Sterling Family Foundation
Sterling Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Canton, Ohio. Its 2024 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including community, food assistance, behavioral health, arts, education, and service organizations.
Sterling Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Sterling Family Foundation gave $284K across 29 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Ohio. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $284,000
- +20.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 29
- +38.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,793
- -13.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $8,296,097
- +51.7% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Ohio (83% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Sterling Family 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: 2000 Beaver Place Ave Sw, Canton, OH 44706
Phone: (330) 478-2151
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 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was United Way of Greater Stark County ($120K). Together the top 10 received $245K.
Grant Size Distribution
98 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 94 grants of 98 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 9% to Virginia, 6% to the District of Columbia, and 2% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
Cities
How Sterling Family Foundation gives
- 66% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 71% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 70% 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 (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 $167K (2021) to $284K (2024). In 2024 it made 29 grants totaling $284K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| United Way of Greater Stark County Canton, OH | General Operating | $120,000 |
| Commquest Services Inc Canton, OH | General Operating | $30,000 |
| Akroncanton Regional Foodbank Akron, OH | General Operating | $30,000 |
| The Salvation Army Alexandria, VA | General Operating | $20,000 |
| American Red Cross Washington, DC | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Pymatuning Valley Athletic Boosters Andover, OH | General Operating | $10,000 |
| Perry High School Adult Booster Club Massillon, OH | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Beacon Charitable Pharmacy Inc Canton, OH | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Tunnels to Towers Staten Island, NY | General Operating | $5,000 |
| YMCA of Central Stark County Canton, OH | General Operating | $5,000 |
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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 | $8,296,097 | $3,665,387 | $380,565 | $284,000 | 29 | $286,030 | $1,034,945 | $407,032 |
| 2023 | $5,468,611 | $1,569,297 | $293,189 | $236,500 | 21 | $238,030 | $512,241 | $297,585 |
| 2022 | $4,166,795 | $323,255 | $216,963 | $173,125 | 24 | $174,080 | $77,795 | $272,037 |
| 2021 | $4,219,937 | $483,604 | $207,709 | $166,500 | 1 | $167,700 | $147,172 | $285,077 |
| 2020 | $3,944,793 | $581,966 | $232,929 | $195,167 | 23 | — | $247,114 | $220,302 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sterling Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $407K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations working in several areas. United Way of Greater Stark County says its mission is to build community capacity to alleviate poverty and empower families. The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank describes its work as distributing food and leading a collaborative effort to support healthy, hunger-free lives. CommQuest Services says it provides collaborative care and advocacy in mental health, addiction recovery, and social support.
Other 2024 grantees describe work in youth development and education (Project Rebuild), arts and community goals (Arts in Stark), access to pharmaceuticals and education (Beacon Charitable Pharmacy), health and well-being (YMCA of Central Stark County), and support for Perry High School students and their families (Perry High School Adult Booster Club).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 29 grants totaling $284,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $120,000, with a median of $2,000. The largest awards included $120,000 to United Way of Greater Stark County, $30,000 each to CommQuest Services and the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, $20,000 to The Salvation Army, and $15,000 to the American Red Cross. Other listed awards included $10,000 to Pymatuning Valley Athletic Boosters and $5,000 each to Perry High School Adult Booster Club, Beacon Charitable Pharmacy, Tunnels to Towers, YMCA of Central Stark County, Project Rebuild, and Arts in Stark. The listed grants were designated for general operating purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists W Mark Sterling as trustee and president; Jeffrey W Sterling as trustee and vice president; and Richard Williams as trustee, secretary, and treasurer.
Sterling Family Foundation is led by W. Mark Sterling, Trustee & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
W. Mark Sterling
Trustee & President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey W. Sterling
Trustee & V.p.
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Williams
Trustee & Secretary Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 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 Sterling Family Foundation
How much does Sterling Family Foundation give each year?
Sterling Family Foundation gave $284K across 29 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $237K across 21 grants.
What is Sterling Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Sterling Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $9,793, across 29 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Sterling Family Foundation give grants?
Sterling Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (9%) and District of Columbia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Canton, OH (14 grants), Massillon, OH (4 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Sterling Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Sterling Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (29 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sterling Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Sterling Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include United Way of Greater Stark County ($120,000), Commquest Services Inc ($30,000) and Akroncanton Regional Foodbank ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sterling Family Foundation?
Sterling Family Foundation reported $8.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $286K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $407K (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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations working in several areas. United Way of Greater Stark County says its mission is to build community capacity to alleviate poverty and empower families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sterling Family 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 Sterling Family Foundation's EIN?
Sterling Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-3088351. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sterling 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
(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). Sterling Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sterling-family-foundation-morg_e0113973fc1844658d3aaf14a620bbbc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_753088351_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sterling Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sterling-family-foundation-morg_e0113973fc1844658d3aaf14a620bbbc},
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 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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