Benco Family Foundation
The Benco Family Foundation is the charitable arm of Benco Dental, America's largest family-owned dental distributor. Based in Pittston, Pennsylvania, the foundation was established in 2005 and is dedicated to improving dental health and quality of life in local communities and around the world.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.1M
-4.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$945K
-5.2% YoY
Grant Count
45
+2.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$21K
-7.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Benco Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $249K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to improve dental health and quality of life in local communities and around the world. The foundation supports oral health solutions and community organizations that are innovative, sustainable, measurable, and impactful.
Primary funding areas include:
- Oral Health Education: Supporting programs that teach dental hygiene to underserved populations, particularly children
- Cleft Palate and Facial Deformity Treatment: Funding surgical interventions for patients in developing countries
- Community Support Services: Supporting organizations that serve at-risk youth and vulnerable populations
- Dental Scholarships: Providing educational support for students pursuing dental careers
Grantmaking
The foundation annually supports over 100 charities. Recent grantmaking activity includes:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds both locally and globally:
- Local: Primary focus on Luzerne County and Northeast Pennsylvania communities, including Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, and surrounding school districts
- National: Supports programs across the United States, including partnerships in Chicago and other regions
- International: Supports organizations serving populations in the Philippines and developing countries worldwide
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Based on the most recent IRS Form 990 filing (2023):
- Total Assets: $4,327,905
- Total Giving: $997,718
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,147,498 | $4,327,905 | $5,859,179 |
| Revenue | $854,571 | $-426,703 | $862,696 |
| Expenses | $969,928 | $1,039,851 | $673,336 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $949,704 | $1,001,817 | $612,986 |
| Net Investment Income | $833,347 | $126,625 | $805,846 |
| Distributable Amount | $248,620 | $302,601 | $263,441 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
234 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Dta Foundation ($463,928), Moravian Academy ($106,200), United Way of Wyoming Valley ($89,290).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ALLIED SERVICES FOUNDATION CLARKS SUMMIT, PA | CHARITABLE | $1,000 |
| AMERICA 250PA PITTSTON, PA | CHARITABLE | $7,500 |
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH PHILADELPHIA, PA | CHARITABLE | $59 |
| BLUE CHIP FARM ANIMAL REFUGE DALLAS, PA | CHARITABLE | $400 |
| BRAIN TUMOR NETWORK PONTE VERDA BEACH, FL | CHARITABLE | $500 |
| CASA OF LUZERNE COUNTY PLAINS, PA | CHARITABLE | $5,000 |
| CASS COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION KANSAS CITY, MO | CHARITABLE | $5,000 |
| CEOWEINBERG FOOD BANK WILKES BARRE, PA | CHARITABLE | $363 |
| CYCLE FOR SURVIVAL NEW YORK, NY | CHARITABLE | $4,810 |
| DENTAL LIFELINE NETWORK DENVER, CO | CHARITABLE | $65,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Charles F. Cohen — Trustee
- Lawrence E. Cohen — Trustee
- Richard S. Cohen — Trustee
- Sally Cohen — Trustee
- Meredith Wall — Benco Family Foundation Administrator
- Rebecca Binder — Benco Family Foundation Executive Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHARLES F COHEN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| LAWRENCE E COHEN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| RICHARD S COHEN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| SALLY COHEN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| SHEILA RIGGS | CHAIRMAN | 2 | — |
| GEORGE RABLE | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| JULIE RADZYMINSKI | INTERIM DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation was selected as the recipient of the CF Charities 2018 Champion for Kids Award
Surpassed 1 million toothbrush donations, with gifts to Chicago Public Schools and UIC College of Dentistry
Provided a capital campaign gift to Cass Community Health Foundation
Cass Community Health Foundation receives capital campaign giftLaunched a dental hygiene scholarship program in partnership with the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation
2024 Annual Report - Dental Trade Alliance FoundationReceived recognition from America's Toothfairy for expanding oral health programs for underserved children
America's Toothfairy Awards $100000 in Grants to Expand Oral ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Benco Family Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is to improve dental health and quality of life in local communities and around the world. The foundation supports oral health solutions and community organizations that are innovative, sustainable, measurable, and impactful. Primary funding areas include: • **Oral Health Education**: Supporting programs that teach dental hygiene to underserved populations, particularly children • **Cleft Palate and Facial Deformity Treatment**: Funding surgical interventions for patien…
How do I apply for a grant from Benco Family Foundation?
The foundation annually supports over 100 charities. Recent grantmaking activity includes: • **Lessons in a Lunch Box**: A national oral health and nutrition program reaching underserved elementary school children across 50 states through 53 dental schools, with support reaching 55,000 elementary school children • **Toothbrush Donations**: Through its Buy-One-Give-One program (active since 2015), the foundation donates one toothbrush for every PRO-SYS adult tapered or antimicrobial toothbrush p…
Where does Benco Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation funds both locally and globally: • **Local**: Primary focus on Luzerne County and Northeast Pennsylvania communities, including Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, and surrounding school districts • **National**: Supports programs across the United States, including partnerships in Chicago and other regions • **International**: Supports organizations serving populations in the Philippines and developing countries worldwide
What size grants does Benco Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Benco Family Foundation awarded 45 grants totaling $945K — an average of about $21K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Benco Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Benco Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $249K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Benco Family Foundation's EIN?
Benco Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-7483658. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Benco Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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