The Sterling Donor Advised Fund
The Sterling Donor Advised Fund is a public charity based in Reston, Virginia. Formed in 2009, it reports that it educates the general public and nonprofit organizations to encourage charitable giving in forms beneficial to nonprofit charitable organizations.
The Sterling Donor Advised Fund at a glance
In short: The Sterling Donor Advised Fund gave $1.8M across 39 grants in 2024 (avg $46K), top state Utah. 62% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,812,250
- +8.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 39
- +21.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $46,468
- -11.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $55,872,345
- +14.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (24 of 39, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Utah (33% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Sterling Donor Advised Fund
- Contact
Mailing address: 12030 Sunrise Valley Drive 450, Reston, VA 20191
Phone: (703) 437-9720
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sterling Donor Advised Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Roots of Humanity Foundation ($600K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 85 grants of 113 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Utah (33%), Virginia (14%), California (13%), Washington (12%), and New Jersey (9%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Sterling Donor Advised Fund open to new grantees?
62%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 24 of 39 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $73K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $25K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $364K (2022) to $2.4M (2021). In 2024 it made 39 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Roots of Humanity Foundation Lehi, UT | King & Diane Husein Sphere of Light | $600,000 |
| Young America's Foundation Reston, VA | For the meese family student sponsorship fund, to sponor student participation in young America's foundation ("yaf") conferences | $170,000 |
| Chehalis Foundation Chehalis, WA | Student Achievement Initiative (Sai) | $100,000 |
| Discover Children's Museum Chehalis, WA | General Support | $100,000 |
| St John the Evangelist Lambertville, NJ | Annual Parish Donation | $100,000 |
| Diocese of Metuchen-Bishop's Annual Appeal Foundation Metuchen, NJ | General Support | $70,000 |
| Junior State of America Oakland, CA | General Support | $55,000 |
| Best Buddies Miami, FL | General Support | $50,000 |
| Central Fund of Israel Cedarhurst, NY | Keren Hayesod - United Israel Appeal | $50,000 |
| The Stanford Jewish Center Palo Alto, CA | To support the building of the stanford jewish center | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $55,872,345 | $8,527,331 | $2,545,923 | $1,812,250 | 39 | $2,634,651 |
| 2023 | $48,616,353 | $7,586,212 | $2,273,649 | $1,671,483 | 32 | $2,144,957 |
| 2022 | $42,134,907 | $7,377,009 | $748,587 | $363,700 | 16 | $560,607 |
| 2021 | $38,439,728 | $17,142,136 | $2,465,705 | $2,413,970 | 12 | $2,572,914 |
| 2020 | $23,434,687 | $3,886,730 | $2,268,983 | $2,151,419 | 14 | $1,319,231 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund’s stated mission is to educate the general public and nonprofit organizations to encourage charitable giving in forms beneficial to nonprofit charitable organizations. Its program description repeats that mission.
The grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Roots of Humanity Foundation describes its work as celebrating light, connecting people, and cultivating peace through art, story, and education. Young America’s Foundation says it seeks to inspire young people with ideas including individual freedom, free enterprise, and traditional values. The Chehalis Foundation says it supports education, public works, and cultural and charitable pursuits in the Chehalis community. Best Buddies describes its work as creating opportunities for friendship, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Other 2024 recipients include organizations whose stated missions concern health and Duchenne muscular dystrophy research, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history and culture, and charities in Israel.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the fund reported 39 grants totaling $1,812,250. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $600,000, with a median grant of $20,000.
The largest reported grant was $600,000 to Roots of Humanity Foundation for the “King & Diane Husein Sphere of Light.” Other large grants included $170,000 to Young America’s Foundation for a student sponsorship fund supporting participation in its conferences; $100,000 each to the Chehalis Foundation for its Student Achievement Initiative, Discover Children’s Museum for general support, and St John the Evangelist for an annual parish donation; and $70,000 to the Diocese of Metuchen-Bishop’s Annual Appeal Foundation for general support.
Other listed grants included $55,000 to Junior State of America for general support; $50,000 each to Best Buddies for general support, Central Fund of Israel for Keren Hayesod–United Israel Appeal, and The Stanford Jewish Center for its building; and $30,000 to Kehillat Ma'alav for the Rabbi Gotlieb Discretionary Fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James Lintott as president, Roger Silk as secretary, and Paul Beckner as treasurer.
The Sterling Donor Advised Fund is led by James Lintott, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James Lintott
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Beckner
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roger Silk
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Sterling Donor Advised Fund
How much does The Sterling Donor Advised Fund give each year?
The Sterling Donor Advised Fund gave $1.8M across 39 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.7M across 32 grants.
What is The Sterling Donor Advised Fund's typical grant size?
The Sterling Donor Advised Fund's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $46,468, across 39 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sterling Donor Advised Fund that year got $30K on average.
Where does The Sterling Donor Advised Fund give grants?
The Sterling Donor Advised Fund's top state is Utah, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Virginia (14%) and California (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (4 grants), Reston, VA (3 grants), Chehalis, WA (2 grants) and Reno, NV (2 grants).
Does The Sterling Donor Advised Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 56% of The Sterling Donor Advised Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 39) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are The Sterling Donor Advised Fund's largest grantees?
The Sterling Donor Advised Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Roots of Humanity Foundation ($600,000), Young America's Foundation ($170,000) and Chehalis Foundation ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Sterling Donor Advised Fund?
The Sterling Donor Advised Fund reported $55.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $8.5M.
What does The Sterling Donor Advised Fund fund?
The fund’s stated mission is to educate the general public and nonprofit organizations to encourage charitable giving in forms beneficial to nonprofit charitable organizations. Its program description repeats that mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sterling Donor Advised Fund?
The Sterling Donor Advised Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check sterlingfoundations.com for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Sterling Donor Advised Fund's EIN?
The Sterling Donor Advised Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-0418124. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Sterling Donor Advised Fund funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Sterling Donor Advised Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sterling Donor Advised Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sterling-donor-advised-fund-morg_5c13fbd8bd98479a945d3645b2243273
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_270418124_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sterling Donor Advised Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sterling-donor-advised-fund-morg_5c13fbd8bd98479a945d3645b2243273},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Sterling Donor Advised Fund'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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