The Barry and Mimi Sternlicht Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $2,686,113 (2023)
• Total Assets: $53.9 million
• Number of Grants: 87 grants (2023)
• 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 organisations only

Contact Details

Address: 501 Silverside Road, Wilmington, DE 19809

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 2023 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 emphasised emergency humanitarian response, with substantial grants supporting relief efforts related to the Israel-Gaza crisis.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

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

• Major Grants: $100,000 - $250,000 (for significant organisational 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 organisations)

Priority Areas

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

Jewish Causes & Humanitarian Relief

• Organisations combating anti-Semitism
• Israeli emergency medical services and disaster response
• Jewish community organisations 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 programmes (e.g., Harlem Village Academy)
• Youth development organisations (e.g., Boys Club of New York)

Global Development & Social Entrepreneurship

• Organisations building schools and healthcare centres 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 centres
• Cultural institutions

Poverty Alleviation

• Organisations 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 organisations

What They Don't Fund

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

• Unsolicited applications from any organisation
• Organisations outside their established network and areas of interest

Governance and Leadership

Barry Sternlicht - President and Director

• CEO and Chairman of Starwood Capital Group
• Chairman Emeritus and 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 honours: 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 centres 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 organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

The foundation operates through a proactive grantmaking model where the trustees identify and select organisations 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 organisations 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)
• IsraAID US Inc. - $125,000 for Current Israel Gaza Crisis fund
• American Jewish Committee - $125,000 for Charitable Event (New York, NY)

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

• Organisations 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
• Organisations 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.

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

• Well-established organisations 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 organisations.

• Relationship-driven grantmaking: Funding flows through the trustees' board memberships, personal connections, and areas of direct involvement. Organisations 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, organisations 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 organisations 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, EIN 81-0807556), 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 organisations within their network.

References

• Grantmakers.io Profile - Barry and Mimi Sternlicht Foundation
• Barry And Mimi Sternlicht Foundation - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
• The Barry and Mimi Sternlicht Foundation - Instrumentl 990 Report
• The Barry and Mimi Sternlicht Foundation - Cause IQ
• MK Reichert Sternlicht Foundation - Inside Philanthropy
• Mimi Sternlicht - Inside Philanthropy Donor Profile
• Philanthropic Evolution: A Hotel Mogul Talks Generational Giving - Inside Philanthropy
• Barry Sternlicht - Wikipedia
• Building a Tradition of Giving - Harvard Business School Alumni
• Mimi Sternlicht - SHOFCO Board Member
• Sternlicht gift to support diabetes research - Harvard Stem Cell Institute