The Barry S Sternlicht Foundation
The Barry S Sternlicht Foundation is a private independent foundation established in 2001 by Barry Sternlicht, Chairman & CEO of Starwood Capital Group. The foundation received tax-exempt status in October 2002 and operates as a 501(c)(3) organization based in Wilmington, Delaware.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$170.3M
-0.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.6M
+63.7% YoY
Grant Count
73
+40.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$105K
+16.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation gives primarily for education, health, youth and social services, and Jewish organizations. Key funding priorities include:
- Poverty relief
- Jewish causes
- Education
- Health, particularly diabetes research
- Arts and culture
- Environment
The foundation's philanthropic approach was significantly shaped by Sternlicht's son's juvenile diabetes diagnosis, leading to targeted support for medical research with maximum impact potential. His father, a Holocaust survivor, instilled in him the value of giving back.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
$5,000 to $150,000
Average Grant
Approximately $25,000
Invitation Only
** Invitation only. The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or provide public contact information for grant applications.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Primary focus on New York City, with national grantmaking. Secondary geographic areas include Massachusetts and Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $170.3 million (2024)
Annual Giving: $7.7 million (2024)
2023 Financial Summary:
- Total Assets: $171 million
- Total Revenue: $56.9 million
- Total Expenses: $5.02 million
- Total Liabilities: $0
- Giving Rate: 3.3%
The foundation demonstrates strong commitment to active grantmaking, with annual charitable disbursements representing approximately 90% of annual expenses.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $170,302,497 | $170,953,572 | $119,068,319 |
| Revenue | $7,911,791 | $56,909,462 | $66,297,693 |
| Expenses | $8,562,866 | $5,024,209 | $6,015,222 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $7,743,625 | $4,769,442 | $5,628,052 |
| Net Investment Income | $5,924,694 | $6,606,161 | $16,621,323 |
| Distributable Amount | $10,324,684 | $7,753,293 | $4,732,054 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Barry Sternlicht – President, Director, Secretary
- David A Stein – Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| David A Stein | Dir | 1 | — |
| Barry Sternlicht | Pres, Dir, Sec | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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