Sterling Donor Advised Fund

Analysis

Sterling Donor Advised Fund is a registered charity in United States, based in Reston, VA. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in February 2010, 16 years ago. Its declared purposes cover philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking foundations, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (donations from the general public) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending December 2023, Sterling Donor Advised Fund reported income of $7.6m and spending of $2.3m, leaving 70% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2019 to December 2023, income grew from $4.0m to $7.6m (+92%), an average of +18% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2021, when income rose by 341%. Over the whole period it spent 30% of the income it received.

Among 19,413 United States charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, Sterling Donor Advised Fund sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 94th percentile, and in the 94th percentile within VA. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo ($7.6m), United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County ($7.6m) and United Way of the Greater Triangle Inc ($7.6m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending December 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 72% of the total. At year end it held assets of $48.6m against liabilities of $3,414, net assets of $48.6m.