Stern Leichter Foundation

SAN DIEGO, CA EIN: 33-0706564 Website

Stern Leichter Foundation is a private foundation based in San Diego, California. The foundation maintains a focused approach to philanthropic giving with particular emphasis on education, human services, and voluntarism.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.6M

-1.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$203K

-50.9% YoY

Grant Count

-53.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$16K

+5.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Stern Leichter Foundation reported a distributable amount of $298K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding focus areas include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Nonprofit Human Services
Human and Social Service Grants
Poverty Alleviation
Arts Grants for Nonprofits

Grantmaking

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily supports organizations in California and Illinois.

Grant Distribution by State

California $1.5M (92%)

District of Columbia $41K (3%)

Illinois $35K (2%)

Oregon $34K (2%)

Hawaii $10K (1%)

Maryland $10K (1%)

Massachusetts $5K (0%)

Pennsylvania $2K (0%)

+1 more states

States

California District of Columbia Hawaii Illinois Massachusetts Maryland New York Oregon Pennsylvania

Cities

CambridgeCardiffCarlsbadChicagoColumbiaEncinitasEnicnitasEvanstonGlenviewHonoluluLa JollaLos AngelesNew YorkPhiladelphiaPittsburghPortlandSan DiegoSan FranciscoSherman OaksSolana Beach

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total Assets: $3,631,304
Total Giving: $203,000 (most recent filing, 2024)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$3,631,304	$3,679,726	$3,865,466
Revenue	$214,787	$284,298	$121,053
Expenses	$263,209	$470,021	$313,419
Qualifying Distributions	$203,000	$413,800	$248,000
Net Investment Income	$201,972	$290,018	$207,741
Distributable Amount	$297,966	$275,421	$313,109

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 2024

Grant Size Distribution

133 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Hillel of San Diego ($50,000), Coastal Roots Farm ($50,000), La Jolla Playhouse ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
TEMPLE SOLEL CARDIFF, CA	SUPPORT JEWISH COMMUNITY	$15,000
MAGDALENA ECKE FAMILY YMCA ENCINITAS, CA	TO PUT CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICE THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT BUILD HEALTHY SPIRIT, MIND AND BODY FOR ALL	$3,000
HILLEL OF SAN DIEGO SAN DIEGO, CA	MENTORS AND EDUCATORS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH VALUABLE TOOLDS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO BE JEWIISH LEADERS	$50,000
COASTAL ROOTS FARM ENCINITAS, CA	SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, FOOD JUSTICE, ANCIENT JEWISH WISDOM	$50,000
LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE LA JOLLA, CA	PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND ABILITIES	$25,000
NORTHWESTERN HILLEL EVANSTON, IL	CAMPUS HILLEL FOR JEWISH STUDENTS	$5,000
KPBS SAN DIEGO, CA	SUPPORT MEDIA PROGRAMS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR SAN DIEGO RESIDENTS	$10,000
PRO KIDS FIRST TEE SAN DIEGO, CA	CHALLENGE UNDERSERVED YOUTH TO EXCEL IN LIFE BY PROMOTING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, LIFE SKILLS, AND VALUES	$10,000
NORTH COAST REP THEATER SOLANA BEACH, CA	CREATE A PLATFORM WHERE ARTISITS AND AUDIENCES THRIVE THROUGH THE INTIMACY OF LIVE THEATRE	$10,000
NEW HAVEN YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES VISTA, CA	RESTORE HOPE AND DIGNITY TO TROUBLED YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MICHAEL D BERLIN	PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR	5	$7,500

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Stern Leichter Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Nonprofit Human Services • Human and Social Service Grants • Poverty Alleviation • Arts Grants for Nonprofits

How do I apply for a grant from Stern Leichter Foundation?

**Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $1,000 to $100,000. **Annual Giving:** The foundation distributed $203,000 in total giving based on the most recent IRS 990 filing (2024). **Recent Grants:** The foundation awarded $25,000 to Coastal Roots Farm in 2023 for sustainable agriculture, food justice, and ancient Jewish wisdom initiatives.

Where does Stern Leichter Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily supports organizations in California and Illinois.

What size grants does Stern Leichter Foundation award?

In 2024, Stern Leichter Foundation awarded 13 grants totaling $203K — an average of about $16K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Stern Leichter Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Stern Leichter Foundation reported a distributable amount of $298K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.