The Joyce C Stern Foundation
The Joyce C Stern Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations working in areas including education, Jewish community and cultural life, animal welfare, and disability-related services.
The Joyce C Stern Foundation at a glance
In short: The Joyce C Stern Foundation gave $308K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in New York. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $308,000
- -33.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $30,800
- -0.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $16,000
- Total assets
- $3,620,592
- +13.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (3 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (79% 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 Joyce C 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: 755 West End Avenue 10A, New York, NY 10025
Phone: (212) 940-6491
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Joyce C Stern Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Heschel School ($150K). Together the top 10 received $308K.
Grant Size Distribution
49 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 49 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 12% to Pennsylvania, 6% to New Jersey, and 3% to Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Joyce C Stern Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 10 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $40K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 83% 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 (2019–2025). 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 $96K (2019) to $464K (2024). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $308K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Heschel School New York, NY | To aid the organization in fostering critical thinking and a love of learning in an environment of intellectual challenge and academic excellence. | $150,000 |
| Maccabi USA Philadelphia, PA | To aid the organization in builidng jewish pride through sports and promoting support for israel, zionism and jewish continuity through athletic, educational and cultural experiences for participants of all ages. | $36,000 |
| Central Fund of Israel Cedarhurst, NY | To aid the organization in supporting over 500 vetted charitable organizations each working to strengthen communities, uplift live and build the land of israel. | $35,000 |
| ASPCA New York, NY | To aid in putting an end to animal abuse and neglect. | $25,000 |
| All 4 the Dogs Rescue Lawrenceville, NJ | To aid the organization to save as many dogs as possible by working with several local and out of state shelters and rescues. | $20,000 |
| Guide Dog Foundation Smithtown, NY | To aid the organization in providing guide dogs and training - free of charge - to people who were blind or have low vision. | $12,000 |
| Chabad Lubavitch of the West New York, NY | To promote the teachings and lessons of the seven rabbis of the hasidic jews. | $10,000 |
| The Buoniconti Fund Miami, FL | To aid the organization in finding a cure for paralysis resulting from spinal cord injury and to seeing millions worldwide walk again. | $10,000 |
| Congregation Shearith Israel New York, NY | To promote America's first jewish congregation and help individuals explore the beauty and vitality of jewish and American culture. | $5,000 |
| Shefa School New York, NY | To aid the organization in supporting and maintaining a jewish community day school in manhattan serving students in grade k-8 who benefit from a specialized educational environment in order to develop their strengths while addressing their learning challenges. | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Joyce C Stern Foundation?
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 | $3,620,592 | $873,400 | $452,828 | $308,000 | 10 | $353,000 | $774,555 | $425,680 |
| 2024 | $3,200,020 | $711,913 | $577,711 | $464,395 | 15 | $509,395 | $644,392 | $394,657 |
| 2023 | $3,065,818 | $114,702 | $272,600 | $160,300 | 6 | $205,300 | $48,026 | $377,010 |
| 2022 | $3,223,716 | $480,772 | $467,679 | $345,860 | 12 | $391,110 | $404,203 | $402,143 |
| 2021 | $3,210,623 | $300,662 | $428,049 | $311,500 | 6 | — | $233,778 | $417,996 |
| 2020 | $3,338,010 | $194,155 | $475,223 | $364,500 | 13 | — | $140,217 | $353,088 |
| 2019 | $3,619,078 | $381,555 | $212,716 | $96,080 | 7 | — | $328,426 | $336,866 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Joyce C Stern Foundation reported a distributable amount of $426K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Shefa School describes its mission as serving children with language-based learning disabilities by building on their strengths and helping them address learning challenges. Maccabi USA says it builds Jewish pride through sports and promotes support for Israel, Zionism, and Jewish continuity. Central Fund of Israel says it was established to help donations reach charities in Israel.
Other 2025 grantees included organizations whose stated purposes included ending animal abuse and neglect, training guide dogs for people who are blind or have low vision, and advancing a cure for paralysis resulting from spinal cord injury.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $308,000 through 10 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $150,000, with a median grant of $16,000.
The largest grants were $150,000 to Heschel School, $36,000 to Maccabi USA, and $35,000 to Central Fund of Israel. Other grants included $25,000 to ASPCA, $20,000 to All 4 the Dogs Rescue, and $12,000 to Guide Dog Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joyce C Herlands as president, Tiffany Herlands as treasurer, and Ronny Barnea as secretary.
The Joyce C Stern Foundation is led by Joyce C. Herlands, President on every filing since 2019; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joyce C. Herlands
President
On filings since 2019
8 hrs/week
$15K (2019) → $15K (2025)
Ronny Barnea
Secretary
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$15K (2019) → $15K (2025)
Tiffany Herlands
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
8 hrs/week
$15K (2019) → $15K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $15K, to Joyce C Herlands (President). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Joyce C Stern Foundation
How much does The Joyce C Stern Foundation give each year?
The Joyce C Stern Foundation gave $308K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $464K across 15 grants.
What is The Joyce C Stern Foundation's typical grant size?
The Joyce C Stern Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $16,000, and its average grant was $30,800, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Joyce C Stern Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does The Joyce C Stern Foundation give grants?
The Joyce C Stern Foundation gives mostly in New York: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (12%) and New Jersey (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants).
Does The Joyce C Stern Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on The Joyce C Stern Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Joyce C Stern Foundation's largest grantees?
The Joyce C Stern Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Heschel School ($150,000), Maccabi USA ($36,000) and Central Fund of Israel ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Joyce C Stern Foundation?
The Joyce C Stern Foundation reported $3.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $353K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $426K (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 Joyce C Stern Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Shefa School describes its mission as serving children with language-based learning disabilities by building on their strengths and helping them address learning challenges. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Joyce C 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 Joyce C Stern Foundation's EIN?
The Joyce C Stern Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4435816. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Joyce C 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 19, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 19, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 2, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Joyce C Stern Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Joyce C Stern Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-joyce-c-stern-foundation-morg_fe7a37377e0e4ef98c87fc52218dbbc2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_204435816_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Joyce C Stern Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-joyce-c-stern-foundation-morg_fe7a37377e0e4ef98c87fc52218dbbc2},
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 Joyce C 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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