Bechen Family Foundation
Bechen Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Portland, Oregon. Its 2025 filing lists grants to organizations working in areas including arts, education, youth mentoring, health and self-sufficiency, nature, river conservation, and public broadcasting.
Bechen Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Bechen Family Foundation gave $352K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in Oregon. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $351,805
- -55.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -27.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $21,988
- -39.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $12,396,622
- +34.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (5 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Oregon (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bechen Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 15350 Sw Sequoia Parkway 300, Portland, OR 97224
Phone: (503) 624-6300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bechen Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Portland Art Museum ($241K). Together the top 10 received $348K.
Grant Size Distribution
129 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 129 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oregon and 3% to recipients in California. The filing also reports a 0% share for Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Bechen Family Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 16 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $960; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 44% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 57% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 40% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $352K (2025) to $962K (2023). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $352K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Portland Art Museum Portland, OR | General Purposes | $240,650 |
| Oregon Espiscopal School Portland, OR | General Purposes | $58,555 |
| Ohsu Foundation Portland, OR | General Purposes | $12,500 |
| Friends of the Children Portland, OR | General Purposes | $10,500 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | General Purposes | $10,500 |
| Sunriver Nature Center Sunriver, OR | General Purposes | $5,100 |
| Outside IN Portland, OR | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| Homeshare Oregon Portland, OR | General Purposes | $2,000 |
| Western Rivers Conservancy Portland, OR | General Purposes | $2,000 |
| De La Salle North Catholic School Portland, OR | General Purposes | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Bechen Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,396,622 | $3,538,722 | $384,979 | $351,805 | 16 | $353,124 | $410,885 | $881,334 |
| 2024 | $9,203,602 | $2,430,200 | $814,008 | $797,100 | 22 | $797,100 | $1,616,863 | $757,455 |
| 2023 | $8,150,172 | $1,899,075 | $999,481 | $962,000 | 28 | $962,000 | $988,554 | $587,238 |
| 2022 | $6,852,315 | $980,990 | $831,306 | $821,800 | 32 | $821,850 | $255,148 | $572,538 |
| 2021 | $6,495,022 | $1,199,920 | $827,426 | $815,800 | 31 | $815,850 | $438,477 | $558,201 |
| 2020 | $6,544,085 | $883,905 | $799,979 | $785,800 | 35 | — | $215,188 | $407,678 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bechen Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $881K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for the Portland Art Museum, whose mission is to engage diverse communities through art and film and to collect, preserve, and educate; Friends of the Children, which describes its work as empowering youth facing significant obstacles through long-term professional mentoring; and Sunriver Nature Center, which aims to inspire people to cherish and understand the natural world.
Other 2025 recipients included Outside In, which says it helps people move toward improved health and self-sufficiency; Western Rivers Conservancy, whose mission is to protect river ecosystems in the western United States; and Oregon Public Broadcasting, which describes its work as connecting people across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest through shared stories.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $351,805. Grant amounts ranged from $200 to $240,650, with a median of $2,000. The largest grants listed were $240,650 to Portland Art Museum, $58,555 to Oregon Episcopal School, $12,500 to OHSU Foundation, and $10,500 each to Friends of the Children and Stanford University. The listed purposes were “general purposes.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Peter Bechen, Jane Bechen, and Sarah Raymond as directors.
Bechen Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jane Bechen
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Bechen
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Raymond
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Bechen Family Foundation
How much does Bechen Family Foundation give each year?
Bechen Family Foundation gave $352K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $797K across 22 grants.
What is Bechen Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Bechen Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $21,988, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bechen Family Foundation that year got $960 on average.
Where does Bechen Family Foundation give grants?
Bechen Family Foundation gives mostly in Oregon: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, OR (11 grants).
Does Bechen Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Bechen Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bechen Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Bechen Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Portland Art Museum ($240,650), Oregon Espiscopal School ($58,555) and Ohsu Foundation ($12,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 89% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bechen Family Foundation?
Bechen Family Foundation reported $12.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $353K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $881K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Bechen Family Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bechen Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bechen Family Foundation's EIN?
Bechen Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1811266. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Bechen Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Bechen Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Bechen Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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More similar funders
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bechen Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bechen-family-foundation-morg_e291eb97830243428235268a1cca2ed1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_911811266_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bechen Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bechen-family-foundation-morg_e291eb97830243428235268a1cca2ed1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Bechen Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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