The Barry S Sternlicht Foundation

The Barry S. Sternlicht Foundation operates as a quintessentially personal family foundation — there is no open application process, no RFP, no grants portal, and no published guidelines. The foundation's single active officer is Barry Sternlicht himself, who serves as President, Director, and Secretary. David A. Stein serves as a co-director. Both receive $0 in compensation, underscoring that this is a vehicle for personal philanthropy, not a staffed institutional funder.

The foundation was established in 2001 and is administered through Foundation Source (501 Silverside Rd., Wilmington, DE), a back-office service provider used by many private foundations. This matters because the administrative address is not where funding decisions happen — those happen entirely through Barry Sternlicht's personal network.

Sternlicht is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, a private alternative investment firm managing over $115 billion in assets across global real estate and hospitality. His philanthropic priorities directly mirror his professional and personal world: New York City and South Florida civic life, Jewish communal institutions, environmental sustainability linked to his 1 Hotels brand, youth economic mobility, and elite sports and athletics.

The foundation's grantee roster reveals a relationship-driven model with strong loyalty to anchor organizations. Robin Hood Foundation alone has received $4.15M across four grants — by a wide margin the foundation's largest single grantee relationship — and Sternlicht is likely a board member or leadership-circle donor there. A first-time organization seeking funding must first become embedded in the social and philanthropic networks where Sternlicht is active: Robin Hood, UJA-Federation of New York, and major New York and Miami Jewish communal events.

For organizations that do break through, the typical trajectory involves a modest initial gift ($25K-$50K tied to a charitable event sponsorship), followed by multi-year unrestricted renewals if the relationship deepens. There is no formal LOI or proposal stage — funding decisions appear to be made on the basis of direct personal relationships and mutual board affiliations.

The Barry S. Sternlicht Foundation has disbursed grants totaling at least $15.16M across 246 documented grants in available IRS records. The median grant in the foundation's typical_grant_size data is $24,409, the average is $53,912, and the range is $500 to $650,000. In FY2024 specifically, the foundation made 87 grants totaling approximately $2.7M, with a median of $25K and a range of $1K–$250K. In FY2023, grants paid were $4.67M; in FY2022, $5.53M; in FY2021, $4.1M; and in FY2020, $3.04M.

However, these figures mask extreme concentration at the top. Robin Hood Foundation alone received $4.15M — roughly 27% of the $15.16M total — across just 4 grants, including a single $2M year-end campaign gift. The next largest recipient, UJA-Federation of New York, received $1.3M across 10 grants (averaging $130K/grant). The third largest recipient was the National Philanthropic Trust at $1.15M, which is a DAF transfer rather than a direct charitable gift.

Stripping out these outliers, the effective median grant to a typical recipient is closer to $25,000–$50,000 over a multi-year relationship. Most mid-tier grantees receive 3 grants totaling $75K–$250K.

By program area, the breakdown across documented grants is approximately: Jewish/Israel-affiliated causes (30–35% of dollars), poverty and economic mobility including Robin Hood, City Harvest, and Year Up (25–30%), environment and conservation (10–12%), health and medical research (8–10%), education (8–10%), arts and culture (4–5%), sports and athletics including USOPF and golf/tennis (4–5%), and criminal justice reform (2–3%).

Geographically, New York dominates (80 of 246 grants), followed by Florida (48), Massachusetts (32), Connecticut (27), DC (11), California (18), Rhode Island (8), and Virginia (8). The foundation's assets have grown dramatically — from $58.8M in 2021 to $170.3M in 2024 — suggesting future giving capacity may increase substantially.

The foundation's peer set (by asset size, all in the $169M–$171M range, all classified NTEE T22 — Philanthropy & Grantmaking) provides useful context for benchmarking giving levels and approach.

Among same-size peers, the Sternlicht Foundation's giving ratio (approximately 3–5% of assets per year in grants paid) is relatively modest compared to larger institutional foundations but typical for founder-led vehicles where assets are still being deployed. The Eisner Foundation, which accepts letters of inquiry, represents the most accessible comparable funder for organizations that cannot access the Sternlicht network. The key differentiator for Sternlicht is the heavy concentration in Jewish communal causes and New York/Florida geography, which sets it apart from most same-size peers.

The most significant recent development at the Barry S. Sternlicht Foundation is the dramatic expansion of its asset base. The foundation received contributions of $51.8M in FY2022 and $50.6M in FY2023 — likely direct infusions from Barry Sternlicht himself — pushing total assets from $58.8M in FY2021 to $119M in FY2022 and $171M in FY2023. As of FY2024, assets stand at $170.3M with total revenue of $7.9M and charitable disbursements of approximately $7.74M, the largest single-year disbursement in the foundation's history.

The FY2024 Form 990-PF was filed in November 2025. The FY2023 filing (filed in 2024) remains the most detailed public record and shows grants paid of $4.67M across 87 grants.

Notable recent grant highlights include: a $1M commitment to the West Palm Golf Community Trust in Florida for a nonprofit golf facility focused on youth development and inclusivity; a $400K restricted grant to NRDC specifically for the 1 Hotels Fellowship and E2 Emerging Leaders Program (directly linked to Sternlicht's hotel brand); and continued multi-year giving to anchors including Robin Hood Foundation, UJA-Federation, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, and Environmental Defense Fund.

No leadership changes have been identified. Barry Sternlicht remains the sole principal and David A. Stein continues as co-director. No public program announcements, dedicated foundation website, or philanthropy section on Starwood Capital's website were found as of March 2026, consistent with the foundation's historically low public profile.

Because the Barry S. Sternlicht Foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited applications, conventional grant-writing strategy does not apply. The following tips are specific to this funder's relationship-based model:

Gain access through Robin Hood Foundation. Robin Hood is by far the foundation's anchor grantee ($4.15M). If your organization is already a Robin Hood grantee, or if a Robin Hood board member or staff leader can make an introduction, this is the single highest-leverage pathway. Annual Robin Hood events are attended by Sternlicht and provide a natural meeting opportunity.

Prioritize Jewish communal alignment. Over 30% of documented grants flow to explicitly Jewish-affiliated organizations. UJA-Federation of New York, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Birthright Israel Foundation, ADL, World Jewish Congress, USC Shoah Foundation, and the Brandeis Center are all recurring grantees. Organizations with natural Jewish communal ties — or whose missions align with Israel, Holocaust remembrance, or Jewish identity — should frame that connection explicitly when seeking introductions.

Use charitable event participation as an entry point. Dozens of grants are coded as "Charitable Event," meaning Sternlicht makes grants in connection with attending or sponsoring galas, benefit dinners, and fundraising events. Organizations hosting high-profile events in New York, Miami, or Palm Beach should seek Sternlicht's participation as an honoree, table sponsor, or board member.

Connect the environmental case to business. The NRDC grant was restricted to an entrepreneurship and corporate sustainability fellowship — not broad conservation advocacy. Environmental organizations should lead with market-based solutions, corporate sustainability, and measurable business impact rather than policy or regulatory approaches.

Align with South Florida and Connecticut geographies. Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy (Stamford, CT) received 5 grants including HVAC capital support. West Palm Beach received a $1M grant. Organizations in these specific geographies — especially those tied to communities where Sternlicht has homes or business interests — have demonstrated geographic fit.

Be prepared for multi-year relationship-building. Most grantees received 3 grants over successive years before any significant increase in funding. Patience and consistent engagement over 2–3 years is the norm before grant sizes grow meaningfully.