The Barry and Mimi Sternlicht Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $2,686,113 (2023)
Total Assets: $53.9 million
Number of Grants: 87 grants (2024)
Grant Range: $1,000 - $250,000
Median Grant: $25,000
Geographic Focus: National (U.S.-focused, with particular emphasis on New York area)
Application Process: No public application process - preselected organizations only

Contact Details

Address: Wilmington, DE

Note: Contact information is not publicly available as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Barry and Mimi Sternlicht Foundation is a private foundation established by Barry Sternlicht, CEO of Starwood Capital Group, and Miriam Klein Sternlicht. With assets exceeding $53 million, the foundation distributed approximately $2.7 million in grants during 2024 across 87 awards. Barry Sternlicht serves as President and Director, while Miriam Klein Sternlicht serves as Director, Secretary, and Vice President; both serve without compensation. The foundation's grantmaking reflects the personal commitments and interests of its founders, with significant focus on Jewish causes and humanitarian relief (particularly related to Israel), diabetes research (Barry's son has Type I diabetes), education, global development, health, arts and culture, and historic preservation. Recent giving has emphasized emergency humanitarian response, with substantial grants supporting relief efforts related to the Israel-Gaza crisis.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee-discretion grantmaking rather than formal grant programs. Recent grants demonstrate the following funding patterns:

Major Grants: $100,000 - $250,000 (for significant organizational support or emergency response)
Mid-Range Grants: $25,000 - $99,999 (median grant level)
Smaller Grants: $1,000 - $24,999 (for specific projects or smaller organizations)

Priority Areas

Based on recent grants and the founders' documented interests, the foundation funds:

Jewish Causes & Humanitarian Relief

Organizations combating anti-Semitism
Israeli emergency medical services and disaster response
Jewish community organizations and educational initiatives

Diabetes Research & Health

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) initiatives
Medical research institutions focusing on diabetes cure research
Healthcare access and delivery (particularly in underserved communities)

Education & Youth Development

Higher education institutions (particularly Brown University, Boston University, Harvard)
Charter schools and educational access programs (e.g., Harlem Village Academy)
Youth development organizations (e.g., Boys Club of New York)

Global Development & Social Entrepreneurship

Organizations building schools and healthcare centers in developing countries
Social entrepreneurship initiatives combining education and design for social change
Poverty alleviation through sustainable measures (e.g., Acumen Fund)

Arts, Culture & Historic Preservation

Historic preservation in New York City area and Connecticut
Performing arts centers
Cultural institutions

Poverty Alleviation

Organizations fighting poverty (Barry serves on Robin Hood Foundation board)
Economic mobility and workforce development initiatives

Reproductive Health & Women's Issues

Planned Parenthood and reproductive health organizations

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation's policy of only supporting preselected organizations means they effectively do not fund:

Unsolicited applications from any organization
Organizations outside their established network and areas of interest

Governance and Leadership

Barry Sternlicht - President and Director

CEO and Chairman of Starwood Capital Group
Board member of Robin Hood Foundation (fighting poverty in NYC)
Board member, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation National Leadership Advocacy Program
Member, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation Trustee Council
Board member, Dreamland Film & Performing Arts Center
Executive Advisory Board member, Americans for the Arts
JDRF honors: Man of the Year, Living and Giving Award, and Chairman's Award

Barry has stated his approach to philanthropy "bridges both his professional and personal lives, delivering impact to both." In 2007, he and Mimi funded a $1 million grant to Harvard Stem Cell Institute to support diabetes cure research following their son's diagnosis.

Miriam Klein Sternlicht (Mimi) - Director, Secretary, and Vice President

Board member, Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) - building schools and healthcare centers in Kenyan slums
Brown University graduate and ongoing supporter
Also operates separate foundation: MK Reichert Sternlicht Foundation

According to Inside Philanthropy, Mimi is "most engaged in projects where entrepreneurship, education, and design collide to affect social change." Her philanthropic interests reflect both personal connections (diabetes research due to her son's condition, Parkinson's research due to her mother's condition) and broader social change priorities.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

According to their IRS filings and public statements, the Barry and Mimi Sternlicht Foundation "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

The foundation operates through a proactive grantmaking model where the trustees identify and select organizations to support based on their personal knowledge, board affiliations, and philanthropic priorities. Grants are awarded at the discretion of Barry and Miriam Sternlicht.

Recent Grant Recipients (2023)

To understand the types of organizations the foundation supports, recent major grants include:

Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism Inc. - $250,000 (Foxborough, MA)
Friends of United Hatzalah Inc. - $200,000 for USA Medical shipment Joe Teplow/Israel at War fund (Boston, MA)
American Friends of Magen David Adom - $130,000 for Current Israel Gaza crisis fund (New York, NY)
American Jewish Committee - $125,000 for Charitable Event (New York, NY)
IsraAID US Inc. - for Current Israel Gaza Crisis fund

Decision Timeline

Not applicable due to invitation-only grantmaking model. The foundation makes grants at the trustees' discretion throughout the year.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's closed application process, success in securing funding depends on:

Connection to Trustees' Networks

Organizations where Barry or Mimi serve on the board or have direct involvement (e.g., Robin Hood Foundation, SHOFCO, JDRF, Brown University)
Institutions with personal connections to the Sternlicht family
Organizations in the New York philanthropic ecosystem where the Sternlichts are active

Alignment with Personal Priorities The foundation's grantmaking is highly personal and reflects:

Family health concerns (diabetes, Parkinson's disease)
Educational institutions the family attended (Brown University, Harvard Business School)
Jewish identity and commitment to Israel
Social entrepreneurship combining education, design, and social change
Historic preservation in areas meaningful to the family (NYC, Connecticut)

Response to Current Events Recent grants show the foundation responds to humanitarian crises and emergencies, particularly those affecting the Jewish community and Israel.

Organizational Excellence While the foundation supports organizations across a range of sizes, recipients tend to be:

Well-established organizations with strong track records
Innovative social entrepreneurs with proven models
Major institutions with significant impact potential

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications. They exclusively support preselected organizations.
Relationship-driven grantmaking: Funding flows through the trustees' board memberships, personal connections, and areas of direct involvement. Organizations without existing relationships with Barry or Mimi Sternlicht are unlikely to receive support.
Personal and responsive: The foundation's priorities reflect the Sternlichts' personal experiences (diabetes, education, Jewish identity) and respond to current events (significant Israel-related giving in 2023).
Focus on social entrepreneurship: Particularly for Mimi's interests, organizations combining entrepreneurship, education, design, and social change are attractive, especially in global development contexts.
New York emphasis: While national in scope, there is particular concentration on New York-based organizations and institutions.
Consider the separate foundations: Note that Barry also has a separate foundation (The Barry S. Sternlicht Foundation, EIN 26-0039094) and Mimi has her own (MK Reichert Sternlicht Foundation), which may have different, though overlapping, priorities.
Wide grant range: Grants range from $1,000 to $250,000 with a median of $25,000, suggesting the foundation supports both major institutional grants and smaller project-specific funding for organizations within their network.

References

Information accessed December 2025