Sterling College
Sterling College is a public charity based in Craftsbury Common, Vermont. Its stated mission is to advance ecological thinking and action through affordable, experiential learning; its 2025 filing reports grants to colleges and other organizations.
Sterling College at a glance
In short: Sterling College gave $1.4M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $107K), top state New Mexico. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,396,280
- +9.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +18.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $107,406
- -7.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $122,000
- Total assets
- $4,994,466
- -42.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New Mexico (18% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Sterling College
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 72, Craftsbury Common, VT 05827
Phone: (802) 586-7711
Website: https://sterlingcollege.edu
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sterling College funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St John's College ($245K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
24 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 20 grants of 24 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states. The largest reported state shares were New Mexico (18%), Maine (15%), Vermont (10%), North Carolina (10%), and Virginia (9%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2024 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.3M (2024) to $1.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
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 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,994,466 | $4,553,144 | $8,371,971 | $1,396,280 | 13 | $102,899 |
| 2024 | $8,707,303 | $9,107,124 | $8,760,471 | $1,270,000 | 11 | $162,296 |
| 2023 | $8,224,987 | $9,079,705 | $8,764,137 | — | — | $9,909 |
| 2022 | $7,952,564 | $9,298,193 | $9,868,328 | — | — | $42,203 |
| 2021 | $8,938,081 | $9,817,486 | $9,587,017 | — | — | $144,841 |
| 2020 | $8,767,919 | $10,163,939 | $9,312,188 | — | — | $17,586 |
| 2019 | $8,003,819 | $10,360,268 | $8,357,369 | — | — | $22,656 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Sterling’s mission is to prepare people to be knowledgeable, skilled, and responsible leaders in their communities through affordable experiential learning that advances ecological thinking and action. Its 2024 filing describes educational programs in sustainable agriculture and food systems, outdoor education, and climate change, along with student services and facilities operations.
The 2025 grants went to organizations including colleges and an agricultural nonprofit. The grantees describe their work in their own terms: Warren Wilson College says it integrates academics, work, and community engagement; Unity Environmental University says it prepares environmentally competent professionals and promotes stewardship of sustainable ecosystems; and Front Line Farming says it works to cultivate local food systems through food production, land stewardship, education, and community collaboration. The grants were identified as grant subawards.
Grantmaking
Sterling reported 13 grants totaling $1,396,280 in filing year 2025. The grants ranged from $10,000 to $244,520, with a median of $122,000. The largest listed awards were $244,520 to St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico; $137,560 to College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine; $137,250 to Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina; $133,450 to Bennington College in Vermont; and $132,250 to Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia.
The 2025 grant list also included $127,000 to Blackburn College, $122,000 to Antioch College, $112,250 to Prescott College, $110,000 to Northland College, $75,000 to Unity Environmental University, $45,000 to Front Line Farming, and $10,000 to Independent Arts & Media. No application process or policy on unsolicited requests is stated in the available information.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Allison Hooper as chair, Sherilyn Peterson as vice chair, Ellen Falduto as treasurer, and Wendy Koenig as secretary. It also lists Cathy Berry, Peter Chehayl, Christina Erickson, Bill Jarvis, Alan Ross, and Jo D Saffeir as trustees.
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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $224K, to Scott Thomas (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that 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 does Sterling College fund?
Sterling’s mission is to prepare people to be knowledgeable, skilled, and responsible leaders in their communities through affordable experiential learning that advances ecological thinking and action. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sterling College?
Sterling College has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check sterlingcollege.edu for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
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. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- 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)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 26, 2020)
Live grants for the work Sterling College funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sterling College's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sterling College funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sterling-college-morg_a0337ad4b52e48bda79598a67ca91283
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_030197728_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sterling College funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sterling-college-morg_a0337ad4b52e48bda79598a67ca91283},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Sterling College'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.
Sterling College down — hundreds of funders to go?