The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb
The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb is a private foundation based in Berkeley, California. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations across a range of causes, including food assistance, education, health, media, legal services, and humanitarian aid.
The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb at a glance
In short: The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb gave $65K across 29 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state California. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $65,000
- +3.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- -9.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,241
- +13.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $653,751
- +3.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (8 of 29, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (45% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb
- Contact
Application contact: Lisa Sternlieb
Mailing address: 111 Gravatt Drive, Berkeley, CA 94705
Phone: (510) 368-0175
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Kilung Foundation ($5K). Together the top 10 received $36K.
Grant Size Distribution
150 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 150 grants of 150 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 45% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 19% to recipients in Washington, DC, 8% to Washington state, 6% to Minnesota, and 5% to Maryland. These figures describe the locations of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 29 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 62% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 75% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $54K (2021) to $65K (2025). In 2025 it made 29 grants totaling $65K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kilung Foundation Langley, WA | For the Use by the Donee Organization | $5,000 |
| Save the Children Washington, DC | For the Use by the Donee Organization | $5,000 |
| African Schools of Kenya Santa Barbara, CA | For the Use by the Donee Organization | $4,000 |
| Kqed Inc City of Industry, CA | For the Use by the Donee Organization | $4,000 |
| Project Angel Food Los Angeles, CA | For the Use by the Donee Organization | $3,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Washington, DC | For the Use by the Donee Organization | $3,000 |
| US Holocaust Memorial Museum Annapolis Junction, MD | For the Use by the Donee Organization | $3,000 |
| St Judes Childrens Hospital Memphis, TN | For the Use by the Donee Organization | $3,000 |
| Berkeley Food Pantry Berkeley, CA | For the Use by the Donee Organization | $3,000 |
| Feeding America Washington, DC | For the Use by the Donee Organization | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb?
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 | $653,751 | $116,183 | $97,236 | $65,000 | 29 | $65,000 | $87,997 | $86,890 |
| 2024 | $634,804 | $91,033 | $92,235 | $63,000 | 32 | $63,000 | $91,033 | $77,555 |
| 2023 | $636,006 | $50,953 | $82,680 | $60,000 | 30 | $60,000 | $30,798 | $59,677 |
| 2022 | $667,733 | $16,803 | $84,436 | $59,250 | 33 | $59,250 | — | $58,914 |
| 2021 | $735,366 | $145,035 | $77,723 | $54,000 | 26 | $54,000 | $123,562 | $62,627 |
| 2020 | $668,054 | $-67,072 | $75,388 | $56,000 | 37 | — | — | $50,654 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb reported a distributable amount of $87K 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 provided. Its 2025 grants include organizations whose own descriptions illustrate the range of its giving: Project Angel Food says it works to improve health and fight food insecurity through medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling; Seva Foundation says it partners worldwide to preserve and restore sight; and Oasis Legal Services says it provides legal representation and social services to low-income LGBTQ+ immigrants who have survived violence or persecution.
Other 2025 recipients include KQED, which describes its work as providing community-supported media and supporting students and teachers; Children & Nature Network, whose stated aim is equitable access to nature for children; Direct Relief, which describes itself as a humanitarian aid organization; and Hospice of Santa Barbara, which provides support to people facing life-threatening illness and those grieving a loss.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 29 grants totaling $65,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $5,000, with a median of $2,000. Among the larger awards were $5,000 each to Kilung Foundation and Save the Children; $4,000 each to African Schools of Kenya and KQED; and $3,000 each to Project Angel Food, Planned Parenthood, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and Berkeley Food Pantry.
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. How to apply: Send a letter on the organization’s letterhead indicating the purpose of the request. Awards are restricted to charitable organizations. Deadline: None.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Beth Sternlieb Marshall, Lisa Sternlieb, and Toby Sternlieb as directors.
The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Beth Sternlieb Marshall
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Lisa Sternlieb
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Toby Sternlieb
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Jean and Alvin Sternlieb
How much does The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb give each year?
The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb gave $65K across 29 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $63K across 32 grants.
What is The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb's typical grant size?
The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,241, across 29 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb give grants?
The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb's top state is California, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (19%) and Washington (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (5 grants), Santa Barbara, CA (5 grants), Berkeley, CA (3 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 29 grants with a stated purpose on The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "For the Use by the Donee Organization" (29 grants).
Who are The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb's largest grantees?
The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb's largest 2025 grantees include Kilung Foundation ($5,000), Save the Children ($5,000) and African Schools of Kenya ($4,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb?
The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb reported $654K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $65K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $87K (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 Jean and Alvin Sternlieb fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb?
The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb's EIN?
The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4852744. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 16, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 17, 2026)
Live grants for the work The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-jean-and-alvin-sternlieb-morg_aa4f166033d04b3c94750efce74b3579
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954852744_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Jean and Alvin Sternlieb funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-jean-and-alvin-sternlieb-morg_aa4f166033d04b3c94750efce74b3579},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Jean and Alvin Sternlieb'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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