The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is a left-of-center grantmaking organization created through the will of businessman and philanthropist S. Sidney Stern in 1974. The trust supports organizations that seek to promote liberal expansionist immigration policies, organizations that advocate for race-focused social programs and organizations that support taxpayer funded abortions.

Background

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust was created through the will of businessman S. Sidney Stern in 1974 to provide grants to charitable, scientific, medical, and educational-focused organizations. ¹ However, today the trust supports organizations that advocate for liberal expansionist immigration policies, race-focused social programs, and taxpayer-funded abortions. ²

Finances

In 2017 the Sidney Stern Memorial Trust received $2,496,703 in revenue from dividends and sale of securities, ³ incurred $2,754,676 in expenditures, ⁴ and possessed $13,392,967 in net assets. ⁵

Grants

Race and Social Policy

In 2017, The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust supported organizations that publish academic articles on Marxism and redistributionist articles, ⁶ and organizations that teach incarcerated juveniles that they are victims through “ethnic studies,” ⁷ and provide paid fellowship programs for released juveniles to advocate for defunding of juvenile incarceration systems. ⁸

In 2017 the trust supported the Institute for the Study of Ethical Diversity-Ethikon Institute ($15,000), Pacific Southwest Region Anti-Defamation League ($10,000), Communities United for Restorative Justice (CURYJ) ($2,500), Western Justice Center ($15,000), UCLA Foundation in American Politics and Public Safety ($150,000), and Interfaith Center for Worker Justice ($5,000). ⁹

Immigration

In 2017 the Sidney Stern Memorial Trust supported organizations that sought to halt immigration proceedings against illegal immigrants. ¹⁰ This includes organizations that train lawyers and law students to participate in pro-bono litigation for asylum petitions and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) cases, ¹¹ organizations that seek to obstruct deportation cases not related to asylum seekers, and organizations that campaign to weaken immigration laws. ¹²

In 2017 the trust supported OneJustice ($5,000), National Immigration Law Center ($5,000), Immigrant Legal Resource Center ($5,000), Brookings Institution ($5,000), and Asian Law Alliance ($5,000). ¹³

Abortion

In 2017 the Sidney Stern Memorial Trust supported organizations that support taxpayer-funded abortion, including the Guttmacher Institute ($4,000), Center for Reproductive Rights ($3,000),NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation ($3,000) and the National Woman’s Health Network ($2,000). ¹⁴

Leadership

Peter Hoffenberg, Stern’s grandson, is the chairperson of the Sidney Stern Memorial Trust. ¹⁵ Hoffenberg is a history professor at the University of Hawaii. ¹⁶

1. “Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Guidelines” Sidney Stern Memorial Trust. http://nebula.wsimg.com/b81c9e143a68c737a5271ca27fc33f37?AccessKeyId=50315FC437F03456C3BD&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
2. “Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Guidelines” State of California Department of Justice – Charities.  https://rct.doj.ca.gov/Verification/Web/Details.aspx?result=8c3a50e1-f7c1-4a3b-a07e-1f46c1cdc4b9
3. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Sidney Stern Memorial Trust. Part I, line 12. 2017.
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Sidney Stern Memorial Trust. Part I, line 26. 2017.
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Sidney Stern Memorial Trust. Part II, line 16. 2017.
6. “Ethikon Journal Symposia” Ethikon Institute. http://ethikon.org/?page_id=69
7. “About Us” CURYJ. https://curyj.org/about-us/
8. “Dream Beyond Bars” CURYJ. https://curyj.org/programs/dream-beyond-bars/
9. “Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Guidelines” State of California Department of Justice – Charities.  https://rct.doj.ca.gov/Verification/Web/Details.aspx?result=8c3a50e1-f7c1-4a3b-a07e-1f46c1cdc4b9
10. “Immigration Pro Bono Network” OneJustice. https://onejustice.org/immigration-response/
11. “Immigration Pro Bono Network” OneJustice. https://onejustice.org/immigration-response/
12. “What We Do” National Immigration Law Center. https://www.nilc.org/about-us/what_we_do/
13. “Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Guidelines” State of California Department of Justice – Charities.  https://rct.doj.ca.gov/Verification/Web/Details.aspx?result=8c3a50e1-f7c1-4a3b-a07e-1f46c1cdc4b9
14. “Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Guidelines” State of California Department of Justice – Charities.  https://rct.doj.ca.gov/Verification/Web/Details.aspx?result=8c3a50e1-f7c1-4a3b-a07e-1f46c1cdc4b9
15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Sidney Stern Memorial Trust. Part VIII, line 1 (4). 2017.
16. “Peter H. Hoffenberg” University of Hawaii at Manoa. http://manoa.hawaii.edu/history/people/faculty/hoffenberg/