Benson Family Foundation
The Benson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Evergreen, Colorado. Its 2025 filing reports 18 grants totaling $725,000 to charitable organizations.
Key facts about Benson Family Foundation
In short: Benson Family Foundation gave $725K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $40K), mostly in Colorado. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 43-1969687
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $725,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- Average grant
- $40,278
- Median grant
- $27,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 18, 2025)
- Total assets
- $2,861,427
- Primary geography
- Colorado (68% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.9M
+42.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$725K
+1.5% YoY
Grant Count
18
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$40K
+1.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Benson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $173K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Benson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 18 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 419% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants supported organizations whose stated work includes climate and environmental advocacy, international development, music education, emergency assistance and self-sufficiency, youth experiences in nature, and human rights, conflict resolution, democracy, and health. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission for the foundation.
For example, Western Resource Advocates describes its work as advancing clean energy and protecting air, land, water, and wildlife in the West. The National Repertory Orchestra says it develops young musicians through an intensive summer music festival. Evergreen Christian Outreach describes providing assistance, programs, and education to people facing a crisis.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $725,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $150,000, with a median of $27,500. Larger awards included $150,000 to Western Resource Advocates for program support, $115,000 to Renewable Northwest for general support, and $100,000 to International Development Enterprises for general support. Other reported awards included $50,000 to Metro Denver Habitat for Humanity, $40,000 to Planned Parenthood, and $35,000 to the National Repertory Orchestra.
How to Apply
or materials are specified.
Ready to take the next step with Benson Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Colorado (68%) and Oregon (16%). The remaining reported shares were Pennsylvania (4%), California (4%), and Washington, D.C. (4%). The itemized grants also include a $20,000 award to Blue Mountain Action Council in Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $404K (2020) to $813K (2022). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $725K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Western Resource Advocates ($150K). Together the top 10 received $605K.
Grant Size Distribution
89 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 75 grants of 89 (84%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Western Resource Advocates Boulder, CO | Program Support | $150,000 |
| Renewable Northwest Portland, OR | General Support | $115,000 |
| International Development Enterprises Golden, CO | General Support | $100,000 |
| Metro Denver Habitat for Humanity Denver, CO | General Support | $50,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Denver, CO | General Support | $40,000 |
| National Repertory Orchestra Breckenridge, CO | General Support | $35,000 |
| American Friends Service Committee Philadelphia, PA | General Support | $30,000 |
| Community Partners FBO College Match Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $30,000 |
| World Central Kitchens Washington, DC | Program Support | $30,000 |
| Co Outdoor Ed Center Florissant, CO | General Support | $25,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,861,427 | $1,582,487 | $730,878 | $725,000 |
| 2024 | $2,007,694 | $730,369 | $717,457 | $714,000 |
| 2023 | $2,020,777 | $497,458 | $789,835 | $787,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,861,427 | $2,007,694 | $2,020,777 |
| Revenue | $1,582,487 | $730,369 | $497,458 |
| Expenses | $730,878 | $717,457 | $789,835 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $725,663 | $714,631 | $787,621 |
| Net Investment Income | $80,499 | $228,475 | $65,594 |
| Distributable Amount | $173,173 | $138,367 | $130,836 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 2, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 5, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Cynthia C Benson as president, Robert S Benson as treasurer, and Erik B Benson and Kiersa J Benson-Wright as directors.
Benson Family Foundation is led by Cynthia C. Benson, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cynthia C. Benson
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erik B. Benson
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kiersa J. Benson-Wright
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert S. Benson
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Lindsay Benson (2019–2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 1436 Shavano Court, Evergreen, CO 80439
Phone: (303) 674-0332
Frequently asked questions about Benson Family Foundation
How much does Benson Family Foundation give each year?
Benson Family Foundation gave $725K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $714K across 18 grants.
What is Benson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Benson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $27,500, and its average grant was $40,278, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Benson Family Foundation give grants?
Benson Family Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Oregon (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Evergreen, CO (4 grants) and Denver, CO (3 grants).
Does Benson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 78% of Benson Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (3 grants).
Who are Benson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Benson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Western Resource Advocates ($150,000), Renewable Northwest ($115,000) and International Development Enterprises ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Benson Family Foundation?
Benson Family Foundation reported $2.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $726K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $173K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Benson Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Benson Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Benson Family Foundation's EIN?
Benson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1969687. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Benson Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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