Sternberg Family Foundation
The Sternberg Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It makes grants or contributions to other Section 501(c)(3) organizations, mainly public charities, and reported 12 grants totaling $29,100 in 2024.
Sternberg Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Sternberg Family Foundation gave $29K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $29,100
- +127.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +71.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,425
- +32.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $575
- Total assets
- $66,914
- -28.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (4 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (86% 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 Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1601 Market Street 4Th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 297-2100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sternberg Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Federation of Jewish Agency ($18K). Together the top 10 received $29K.
Grant Size Distribution
39 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 39 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 13% to recipients in New York, and 1% to recipients in Delaware. The reported share for New Jersey was 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sternberg Family Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 12 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $563; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $125 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 42% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 113% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 671% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $13K (2023) to $29K (2024). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $29K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Federation of Jewish Agency Philadelphia, PA | Community | $18,000 |
| Adath Israel Merion Station, PA | Community | $3,900 |
| Carnegie Hall New York, NY | Community | $2,500 |
| JFCS of Greater Philadelphia Bala Cynwyd, PA | Community | $1,900 |
| Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | Community | $1,100 |
| Hospital for Special Surgery New York, NY | Medical | $1,000 |
| Bryn Mawr Fire CO Bryn Mawr, PA | Medical Care | $150 |
| Forgotten Cats Inc Greenville, DE | Community | $150 |
| Lower Merion Police Pension Ardmore, PA | Community | $100 |
| Tunnel to Towers Staten Island, NY | Community | $100 |
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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 | $66,914 | $6,901 | $33,903 | $29,100 | 12 | $29,100 | $2,098 | $4,336 |
| 2023 | $93,916 | $51,418 | $17,011 | $12,801 | 7 | $12,801 | — | $2,824 |
| 2022 | $59,509 | $-5,544 | $30,176 | $25,750 | 8 | $25,750 | — | $3,748 |
| 2021 | $95,229 | $11,072 | $18,020 | $13,652 | 7 | $13,652 | $6,769 | $5,744 |
| 2020 | $102,177 | $33,384 | $23,016 | $19,250 | 5 | — | $4,646 | $4,486 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sternberg Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4K 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 does not state a mission in the provided information. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations whose work spans community, medical, and animal-welfare purposes. For example, Forgotten Cats Inc. describes its mission as reducing the homeless and unwanted cat population through trap-neuter-return and finding homes for socialized cats. Breakthrough T1D describes its mission as accelerating breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $29,100 through 12 grants. Grants ranged from $100 to $18,000, with a median grant of $575. Its largest grants included $18,000 to Federation of Jewish Agency, $3,900 to Adath Israel, $2,500 to Carnegie Hall, and $1,900 to JFCS of Greater Philadelphia.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Harvey Sternberg and Donna Sternberg as trustees.
Sternberg Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Donna Sternberg
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Harvey Sternberg
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Family Foundation
How much does Sternberg Family Foundation give each year?
Sternberg Family Foundation gave $29K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $13K across 7 grants.
What is Sternberg Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Sternberg Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $575, and its average grant was $2,425, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sternberg Family Foundation that year got $563 on average.
Where does Sternberg Family Foundation give grants?
Sternberg Family Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants) and Philadelphia, PA (2 grants).
Does Sternberg Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Sternberg Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community" (10 grants).
Who are Sternberg Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Sternberg Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Federation of Jewish Agency ($18,000), Adath Israel ($3,900) and Carnegie Hall ($2,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sternberg Family Foundation?
Sternberg Family Foundation reported $67K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $29K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sternberg Family Foundation fund?
The foundation does not state a mission in the provided information. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations whose work spans community, medical, and animal-welfare purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sternberg Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it 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 Family Foundation's EIN?
Sternberg Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3583236. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sternberg 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
Live grants for the work Sternberg Family Foundation funds
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