Former: Eric Becker (2019–2024) — Trustee & Former
- Former: Steven Thurston Oliver (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Christopher Janeway (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Helen Ouellette (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Kenneth Gibbons (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Mary Berry (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Richard Detweiler (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Catherine Donnelly (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Deborah Alfond (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Jon Larsen (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Matthew Derr (2019–2022) — Former President
- Former: Margo Baldwin (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Michael Philipp (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Judy Geer (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Peter Merrill (2019–2020) — Vice President
- Former: Thaddeus Guldbrandsen (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Claire Goldman (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Julie Wormser (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Marian Burros (2019) — 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
Frequently asked questions about Sterling College
How much does Sterling College give each year?
Sterling College gave $1.4M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 11 grants.
What is Sterling College's typical grant size?
Sterling College's median grant in 2025 was $122,000, and its average grant was $107,406, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Sterling College give grants?
Sterling College's top state is New Mexico, with 18% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Maine (15%) and Vermont (10%).
Does Sterling College give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Sterling College's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Grant Subaward" (13 grants).
Who are Sterling College's largest grantees?
Sterling College's largest 2025 grantees include St John's College ($244,520), College of the Atlantic ($137,560) and Warren Wilson College ($137,250), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sterling College?
Sterling College reported $5.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.6M.
What is Sterling College?
Sterling College is a nonprofit organization focused on Education, based in Craftsbury Common, VT. It holds $5.0M in total assets as of 2025.
What is Sterling College's EIN?
Sterling College's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 03-0197728. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Here's the math on researching Sterling College by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sterling College's focus areas in our free grants database
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More Funders in Vermont
Sterling College down — hundreds of funders to go?