Sterling Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Bellaire, TX EIN: 04-6995246

Sterling Family Foundation is a Form 990-PF private foundation located in Bellaire, Texas. In filing year 2024, it reported 19 grants totaling $307,700, primarily to organizations in Texas. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 18 grants totaling $295,700.

Sterling Family Foundation at a glance

In short: Sterling Family Foundation gave $296K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in Texas. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$295,700
-3.9% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
18
-5.3% vs 2024
Average grant
$16,428
+1.4% vs 2024
Median grant
$2,500
Total assets
$5,557,152
+1.4% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
6% first-time grantees (1 of 17, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Texas (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Sterling Family Foundation

How to Apply

The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It instructs applicants to contact Daniel Dominguez or Jay Epstein with a written proposal stating the grant request and its purpose, along with the requesting organization’s IRS tax-exempt-status letter. The filing states there are no restrictions on awards.

Review Cycle
None stated on the filing.
Deadline
None stated on the filing.
Contact

Application contact: Daniel Dominguez And Jay Epstein
Mailing address: PO Box 1837, Bellaire, TX 77402-1837
Phone: (713) 960-1706

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Sterling Family Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Centro Familiar Cristiano: $150KCentro Familiar Cristiano$150KCongregation Anshai Torah: $15KCongregation Anshai Torah$15KSeven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services: $10KSeven Acres Jewish Senior CareServices$10KHolocaust Museum Houston: $5KHolocaust Museum Houston$5KFisher House Foundation: $3KFisher House Foundation$3KThe Center for Pursuit: $3KThe Center for Pursuit$3KDr Marnie Rose Foundation inc: $3KDr Marnie Rose Foundation inc$3KHillel at Texas A & M University: $3KHillel at Texas A & MUniversity$3KTrueface: $3KTrueface$3KTexas Equusearch: $2KTexas Equusearch$2K

The largest 2025 recipient was Centro Familiar Cristiano ($150K). Together the top 10 received $196K.

Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($92,500), which are not listed by name.

Grant Size Distribution

97 grants across all recorded years

87<$50K5$50–100K5$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 87 grants of 97 (90%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas. The filing reports the remaining shares as Georgia 1%, Maryland 1%, New Hampshire 0%, and Illinois 0%.

Grant Distribution by State

8states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.

Cities

HoustonSugarlandAtlantaChicagoDawsonvilleDeeringDickinsonPlanoRockvilleBellaireCollege StationPhoenixStaffordStaten IslandMemphis

Is Sterling Family Foundation open to new grantees?

6%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 1 of 17 grantees (6%) 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 $13K. How we count

Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.

  • 94% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+3%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 93% 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

$0$100K$200K$300K$400K22 grants2020 21 grants2021 19 grants2022 20 grants2023 19 grants2024 18 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $288K (2022) to $375K (2020). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $296K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Centro Familiar Cristiano Sugarland, TXto assist organization in providing educational services to young children and families to help develop language, social, emotional and creative skills$150,000
2 grants to individuals Recipients not named —$92,500
Congregation Anshai Torah Plano, TXTo assist organization with enhancing its educational activities$15,000
Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services Houston, TXto assist organization with providing social and medical services to residents and elderly persons living in the community. Organization is the largest long-term care facility in Houston.$10,000
Holocaust Museum Houston Houston, TXto assist organization with educational activities to make people aware of the dangers of prejudice, hatred and violence brought about during the Holocaust. Organization is the fourth largest memorial museum in the United States.$5,000
Fisher House Foundation Rockville, MDto assist organization with building comfort homes where military and veterans families can stay free of charge while a loved one is hospitalized$3,000
The Center for Pursuit Houston, TXTo assist organization with promoting the pursuit of choice, growth and personal independence for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities$3,000
Dr Marnie Rose Foundation inc Bellaire, TXto assist organization in its support of brain cancer research and pediatric health initiatives$2,500
Hillel at Texas A & M University College Station, TXto support educational programming for the students of Texas A&M University$2,500
Trueface Dawsonville, GAto assist organization with its mission of advancing the relationship process of building trust with oneself and others$2,500
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$5,557,152$495,051$411,210$295,70018$295,700$384,891$317,326
2024$5,479,966$692,577$390,371$307,70019$307,700$618,503$302,895
2023$5,171,105$102,913$385,319$294,90020$294,900$99,604$290,255
2022$5,453,511$87,228$408,174$287,70019$287,700$56,976$287,799
2021$5,774,457$379,066$484,801$365,20021$365,200$263,122$313,372
2020$6,227,135$372,043$497,101$375,20022—$253,670$362,675

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sterling Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $317K 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 foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas that include children’s education, social services, Jewish community programming, senior care, disability services, and military-family support.

Among the grantees, Centro Familiar Cristiano describes its mission as providing educational, athletic, guidance, and other support to underprivileged people. An individual recipient describes its mission as empowering individuals, families, and communities through compassion, innovation, and Jewish values. The Center for Pursuit says it provides residential, vocational, and day services promoting choice, growth, and independence for adults with developmental disabilities, autism, and similar conditions. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $307,700. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $160,000, with a median grant of $2,500. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 18 grants totaling $295,700.

The largest grants were $160,000 to Centro Familiar Cristiano in Sugarland, Texas, for educational services for young children and families, and $90,000 to an individual recipient in Houston for financial assistance to low-income Holocaust survivors in the greater Houston area. Other notable awards included $15,000 to Congregation Anshai Torah for educational activities; $10,000 to Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services for social and medical services; and $5,000 to Holocaust Museum Houston for educational activities.

The filing also lists grants of $3,000 each to Fisher House Foundation and The Center for Pursuit; $2,500 each to Dr Marnie Rose Foundation, an individual recipient, Hillel at Texas A&M University, and Trueface; and $2,000 to Texas Equusearch.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Daniel Dominguez and Jay A Epstein as trustees.

Sterling Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Daniel Dominguez

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    $9K (2020) → $7K (2025)

  • Jay A. Epstein

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    $10K (2020) → $12K (2025)

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.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Jay a Epstein — Trustee: $12KJay a EpsteinTrustee$12KDaniel Dominguez — Trustee: $7KDaniel DominguezTrustee$7K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $12K, to Jay a Epstein (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Sterling Family Foundation

How much does Sterling Family Foundation give each year?

Sterling Family Foundation gave $296K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $308K across 19 grants.

What is Sterling Family Foundation's typical grant size?

Sterling Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $16,428, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sterling Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.

Where does Sterling Family Foundation give grants?

Sterling Family Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (5 grants).

Does Sterling Family Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Sterling Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.

Who are Sterling Family Foundation's largest grantees?

Sterling Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Centro Familiar Cristiano ($150,000), Congregation Anshai Torah ($15,000) and Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($92,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Sterling Family Foundation?

Sterling Family Foundation reported $5.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $296K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $317K (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 Sterling Family Foundation fund?

No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas that include children’s education, social services, Jewish community programming, senior care, disability services, and military-family support. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Sterling Family Foundation?

The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Sterling Family Foundation's EIN?

Sterling Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6995246. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(2)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 31, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Sterling Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sterling-family-foundation-morg_d9db4a5602b44733910016fce5e8e1c6

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046995246_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Sterling Family Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/sterling-family-foundation-morg_d9db4a5602b44733910016fce5e8e1c6},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-11-05. 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 Sterling Family 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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