The Sterling Donor Advised Fund
The Sterling Donor Advised Fund is a public charity based in Reston, Virginia. Its 2024 filing describes its mission as educating the general public and nonprofit organizations to encourage charitable giving that benefits nonprofit charitable organizations.
Key facts about The Sterling Donor Advised Fund
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.
- EIN
- 27-0418124
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,812,250
- Grants made (2024)
- 39
- Average grant
- $46,468
- Median grant
- $20,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (24 of 39, 2024)
- Total assets
- $55,872,345
- Primary geography
- Utah (33% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$55.9M
+14.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.8M
+8.4% YoY
Grant Count
39
+21.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$46K
-11.0% YoY
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.
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 2024 grants went to 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 describes itself as a youth outreach organization promoting individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values. Other recipients included organizations whose stated missions involve health, medical research, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history and culture, and opera training.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the fund made 39 grants totaling $1,812,250. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $600,000, with a median of $20,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund is based in Reston, Virginia. Among its 2024 grant dollars, the largest recipient-state shares were 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
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.
Grant Insights
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%).
Giving History
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 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $55,872,345 | $8,527,331 | $2,545,923 | $1,812,250 |
| 2023 | $48,616,353 | $7,586,212 | $2,273,649 | $1,671,483 |
| 2022 | $42,134,907 | $7,377,009 | $748,587 | $363,700 |
The 2024 filing reports 39 grants; the 2023 and 2022 filings report 32 and 16 grants, respectively.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $55,872,345 | $48,616,353 | $42,134,907 |
| Revenue | $8,527,331 | $7,586,212 | $7,377,009 |
| Expenses | $2,545,923 | $2,273,649 | $748,587 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,634,651 | $2,144,957 | $560,607 |
Data update history
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
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 12030 Sunrise Valley Drive 450, Reston, VA 20191
Phone: (703) 437-9720
Website: https://sterlingfoundations.com
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. 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 September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching The Sterling Donor Advised Fund by hand.
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