Stephen M Silberstein Foundation

• This foundation funds a broad mix of causes, including civil-liberties and human-rights work, election access and accountability, public-interest journalism and broadcasting, economic policy and labour issues, environmental conservation, education and literacy, health care, food distribution, civic engagement, public planning, scientific communication and the preservation of local history, so check that your work sits somewhere in that mix before approaching.
• It does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected organisations, so there is no open application process to follow; a cold proposal is unlikely to be the right route in.
• Most grants to organisations fall between $25,000 and $250,000, with a median of $75,000, so a request in that range is realistic, though the foundation's largest recorded grant was $4,000,000 to MCF Donor Advised Fund, an organisation that regrants to other organisations.
• A sizeable share of its grant dollars has gone to organisations it had already funded in the previous two years, suggesting it tends to renew relationships rather than seek out new ones each time.
• Its grants are recorded mainly in California, District of Columbia and New York, which may be worth bearing in mind, though no geographic focus is stated as a rule for who may apply.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• MCF Donor Advised Fund · Umbrella organization for many local nonprofit orgs.
  $4,000,0002024 tax year
• Media Matters for America · Educational radio broadcasting
  $350,0002024 tax year
• American Civil Liberties Union Foundation · Defend & preserve individual right & liberties
  $300,0002024 tax year
• ProPublica · Investigative reporting
  $250,0002024 tax year
• National Vote at Home Institute · Ensure the security of our elections and puting voter's needs first
  $250,0002024 tax year
• National Redistricting Foundation · To dismantle unfair electoral maps and create a redistricting system based on democratic values
  $200,0002024 tax year
• Planned Parenthood Foundation · Deliver health care services, sex educucation
  $200,0002024 tax year
• Democracy Now · Support public radio journalism
  $200,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

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.