The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family
The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family is a private foundation based in Santa Barbara, California. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including local health care and cultural organizations, as well as organizations in other states.
Key facts about The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family
In short: The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family gave $209K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in California. 3% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 23-6420229
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $208,750
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- Average grant
- $5,493
- Median grant
- $1,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 3% first-time grantees (1 of 38, 2025)
- Total assets
- $1,543,041
- Primary geography
- California (79% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). 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-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.5M
-2.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$209K
-20.3% YoY
Grant Count
38
+31.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5K
-39.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family reported a distributable amount of $94K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family open to new grantees?
3%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 38 grantees (3%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 222% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as health care, music education and performance, botanical conservation, and other charitable activities. For example, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital describes its mission as providing health care and improving community health; the Music Academy of the West says it provides educational and performance experiences for classically trained musicians and diverse audiences. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden says it works to conserve native plants and habitats.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 38 grants totaling $208,750. Grants ranged from $250 to $50,000, with a median of $1,000. Its largest grants were $50,000 each to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and the Music Academy of the West, both in Santa Barbara. Other notable grants included $30,000 to Sansum Clinic for its endocrinology department, $11,000 to Germantown Academy, and $10,000 each to the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, OphthalmicEdge Inc, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
How to Apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Ready to take the next step with The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California organizations received 79% of grant dollars. Other reported recipient-state shares were New York (6%), Pennsylvania (6%), Massachusetts (5%), and Colorado (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 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 $188K (2023) to $262K (2024). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $209K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Music Academy of the West ($50K). Together the top 10 received $181K.
Grant Size Distribution
136 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 126 grants of 136 (93%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Music Academy of the West Santa Barbara, CA | Provide General Funding | $50,000 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Santa Barbara, CA | Provide General Funding | $50,000 |
| Sansum Clinic Santa Barbara, CA | To Support the Endocrinology Department | $30,000 |
| Germantown Academy Fort Washington, PA | Provide General Funding | $11,000 |
| Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | Provide General Funding | $10,000 |
| Ophthalmicedge Inc New York, NY | Provide General Funding | $10,000 |
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole, MA | Provide General Funding | $10,000 |
| California Pacific Medical Center Foundation Sacramento, CA | To Support Living Donor Kidney program | $5,000 |
| Ganna Walska Lotusland Santa Barbara, CA | Provide General Funding | $2,500 |
| World Class Accessibility Foundation Vail, CO | Provide General Funding | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,543,041 | $190,003 | $223,127 | $208,750 | 38 |
| 2024 | $1,576,165 | $241,764 | $292,099 | $262,000 | 29 |
| 2023 | $1,626,500 | $139,892 | $210,583 | $187,500 | 25 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,543,041 | $1,576,165 | $1,626,500 |
| Revenue | $190,003 | $241,764 | $139,892 |
| Expenses | $223,127 | $292,099 | $210,583 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $208,840 | $267,227 | $192,316 |
| Net Investment Income | $49,632 | $62,546 | $32,016 |
| Distributable Amount | $93,863 | $90,777 | $88,799 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Philip L Bernstein as trustee and Leslie S Bernstein as treasurer.
The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Philip L. Bernstein
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leslie S. Bernstein
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
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.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 50740, Santa Barbara, CA 93150-0740
Phone: (805) 565-1411
Frequently asked questions about The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family
How much does The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family give each year?
The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family gave $209K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $262K across 29 grants.
What is The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family's typical grant size?
The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $5,493, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family give grants?
The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family gives mostly in California: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (6%) and Pennsylvania (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (19 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family give general operating support?
Yes: 92% of The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (35 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family's largest grantees?
The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family's largest 2025 grantees include Music Academy of the West ($50,000), Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital ($50,000) and Sansum Clinic ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family?
The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $209K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $94K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as health care, music education and performance, botanical conservation, and other charitable activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family's EIN?
The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-6420229. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Leslie S and Philip L Bernstein Family 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.
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