Sternberg Charitable Foundation
The Sternberg Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2024, it reported 23 grants totaling $86,001 to charitable organizations.
Sternberg Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Sternberg Charitable Foundation gave $86K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), mostly in California. 4% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $86,001
- +11.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- -4.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,739
- +15.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,761
- Total assets
- $1,765,887
- -2.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (1 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (73% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sternberg Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 965 Ridge Lake Blvd Ste 100, Memphis, TN 38120
Phone: (901) 685-7500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sternberg Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Civil Liberties Union ($8K). Together the top 10 received $54K.
Grant Size Distribution
120 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 120 grants of 120 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went primarily to organizations in California, which received 73% of the total. New York received 9%, Tennessee 5%, and Alabama and Maryland 4% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sternberg Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 23 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 96% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+13%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 100% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $65K (2020) to $86K (2024). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $86K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Civil Liberties Union New York, NY | General Support | $7,522 |
| Planned Parenthood Mar Monte San Jose, CA | General Support | $7,522 |
| Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts San Francisco, CA | General Support | $7,522 |
| Santa Teresa Parent-Teacher Organization San Jose, CA | General Support | $7,522 |
| Tawonga Jewish Community Center-Camp Tawonga San Francisco, CA | General Support | $5,265 |
| Electronic Frontier Foundation Inc San Francisco, CA | General Support | $3,761 |
| San Francisco Food Bank San Francisco, CA | General Support | $3,761 |
| Save the Redwoods League San Francisco, CA | General Support | $3,761 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties San Jose, CA | General Support | $3,761 |
| Southern Poverty Law Center Inc Montgomery, AL | General Support | $3,761 |
Ready to take the next step with Sternberg Charitable 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,765,887 | $55,278 | $91,401 | $86,001 | 23 | $89,401 | $55,278 | $89,667 |
| 2023 | $1,814,842 | $50,104 | $84,249 | $77,499 | 24 | $84,249 | $50,104 | $83,128 |
| 2022 | $1,647,979 | $36,143 | $77,676 | $73,176 | 24 | $76,676 | $36,143 | $79,032 |
| 2021 | $1,660,699 | $32,377 | $82,900 | $76,000 | 25 | $82,400 | $32,377 | $75,890 |
| 2020 | $1,439,387 | $29,846 | $71,453 | $65,000 | 24 | — | $29,846 | $63,506 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sternberg Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $90K 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
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose work, as described by the organizations themselves, included civil liberties, health care and education, public-school support, food assistance, environmental conservation, racial justice, and furnishing homes for people transitioning out of crisis or homelessness.
For example, the ACLU describes its mission as advancing civil liberties, and Planned Parenthood Mar Monte says it provides health care and education while expanding rights and access. Save the Redwoods League says it protects and restores redwood forests, while the San Francisco Food Bank says it works to end hunger in San Francisco and Marin Counties.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $86,001. Grant amounts ranged from $1,504 to $7,522, with a median grant of $3,761. The listed grants were designated for general support.
Among the largest grants were $7,522 each to the American Civil Liberties Union in New York, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, and Santa Teresa Parent-Teacher Organization. Other listed grants included $5,265 to Camp Tawonga; $3,761 each to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, San Francisco Food Bank, Save the Redwoods League, Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, Southern Poverty Law Center, SPARK SF Public Schools, and Trees for the Future; and $3,009 to Make It Home - Bay Area.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Laura Sternberg, Per Arne Nystrom, Ellen Rebecca Nystrom, and Michael K Wages as trustees.
Sternberg Charitable Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ellen Rebecca Nystrom
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Sternberg
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael K. Wages
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Per Arne Nystrom
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Sternberg Charitable Foundation
How much does Sternberg Charitable Foundation give each year?
Sternberg Charitable Foundation gave $86K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $77K across 24 grants.
What is Sternberg Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Sternberg Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,761, and its average grant was $3,739, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sternberg Charitable Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Sternberg Charitable Foundation give grants?
Sternberg Charitable Foundation gives mostly in California: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (9%) and Tennessee (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (8 grants), San Jose, CA (7 grants) and Memphis, TN (2 grants).
Does Sternberg Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Sternberg Charitable Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sternberg Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Sternberg Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include American Civil Liberties Union ($7,522), Planned Parenthood Mar Monte ($7,522) and Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts ($7,522), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sternberg Charitable Foundation?
Sternberg Charitable Foundation reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $89K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $90K (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 Sternberg Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sternberg Charitable Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sternberg Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Sternberg Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3787429. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sternberg Charitable 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). Sternberg Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sternberg-charitable-foundation-morg_0dab74d9e14d4994849acd1ed1647f2b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263787429_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sternberg Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sternberg-charitable-foundation-morg_0dab74d9e14d4994849acd1ed1647f2b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Sternberg Charitable 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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