The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation
The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. In 2024, it made grants for education, animal welfare, community services, and performing arts, and its filing describes a scholarship program for qualifying Vineland High School seniors pursuing agricultural studies.
The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation at a glance
In short: The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation gave $227K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $16K), top state Tennessee. 60% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $226,544
- -86.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- -41.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $16,182
- -77.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $5,463,411
- +7.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 60% first-time grantees (6 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (42% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation
- How to Apply
-
For non-scholarship grants, the filing says to contact Marc I Stern and submit an informal request or letter. For Albert B. Stern Scholarship Awards, applicants must complete the Vineland High School local scholarship application and submit a transcript, a teacher or counselor recommendation, and a statement of no more than 50 words about their interests and career goals and how those goals relate to agriculture. The scholarship is limited to graduating seniors at Vineland High School in Vineland, New Jersey, who plan to study agriculture in college. First preference is for students in agricultural sciences or business and agronomy; students interested in environmental studies or life sciences may also apply. The scholarship is $2,500 per year for up to four years.
- Contact
Application contact: Marc I Stern
Mailing address: 865 S Figueroa St Ste 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (213) 244-0744
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Vanderbilt University ($95K). Together the top 10 received $217K.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($10,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 82 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants reached recipients in several states. By share of grant dollars, Tennessee received 42%, Pennsylvania 22%, California 11%, Colorado 9%, and Massachusetts 4%. The scholarship program is limited to eligible graduating seniors at Vineland High School in Vineland, New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation open to new grantees?
60%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 10 grantees (60%) 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 $24K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 30% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 74% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 91% 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 (2019–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $21K (2019) to $1.7M (2023). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $227K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | Education | $95,044 |
| Dickinson College Carlisle, PA | Education | $50,000 |
| Greater La Zoo Association (Glaza) Los Angeles, CA | Animals Welfare | $15,000 |
| Big Green Denver, CO | Community Services | $11,500 |
| Tuff University Medford, MA | Education | $10,000 |
| Bridge Entertainment Labs Boulder, CO | Education | $10,000 |
| The Kennedy Center - WNO Washington, DC | Performing Arts | $10,000 |
| Channel Island Park Foundation Ventura, CA | Community Services | $5,000 |
| MLK Community Health Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Community Services | $5,000 |
| Opera America New York, NY | Performing Arts | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Marc & Eva 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,463,411 | $538,503 | $254,377 | $226,544 | 14 | $239,643 | $531,303 | $262,561 |
| 2023 | $5,094,061 | $308,349 | $1,763,015 | $1,726,577 | 24 | $1,743,127 | $291,799 | $272,308 |
| 2022 | $6,251,661 | $333,350 | $61,756 | $35,000 | 5 | $44,050 | $324,300 | $286,307 |
| 2021 | $5,979,670 | $463,714 | $895,660 | $864,321 | 17 | $876,165 | $451,869 | $320,377 |
| 2020 | $6,411,610 | $2,316,944 | $1,213,267 | $1,176,592 | 22 | — | $306,060 | $224,657 |
| 2019 | $5,370,895 | $1,392,376 | $49,098 | $21,000 | 7 | — | $915,839 | $185,397 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation reported a distributable amount of $263K for 2024 — 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 is provided. The 2024 grants show support for education, animal welfare, community services, and performing arts.
Grantees describe their work in varied ways. Dickinson College says it provides an interdisciplinary liberal arts and sciences education to prepare students for engaged global citizenship. Big Green says it helps people grow their own food through school- and home-based garden programs, which it connects with nutrition security, mental health, and access to nature. Opera America says it promotes the growth of opera and supports education and development for operatic composers, singers, and other talent.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $226,544. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $95,044, with a median of $7,500. Notable grants included $95,044 to Vanderbilt University for education; $50,000 to Dickinson College for education; $15,000 to the Greater LA Zoo Association for animal welfare; $11,500 to Big Green for community services; and $10,000 each to Tuft University for education, Bridge Entertainment Labs for education, and the Kennedy Center – WNO for performing arts.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Marc I Stern as president, Eva S Stern as vice president, and Jason Oclaray as secretary.
The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation is led by Marc I. Stern, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Marc I. Stern
President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eva S. Stern
Vice President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Oclaray
Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Patricia A. Curtis (2019–2023) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 Marc & Eva Stern Foundation
How much does The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation give each year?
The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation gave $227K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.7M across 24 grants.
What is The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation's typical grant size?
The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $16,182, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation that year got $24K on average.
Where does The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation give grants?
The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation's top state is Tennessee, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (22%) and California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (8 grants) and "Community Services" (3 grants).
Who are The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation's largest grantees?
The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Vanderbilt University ($95,044), Dickinson College ($50,000) and Greater La Zoo Association (Glaza) ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($10,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation?
The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation reported $5.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $240K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $263K (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 Marc & Eva Stern Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants show support for education, animal welfare, community services, and performing arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation?
For non-scholarship grants, the filing says to contact Marc I Stern and submit an informal request or letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation's EIN?
The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0220467. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 5, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Marc & Eva Stern Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-marc-and-eva-stern-foundation-morg_0e8803ca86b54470b0294f4f4a5ccb05
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330220467_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Marc \& Eva Stern Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-marc-and-eva-stern-foundation-morg_0e8803ca86b54470b0294f4f4a5ccb05},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Marc & Eva 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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