The Dianne & David Stern Foundation
The Dianne & David Stern Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2026 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including a university, environmental and wildlife organizations, a food-access organization, arts organizations, and a Jewish community organization.
The Dianne & David Stern Foundation at a glance
In short: The Dianne & David Stern Foundation gave $657K across 33 grants in 2026 (avg $20K), mostly in New York. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $656,500
- +8.2% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 33
- +6.5% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $19,894
- +1.6% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $11,176,034
- -1.8% vs 2025
- Primary geography
- New York (71% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Dianne & David 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: Eisner Advisory Group 733 Third Av, New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 949-8700
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Dianne & David Stern Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Columbia University ($280K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $580K.
Grant Size Distribution
70 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 70 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2026, 71% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 9% to California, 5% to Washington, DC, and 4% to Florida. The recipient state for a further 9% was not identified.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Dianne & David Stern Foundation gives
- 88% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving fell 49% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 46% 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 (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 2020 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2022) to $2.8M (2024). In 2026 it made 33 grants totaling $657K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia University New York, NY | General Support | $275,000 |
| Earthjustice San Francisco, CA | General Support | $60,000 |
| Ecojustice Canada Society | General Support | $60,000 |
| Feeding Westchester Elmsford, NY | General Support | $50,000 |
| Jazz at Lincoln Center New York, NY | General Support | $30,000 |
| UJA Federation of New York New York, NY | General Support | $30,000 |
| Forest Animal Rescue Silver Springs, FL | General Support | $25,000 |
| The Wilderness Society Washington, DC | General Support | $15,000 |
| Wnetthirteen New York, NY | General Support | $15,000 |
| World Wildlife Fund Washington, DC | General Support | $15,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $11,176,034 | $499,584 | $699,040 | $656,500 | 33 | $670,793 | $471,337 | $1,451,818 |
| 2025 | $11,375,490 | $695,301 | $678,359 | $607,000 | 31 | $615,042 | $679,558 | $1,272,292 |
| 2024 | $11,358,548 | $1,433,923 | $2,786,475 | $2,775,000 | 3 | $2,778,938 | $2,748,791 | $1,161,818 |
| 2023 | $12,711,100 | $667,902 | $1,285,230 | $1,275,000 | 2 | $1,278,523 | $754,074 | $1,215,560 |
| 2022 | $13,328,428 | $230,293 | $108,803 | $25,000 | 1 | $31,700 | $220,213 | $1,372,557 |
| 2021 | $13,206,938 | $2,433,452 | $2,720,026 | $2,704,500 | 29 | — | $3,174,194 | $1,103,720 |
| 2020 | $13,493,512 | $1,286,040 | $125,280 | $119,500 | 9 | — | $387,081 | $860,343 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Dianne & David Stern Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M 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 show support for organizations working in areas including environmental protection, food access, jazz and the performing arts, wildlife conservation, and animal welfare. For example, Earthjustice describes its work as using law and partnerships to protect health, places, and wildlife, advance clean energy, and combat climate change. Feeding Westchester says it leads hunger-action programs and mobilizes resources to eradicate hunger in Westchester County. Jazz at Lincoln Center describes its mission as entertaining, enriching, and expanding a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy.
Other 2026 recipients include the World Wildlife Fund, which says its mission is to conserve nature and reduce threats to life on Earth; The Wilderness Society, which works to protect America’s public lands; and Farm Sanctuary, which pursues solutions to end animal agriculture and promote compassionate vegan living.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the foundation reported 33 grants totaling $656,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $275,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed awards were $275,000 to Columbia University, $60,000 each to Earthjustice and Ecojustice Canada Society, and $50,000 to Feeding Westchester. Other notable grants included $30,000 each to Jazz at Lincoln Center and UJA Federation of New York, and $25,000 to Forest Animal Rescue. The listed grants were for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Dianne B. Stern and Eric A. Stern as trustees.
The Dianne & David Stern Foundation's 2026 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Dianne B. Stern
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eric A. Stern
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: David J. Stern (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "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 The Dianne & David Stern Foundation
How much does The Dianne & David Stern Foundation give each year?
The Dianne & David Stern Foundation gave $657K across 33 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $607K across 31 grants.
What is The Dianne & David Stern Foundation's typical grant size?
The Dianne & David Stern Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $5,000, and its average grant was $19,894, across 33 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Dianne & David Stern Foundation give grants?
The Dianne & David Stern Foundation gives mostly in New York: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (9%) and District of Columbia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants) and Scarsdale, NY (4 grants).
Does The Dianne & David Stern Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Dianne & David Stern Foundation's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (33 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Dianne & David Stern Foundation's largest grantees?
The Dianne & David Stern Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Columbia University ($280,000 across 2 grants), Earthjustice ($60,000) and Ecojustice Canada Society ($60,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is The Dianne & David Stern Foundation?
The Dianne & David Stern Foundation reported $11.2M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $671K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (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 The Dianne & David Stern Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2026 grants show support for organizations working in areas including environmental protection, food access, jazz and the performing arts, wildlife conservation, and animal welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Dianne & David 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 The Dianne & David Stern Foundation's EIN?
The Dianne & David Stern Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1598679. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.
Does The Dianne & David 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS June 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Dianne & David Stern Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-dianne-and-david-stern-foundation-morg_17a66e55cb3a4cc78e77f91a6d6caac9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261598679_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Dianne \& David Stern Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-dianne-and-david-stern-foundation-morg_17a66e55cb3a4cc78e77f91a6d6caac9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Dianne & David 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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