The Bernstein Family Foundation
The Bernstein Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington. Its 2025 filing reports grants to 27 organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Washington.
The Bernstein Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Bernstein Family Foundation gave $234K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Washington. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $233,734
- +92.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,657
- +92.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $240,515
- +214.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Washington (86% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Bernstein Family 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: 12033 12Th Avenue Nw, Seattle, WA 98177
Phone: (770) 644-6400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Bernstein Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Family Services ($125K). Together the top 10 received $211K.
Grant Size Distribution
136 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 131 grants of 136 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington. Other recipient-state shares were Delaware, 5%; California, 4%; Georgia, 2%; and Pennsylvania, 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Bernstein Family Foundation gives
- 41% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 49% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 594% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $121K (2024) to $249K (2019). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $234K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Family Services Seattle, WA | General Support | $125,000 |
| Artsfund Seattle, WA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Givebutter Wilmington, DE | General Support | $10,599 |
| Temple Hirsch Sinai Seattle, WA | General Support | $10,300 |
| Dykkg San Jose, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Seattle, WA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Development in Gardening Atlanta, GA | General Support | $5,181 |
| Inspire Washington Seattle, WA | General Support | $5,175 |
| Recovery CAF Seattle, WA | General Support | $5,139 |
| Uw Kuow Fund Seattle, WA | General Support | $5,084 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $240,515 | $460,875 | $296,846 | $233,734 | 27 | $263,030 | $384,835 | $44,301 |
| 2024 | $76,486 | $119,314 | $178,783 | $121,223 | 27 | $145,363 | $93,011 | $50,499 |
| 2023 | $135,955 | $243,510 | $251,019 | $187,945 | 22 | $217,422 | $212,927 | $49,050 |
| 2022 | $161,690 | $98,013 | $160,749 | $156,805 | 24 | $157,130 | $94,284 | $60,824 |
| 2021 | $205,733 | $62,716 | $215,470 | $203,130 | 36 | — | $53,158 | $55,877 |
| 2019 | $325,622 | $113,936 | $254,282 | $248,700 | 1 | — | $110,136 | $39,432 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bernstein Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $44K for 2025 — 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 available in the provided information. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, ArtsFund says it strengthens the community by supporting the arts through leadership, advocacy, and grantmaking. Unleash the Brilliance says it works to reduce at-risk behaviors and increase school attendance and graduation rates. Development in Gardening says it teaches marginalized communities to grow regenerative gardens to improve nutrition and livelihoods.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 27 grants totaling $233,734. Grant amounts ranged from $52 to $125,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest grants were $125,000 to Jewish Family Services in Seattle, $25,000 to ArtsFund in Seattle, $10,599 to Givebutter in Wilmington, Delaware, and $10,300 to Temple Hirsch Sinai in Seattle. Each was reported for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael H. Bernstein as trustee.
The Bernstein Family Foundation is led by Michael H. Bernstein, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael H. Bernstein
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 The Bernstein Family Foundation
How much does The Bernstein Family Foundation give each year?
The Bernstein Family Foundation gave $234K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $121K across 27 grants.
What is The Bernstein Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Bernstein Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $8,657, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Bernstein Family Foundation give grants?
The Bernstein Family Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (12 grants).
Does The Bernstein Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Bernstein Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Bernstein Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Bernstein Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Family Services ($125,000), Artsfund ($25,000) and Givebutter ($10,599), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Bernstein Family Foundation?
The Bernstein Family Foundation reported $241K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $263K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $44K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bernstein Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is available in the provided information. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, ArtsFund says it strengthens the community by supporting the arts through leadership, advocacy, and grantmaking. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bernstein Family 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 The Bernstein Family Foundation's EIN?
The Bernstein Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3414152. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Bernstein 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 15, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Bernstein Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Bernstein Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bernstein-family-foundation-morg_2f393a17bc114b9fab51d8dea7c29467
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133414152_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Bernstein Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bernstein-family-foundation-morg_2f393a17bc114b9fab51d8dea7c29467},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 The Bernstein 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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