Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation focuses on education, the environment, policy, human rights, libraries and arts and culture in the Bay Area and beyond.

IP TAKE: This progressive funder keeps a low profile but makes substantial grants to groups whose work aligns with its values. It has over $100 million in assets, so grants will likely to continue to stream out, especially in areas of strong interest. It does not have a strong web presence or provide a clear way to get in touch about grants. Network with past grantees to get in the door here.

PROFILE: The Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation was established in 1997 by Stephen M. Silberstein, founder of Innovative Interfaces, a software company specializing in digital library management. While the foundation does not have a website, tax filings show that it funds work in a wide range of issues, such as education, policy, human rights, environment, and arts & culture.

Grants for Human Rights, Civic and Democracy

While the Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation does not have a website, tax filings suggest an interest in democracy and civic engagement, with grants going to support major national organizations. Silberstein has been a trustee of U.C. Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, which receives ongoing support. He has also supported many organizations around the country, particularly in Washington, D.C. and New York, including Amnesty International,  Media Matters and Democracy Now.

A component of Silberstein’s philanthropy also involves leveraging media, and the foundation has made grants to Brave New Foundation, which supports Brave New Films, a socially conscious documentary film company, and Kitchen Sisters Productions, which “works to build community through storytelling.”

Grants for Education and Libraries

The Silberstein Foundation’s tax filings suggest a strong interest in education and public libraries. The City of Berkeley, California has received a large share of this funding, with sums going to the U.C. Berkeley Foundation, the Berkeley Public Education Foundation and the Berkeley Public Library. Other grantees include the Alameda Free Library Association, the Oakland School of the Arts and the Belvedere-Tiburon Library Foundation, where Silberstein serves on the board.

Grants for Environmental Conservation

Tax filings suggest the foundation broadly funds environmental conservation. The foundation generally supports major national and international organizations, but it sometimes makes grants to local groups in the Bay Area. Grantees include Save the Bay, Natural Resources Defense Council, People for Open Space, ecoAmerica, Seacology, and the Rainforest Action Network.

Grants for Arts and Culture and Journalism

While the Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation does not name journalism or arts as a priority giving areas, tax filings reveal a broad but progressive interest in media, journalism and the arts. The foundation has made journalism grants to Media Matters for America, Democracy NOW! Productions, Inequality Media and Kovno Communications. Arts grantees include the Asia Society, the San Francisco Mime Troupe and the Berkeley Film Foundation.

Grants for Violence Prevention

Silberstein endorsed expanding gun-sale background checks and has supported Maine ballot initiative campaigns through his foundation.

Important Grant Details:

Grants generally range from $50,000 to $400,000.

  • This funder’s grantmaking appears to be about evenly split between large national organizations and organizations operating in the Bay Area of California, where it is based.

  • The Silberstein Foundation does not maintain a website, making it difficult to know particulars about its grantmaking priorities.

  • Silberstein appears to prioritize progressive causes.

  • The Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Contact information for this foundation is provided below.

PEOPLE: 

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CONTACT:

Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation

29 Eucalyptus Rd. 

Belvedere, CA 94920-2435

(415) 435-1692