Thomas D & Denise R Stern Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation accepts requests only from charitable organisations it has preselected and does not accept unsolicited requests, so an organisation it does not already know should not send a cold proposal.
- Its grants have chiefly gone to organisations associated with Israel, with some support for Jewish communal and educational groups, so that is the clearest fit the filing shows, though this comes from its grants rather than from a stated foundation focus.
- Its median grant was $18,000, so a modest request fits best, and in its latest filing 98% of grant dollars to organisations went to recipients it had funded in earlier filings, which suggests a relationship-led route.
- The filing states no deadlines or programme framework, so timing should not be planned around.
- Grants are mainly in New York and Washington, but no geographic focus is stated, so that describes where it has given, not who may apply.
Overview
Thomas D & Denise R Stern Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The recorded grants chiefly go to charitable organisations associated with Israel, with additional support for Jewish communal and educational organisations and other nonprofit recipients. A substantial share recurs among the same recipients; all of the listed grant purposes are described simply as charitable. Grants are recorded across several states, with the largest shares going to recipients in New York and Washington. The application information says that contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations and unsolicited requests are not accepted. The filings do not state a broader set of eligible applicants, a programme framework or a more specific funding agenda.
Themes
From its grants, not stated by the foundation:
- Jewish causes
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York and Washington.
How to apply
Contributions are limited to preselected charitable organisations; unsolicited requests are not accepted.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 98% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 24 grants to organisations were $18,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 67% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to organisations Thomas D & Denise R Stern Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 68% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 9 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $10,000 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Birthright Israel Foundation · Charitable$1,000,0002025 tax year
- Brothers for Life · Charitable$400,0002025 tax year
- Chabad at Dartmouth · Charitable$35,0002025 tax year
- International Lone Soldiers · Charitable$10,0002025 tax year
- Stacy Joy Goodman Memorial Fund · Charitable$10,0002025 tax year
- Dartmouth Engineering · Charitable$10,0002025 tax year
- American Friends of Israeli Navy SEALs · Charitable$10,0002025 tax year
- Program Foundation · Charitable$10,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Denise R Stern — Trustee
- Thomas D Stern — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $1,669,637 | $1,535,000 | $16,092,958 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,645,930 | $1,483,000 | $18,230,553 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $1,654,193 | $1,490,000 | $22,112,190 | Filing for 2025 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Thomas D & Denise R Stern Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- New York, NY
Applying to Thomas D & Denise R Stern Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY