The AJ & SL Stern Family Foundation concentrates its giving on Jewish communal life in the Chicago area, favoring synagogues, day schools, Chabad institutions, and charitable service organizations. Grants are large and often unrestricted (general operating or donation), supporting both education (notably Jewish day school tuition/operations) and direct social/health services rooted in Jewish practice and tradition. The foundation makes a small number of high-dollar gifts and shows recurring support to some institutions, indicating long-term investment in a limited set of local Jewish priorities.
A $1,273,695 general operating budget grant in 2025 shows how the Aj & Sl Stern Family Foundation works: large, often unrestricted gifts aimed at sustaining Jewish institutions rather than funding discrete projects. The foundation’s recent grants cluster around Jewish communal life in the Chicago area, especially day schools, synagogues, Chabad institutions, and chesed organizations. Multiple gifts to the same recipients point to sustained support, not one-time patronage. Arie Crown Hebrew Day School received two grants in the recent list, including $200,000 in 2023 and $115,000 in 2023, while Chicago Chesed Fund appears more than once as well. The Ark also appears among the larger gifts, indicating interest in Jewish social and family support services alongside education and congregational life. Chicago-area institutions dominate the portfolio, but the foundation also makes gifts beyond Illinois, including to organizations in Brooklyn. The pattern is defined by concentrated support for a relatively small set of Jewish organizations, with individual grants large enough to matter for operating budgets, tuition support, and direct service delivery. That combination makes the foundation a recurring backer of core communal infrastructure rather than a broad, open-call grantmaker.
Jewish education is one major lane. The foundation gave $200,000 to Arie Crown Hebrew Day School for donation support, and it also made a $54,000 gift to Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School. Congregational and rabbinic institutions are another focus: Congregation Or Torah received $117,979 and later $39,850, while Chabad of Skokie received $28,000. Jewish charitable assistance and direct social services also appear repeatedly. Just One Chesed received $251,800 in 2024 and another $39,600 in 2023, and Chicago Chesed Fund received multiple donations including $92,450 and $84,600. The Ark and Midwest Refuah Health Center add a health-and-family-services dimension to the portfolio.
Grant sizes vary from small five-figure gifts to very large operating support. The typical grant is modest relative to the largest awards: p25 is $180, median is $360, and p75 is $3,600. The recent record also shows repeated support to the same organizations across years, including multiple grants to the same schools, synagogues, and chesed groups. The foundation appears to be a family foundation and makes direct grants rather than program-related investments. It also funds individuals, which is uncommon among private foundations. Application procedures are not shown in the available data.
$1.3M
$18.9M
$1.1M
$1.3M
Most grants fall between $180 and $4K, with a median of $360.
25th Percentile
$180
Median
$360
75th Percentile
$4K
About 39% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Top 3 recipient countries by grant volume for Aj & Sl Stern Family Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 547 | $4.5M | 98.7% |
| 2 | Israel |
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Concentrated, high-dollar gifts to a small number of local Jewish institutions; mix of recurring grants to select grantees and large one-off unrestricted operating donations.
Notable grantees: Arie Crown Hebrew Day School, Just One Chesed, Congregation Or Torah, Chabad, Midwest Refuah Health Center
Giving is concentrated in Illinois, which receives 38% of grants, even though the foundation’s geographic scope is national. Chicago, Skokie, Lincolnwood, and Harwood Heights account for much of the recent activity, with additional grants going to Brooklyn, New York. The recipient-country mix is overwhelmingly U.S.-based: 547 grants go to U.S. recipients, with smaller counts in Israel and New Zealand. The city pattern points to a Chicago-area Jewish network anchored in suburban and city institutions.
Its recent grants are centered on Jewish communal life, especially Jewish day schools, synagogues and Chabad institutions, chesed organizations, and Jewish health and family services. Examples in the recent list include schools in Skokie, congregational support, and direct aid organizations in Chicago and nearby suburbs.
The distribution is skewed toward small awards but includes some very large gifts. Typical grant size data show p25 at $180, median at $360, and p75 at $3,600, while recent awards include six-figure grants and a $1,273,695 operating budget grant in 2025.
Yes. Several recipients appear multiple times in the recent grants list, including Arie Crown Hebrew Day School, Chicago Chesed Fund, Congregation Or Torah, Just One Chesed, Chicago Mitzvah Campaign, and Kehilat Chovevei Tzion. That pattern suggests recurring support rather than one-time funding only.
Illinois is the top grant-recipient state, with 38% of grants going there. Recent recipients are concentrated in Chicago, Skokie, Lincolnwood, and Harwood Heights, with additional grants to Brooklyn, New York.
The listed purposes are mostly donation or general operating support. One recent grant is explicitly labeled general operating budget, while many others are marked donation, including gifts to schools, congregational institutions, chesed groups, and health-related organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 6 |
| $3K |
1.1% |
| 3 | New Zealand | 1 | $2K | 0.2% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DETAILS OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION UPON REQUEST | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $1,273,695 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET |
| JUST ONE CHESED | HARWOOD HEIGHTS, IL | $251,800 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CHICAGO CHESED FUND | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $84,600 | 2024 | DONATION |
| KEHILAT CHOVEVEI TZION | SKOKIE, IL | $56,245 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CHICAGO MITZVAH CAMPAIGN | CHICAGO, IL | $36,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CHICAGO CENTER FOR TORAH V'CHESED | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $28,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| JEWISH STUDIES ENRICHMENT | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| UPWARDS COMMUNITIESMADRAIGOS MIDWEST | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| NETIVOT PATHWAYS ACADEMY | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF YESHIVAS EITZ CHAIM KLETZK INC | PASSAIC, NJ | $20,180 | 2024 | DONATION |
| JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER CHABAD OF ROSEVILLE INC | GRANITE BAY, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| HELP HOPE LIVE | RADNOR, PA | $20,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CONGREGATION OR TORAH | SKOKIE, IL | $19,900 | 2024 | DONATION |
| NETZACH FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $18,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| OUR PLACE IN NEW YORK INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| THE ARK | CHICAGO, IL | $12,600 | 2024 | DONATION |
| HEBRON FUND INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $12,600 | 2024 | DONATION |
| HEBREW THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE | SKOKIE, IL | $10,860 | 2024 | DONATION |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF HAMAAYAN FOUNDATION OF JEWISH CULTURE | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,400 | 2024 | DONATION |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF HOUSE OF HOPE | FRESH MEADOWS, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| SHARLENE LEVINSON BIKUR CHOLIM | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| AGUDATH ISRAEL OF ILLINOIS | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CENTRAL FUND OF ISRAEL | CEDARHURST, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| HINDA INSTITUTE | DES PLAINES, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| BITTON FAMILY FOUNDATION | SKOKIE, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| ARIE CROWN HEBREW DAY SCHOOL | SKOKIE, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| KHAL CHASIDIM ORG | CHICAGO, IL | $8,800 | 2024 | DONATION |
| RAY OF HOPE FOUNDATION | TOWSON, MD | $7,200 | 2024 | DONATION |
| JEWISH UNITED FUND | CHICAGO, IL | $7,200 | 2024 | DONATION |
| HATZALAH CHICAGO | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $7,200 | 2024 | DONATION |
| VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS - LIST AVAILABL | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $6,836 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CHAI LIFELINE MIDWEST | LINCOLNWOOD, IL | $6,400 | 2024 | DONATION |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF NEVEH ZION | BROOKLYN, NY | $6,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CONGREGATION BETH JEHUDAH | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,600 | 2024 | DONATION |
| PROJECT 613 NFP | CHICAGO, IL | $5,400 | 2024 | DONATION |
| ASSOCIATED TALMUD TORAHS | SKOKIE, IL | $5,400 | 2024 | DONATION |
| MAOT CHITIM OF GREATER CHICAGO | NORTHBROOK, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| MOISDOS SANZ-STROPKOV | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| OHR HATORAH | BERGENFIELD, NJ | $4,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| KEREN HATZEDAKA | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $3,780 | 2024 | DONATION |
| FRIENDS OF KITOV | PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL | $3,600 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CHABAD OF SKOKIE | SKOKIE, IL | $3,600 | 2024 | DONATION |
| KESHET | NORTHBROOK, IL | $3,600 | 2024 | DONATION |
| LIBENU | SKOKIE, IL | $3,600 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CHICAGO TORAH NETWORK | CHICAGO, IL | $3,600 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CONGREGATION LIOZNA | BROOKLYN, NY | $3,600 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CONGREGATION ORCHOS CHAIM | MONSEY, NY | $3,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| MOSDOS KRULA | BROOKLYN, NY | $2,800 | 2024 | DONATION |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF YESHIVA DMIR | BROOKLYN, NY | $2,300 | 2024 | DONATION |
| PLAYTHINKS | CHICAGO, IL | $2,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
DETAILS OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION UPON REQUEST
$1,273,695GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET
JUST ONE CHESED
$251,800DONATION
CHICAGO CHESED FUND
$84,600DONATION
KEHILAT CHOVEVEI TZION
$56,245DONATION
CHICAGO MITZVAH CAMPAIGN
$36,000DONATION
CHICAGO CENTER FOR TORAH V'CHESED
$28,000DONATION
JEWISH STUDIES ENRICHMENT
$25,000DONATION
UPWARDS COMMUNITIESMADRAIGOS MIDWEST
$25,000DONATION
NETIVOT PATHWAYS ACADEMY
$25,000DONATION
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF YESHIVAS EITZ CHAIM KLETZK INC
$20,180DONATION
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER CHABAD OF ROSEVILLE INC
$20,000DONATION
HELP HOPE LIVE
$20,000DONATION
CONGREGATION OR TORAH
$19,900DONATION
NETZACH FOUNDATION
$18,000DONATION
OUR PLACE IN NEW YORK INC
$15,000DONATION
THE ARK
$12,600DONATION
HEBRON FUND INC
$12,600DONATION
HEBREW THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE
$10,860DONATION
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF HAMAAYAN FOUNDATION OF JEWISH CULTURE
$10,400DONATION
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF HOUSE OF HOPE
$10,000DONATION
SHARLENE LEVINSON BIKUR CHOLIM
$10,000DONATION
AGUDATH ISRAEL OF ILLINOIS
$10,000DONATION
CENTRAL FUND OF ISRAEL
$10,000DONATION
HINDA INSTITUTE
$10,000DONATION
BITTON FAMILY FOUNDATION
$10,000DONATION
ARIE CROWN HEBREW DAY SCHOOL
$10,000DONATION
KHAL CHASIDIM ORG
$8,800DONATION
RAY OF HOPE FOUNDATION
$7,200DONATION
JEWISH UNITED FUND
$7,200DONATION
HATZALAH CHICAGO
$7,200DONATION
VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS - LIST AVAILABL
$6,836DONATION
CHAI LIFELINE MIDWEST
$6,400DONATION
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF NEVEH ZION
$6,000DONATION
CONGREGATION BETH JEHUDAH
$5,600DONATION
PROJECT 613 NFP
$5,400DONATION
ASSOCIATED TALMUD TORAHS
$5,400DONATION
MAOT CHITIM OF GREATER CHICAGO
$5,000DONATION
MOISDOS SANZ-STROPKOV
$5,000DONATION
OHR HATORAH
$4,000DONATION
KEREN HATZEDAKA
$3,780DONATION
FRIENDS OF KITOV
$3,600DONATION
CHABAD OF SKOKIE
$3,600DONATION
KESHET
$3,600DONATION
LIBENU
$3,600DONATION
CHICAGO TORAH NETWORK
$3,600DONATION
CONGREGATION LIOZNA
$3,600DONATION
CONGREGATION ORCHOS CHAIM
$3,000DONATION
MOSDOS KRULA
$2,800DONATION
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF YESHIVA DMIR
$2,300DONATION
PLAYTHINKS
$2,000DONATION