The John Paul Stevens Foundation is a public charity based in Berkeley, California. It supports law students pursuing otherwise unpaid summer public interest law internships through the Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship Program, which provides financial support, professional development, and networking opportunities.
Key facts about The John Paul Stevens Foundation
In short: The John Paul Stevens Foundation gave $855K across 35 grants in 2025 (avg $24K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 27-2556295
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $855,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 35
- Average grant
- $24,429
- Median grant
- $24,000
- Total assets
- $2,816,369
- Primary geography
- California (15% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Students should contact the public interest or career services center at a participating law school. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- Application deadlines and selection processes take place in the spring at most participating schools.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$2.8M
-17.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$855K
+492.7% YoY
Grant Count
35
+191.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$24K
+103.2% YoY
How The John Paul Stevens Foundation gives
- 26% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to protect and promote democracy and the rule of law, access to justice, and equality by supporting law students, lawyers, and others working in the public interest. Its fellowship program supports students completing full-time, unpaid summer public interest law internships with governmental agencies or nonprofit organizations.
The Foundation gives grants to law schools and nonprofit partners to support fellowships. For example, the UCLA Foundation, which received a 2025 grant, describes itself as UCLA’s giving, receiving, and investing arm, enabling private donors to support the university. Seattle University, also a 2025 recipient, describes its mission as educating the whole person, fostering professional formation, and empowering leaders for a just and humane world.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Foundation reported 35 grants totaling $855,000. Grants ranged from $12,000 to $42,000, with a median of $24,000. The largest listed grant was $42,000 to the University of Florida Foundation for Public Interest Fellowships. Other grants of $36,000 for that purpose went to Emory University School of Law, Fordham University School of Law, the Regents of the University of Minnesota, the Regents of the University of California at Davis, the Regents of the University of Michigan, the UCLA Foundation, the University of Washington Law School, the University of Oklahoma Foundation, and Washington University School of Law. The DC School of Law Foundation and FAMU Foundation each received $24,000 for Public Interest Fellowships.
Review Cycle
Application deadlines and selection processes take place in the spring at most participating schools.
Ready to take the next step with The John Paul Stevens Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s participating schools are located across the United States. In 2025, the largest reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were California (15%), the District of Columbia (9%), Georgia (8%), Florida (8%), and New York (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $23K (2021) to $875K (2022). In 2025 it made 35 grants totaling $855K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Florida Fdn ($42K). Together the top 10 received $366K.
Grant Size Distribution
83 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 82 grants of 83 (99%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Florida Fdn Gainesville, FL | Public Interest Fellowships | $42,000 |
| Emory Univ School of Law Atlanta, GA | Public Interest Fellowships | $36,000 |
| Fordham Univ School of Law Bronx, NY | Public Interest Fellowships | $36,000 |
| Regents of the University MN Minneapolis, MN | Public Interest Fellowships | $36,000 |
| Regents of Univ of CA Davis Davis, CA | Public Interest Fellowships | $36,000 |
| Regents of University of MI Ann Arbor, MI | Public Interest Fellowships | $36,000 |
| UCLA Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Public Interest Fellowships | $36,000 |
| Uni of Washington Law School Seattle, WA | Public Interest Fellowships | $36,000 |
| University of Oklahoma Fdn Norman, OK | Public Interest Fellowships | $36,000 |
| Washington Univ School of Law St. Louis, MO | Public Interest Fellowships | $36,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,816,369 | $554,375 | $1,499,579 | $855,000 (35 grants) |
| 2024 | $3,399,176 | $1,779,500 | $685,068 | $144,250 (12 grants) |
| 2023 | $2,676,544 | $1,838,359 | $629,344 | $288,000 (9 grants) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,816,369 | $3,399,176 | $2,676,544 |
| Revenue | $554,375 | $1,779,500 | $1,838,359 |
| Expenses | $1,499,579 | $685,068 | $629,344 |
| Net Investment Income | $94,301 | $15,177 | $1,991 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 27, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jenny Chung Mejia as Interim Executive Director; Sara Woods as Executive Director; Teresa Roseborough as President; Aaron Zelinsky as Treasurer; and Douglas Winthrop as Secretary. Directors listed are Hannah Mullen, Jamal Greene, Joseph Thai, Katherine Shaw, and Kenneth Manaster.
The John Paul Stevens Foundation is led by Jenny Chung Mejia, Interim Executive Director on every filing since 2024; 2 of 15 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jenny Chung Mejia
Interim Executive Director
On filings since 2024
8 hrs/week
$116K (2024) → $163K (2025)
Sara Woods
Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
8 hrs/week
$25K (2025)
Teresa Roseborough
President
Director → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Yu
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Stevens Mullen
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hannah Mullen
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jamal Greene
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Thai
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Shaw
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kenneth Manaster
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leondra Kruger
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Sloan
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Skip Paul
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Douglas Winthrop
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Zelinsky
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer & Director, 2022
Treasurer & Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Julia R Wilson (2020–2024) — Executive Director
- Former: Lawrence Marshall (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: David Friedman (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Charles S Paul (2020–2022) — Treasurer & Director
- Former: Ken Manaster (2020) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $163K, to Jenny Chung Mejia (Interim ED). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 127 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710
Phone: (415) 684-8576
Website: https://jpstevensfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about The John Paul Stevens Foundation
How much does The John Paul Stevens Foundation give each year?
The John Paul Stevens Foundation gave $855K across 35 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $144K across 12 grants.
What is The John Paul Stevens Foundation's typical grant size?
The John Paul Stevens Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $24,000, and its average grant was $24,429, across 35 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does The John Paul Stevens Foundation give grants?
The John Paul Stevens Foundation's top state is California, with 15% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were District of Columbia (9%) and Georgia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants), Atlanta, GA (2 grants), Los Angeles, CA (2 grants) and Seattle, WA (2 grants).
Does The John Paul Stevens Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 35 grants with a stated purpose on The John Paul Stevens Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public Interest Fellowships" (35 grants).
Who are The John Paul Stevens Foundation's largest grantees?
The John Paul Stevens Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Florida Fdn ($42,000), Emory Univ School of Law ($36,000) and Fordham Univ School of Law ($36,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The John Paul Stevens Foundation?
The John Paul Stevens Foundation reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $554K.
What does The John Paul Stevens Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to protect and promote democracy and the rule of law, access to justice, and equality by supporting law students, lawyers, and others working in the public interest. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The John Paul Stevens Foundation?
Students should contact the public interest or career services center at a participating law school. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The John Paul Stevens Foundation's EIN?
The John Paul Stevens Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2556295. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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