Stern Foundation
Stern Foundation is a private foundation based in Mechanicsville, Virginia. It makes grants to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Stern Foundation at a glance
In short: Stern Foundation gave $368K across 21 grants in 2026 (avg $18K), mostly in California. 5% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $367,551
- +682.0% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 21
- -34.4% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $17,502
- +1091.7% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $588,007
- -34.3% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (1 of 21, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (93% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Stern Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 9038 Atlee Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23116-2507
Phone: (804) 285-7503
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Stern Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Richmond Community Foundation ($338K). Together the top 10 received $363K.
Grant Size Distribution
157 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 156 grants of 157 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2026 grant dollars were distributed to recipients in California (93%), Virginia (6%), and New Jersey (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Stern Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 1 of 21 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $338K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $338K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 95% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving grew 796% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 894% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2026). 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 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $41K (2023) to $368K (2026). In 2026 it made 21 grants totaling $368K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond Community Foundation Richmond, CA | General Operating Support | $337,549 |
| Pine Ridge Missionary Training Camp Mechanicsville, VA | General Operating Support | $5,001 |
| Friends of Israel Westville, NJ | General Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Museum of the Shenandoah Valley Winchester, VA | General Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Jews for Jesus San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $3,000 |
| Barns of Rose Hill Berryville, VA | General Operating Support | $2,000 |
| The Valentine Richmond, VA | General Operating Support | $2,000 |
| Advancing Native Missions Afton, VA | General Operating Support | $1,000 |
| Blue Ridge School St George, VA | General Operating Support | $1,000 |
| Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Boyce, VA | General Operating Support | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Stern Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $588,007 | $71,911 | $379,250 | $367,551 | 21 | $370,949 | $64,018 | $41,502 |
| 2025 | $895,346 | $46,518 | $58,374 | $47,000 | 32 | $50,885 | $39,796 | $49,624 |
| 2024 | $907,202 | $85,803 | $61,987 | $51,991 | 33 | $53,458 | $78,455 | $48,360 |
| 2023 | $883,386 | $35,093 | $50,899 | $41,025 | 33 | $42,532 | $31,467 | $52,868 |
| 2022 | $899,192 | $74,996 | $63,057 | $51,999 | 38 | $53,245 | $63,813 | $43,104 |
| 2021 | $887,253 | $19,251 | $58,003 | $49,472 | 36 | — | $27,493 | $52,349 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Stern Foundation reported a distributable amount of $42K for 2026 — 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 2026 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. Richmond Community Foundation describes its mission as mobilizing connection to build healthy, thriving communities. Barns of Rose Hill says it enriches lives through arts, education, and community; the Virginia Historical Society says it connects people to America’s past through Virginia’s history. Advancing Native Missions describes its work as supporting qualifying Native missions groups working among unreached people groups, and Blue Ridge Wildlife Center says it rescues and rehabilitates native wildlife and teaches wildlife preservation.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $367,551. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $337,549, with a median of $1,000. The largest listed grant was $337,549 to Richmond Community Foundation in Richmond, California, for general operating support. Other listed grants include $5,001 to Pine Ridge Missionary Training Camp, $5,000 each to Friends of Israel and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, and $3,000 to Jews for Jesus. The listed grants were for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Sidney L. Stern II as director and president; Henry F. Stern Jr. as director and vice president; and Constance S. Moore as director, secretary, and treasurer.
Stern Foundation is led by Sidney L. Stern II, Director & President since 2025 (on filings since 2021); none of the 3 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Sidney L. Stern II
Director & President
President → Director & President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Constance S. Moore
Director, Secretary & Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → Director, Secretary & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Henry F. Stern Jr.
Director & Vice President
V. President → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "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 Stern Foundation
How much does Stern Foundation give each year?
Stern Foundation gave $368K across 21 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $47K across 32 grants.
What is Stern Foundation's typical grant size?
Stern Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $1,000, and its average grant was $17,502, across 21 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Stern Foundation that year got $338K on average.
Where does Stern Foundation give grants?
Stern Foundation gives mostly in California: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Virginia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Richmond, VA (4 grants), Millwood, VA (4 grants), Berryville, VA (3 grants) and Boyce, VA (2 grants).
Does Stern Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Stern Foundation's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Stern Foundation's largest grantees?
Stern Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Richmond Community Foundation ($337,549), Pine Ridge Missionary Training Camp ($5,001) and Friends of Israel ($5,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Stern Foundation?
Stern Foundation reported $588K in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $371K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $42K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Stern Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2026 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. Richmond Community Foundation describes its mission as mobilizing connection to build healthy, thriving communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Stern Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Stern Foundation's EIN?
Stern Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-0847408. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Does Stern 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS April 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Stern Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Stern Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/stern-foundation-morg_52b457ad10a840b184752f46c2995c7c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_540847408_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Stern Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/stern-foundation-morg_52b457ad10a840b184752f46c2995c7c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Stern 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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