Benson Family Foundation
The Benson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Des Moines, Iowa. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations providing food and shelter, animal care, counseling, and other services.
Benson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Benson Family Foundation gave $5K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $290.625), mostly in Iowa. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,650
- -6.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -27.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $291
- +29.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $200
- Total assets
- $101,120
- +3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (3 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (89% 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 Benson Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation stated on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4042 Ovid Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50310
Phone: (515) 577-4440
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Benson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was First Unitarian Church of Des Moines ($1K). Together the top 10 received $4K.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 109 grants of 109 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Iowa. The remaining reported shares were North Carolina (4%), Missouri (4%), and Minnesota (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Benson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 16 grantees (19%) 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 $433; repeat grants $258. How we count
Medians: $200 first-time, $200 repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 103% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $5K (2025) to $7K (2021). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $5K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First Unitarian Church of Des Moines Des Moines, IA | CHURCH | $1,000 |
| Animal Rescue League Des Moines, IA | Shelter for Homeless Animals | $700 |
| Iowa Wild Bird Rehabilitation Des Moines, IA | Iowa Bird Rehab | $600 |
| Food Bank of Iowa Des Moines, IA | Food Assistance | $500 |
| Mind & Spirit Counseling Center Urbandale, IA | Counseling Services | $250 |
| Hope Ministries Des Moines, IA | Food & Shelter for Indigent | $200 |
| Perry Lutheran Home Perry, IA | Grief Counseling | $200 |
| Wing Haven Foundation Charlotte, NC | Bird Sanctuarysupport for Women & Children | $200 |
| The Salvation Army Des Moines, IA | Food, Shelter Etc | $200 |
| VFW Auxiliary Kansas City, MO | Veterans | $200 |
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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 | $101,120 | $10,701 | $7,526 | $4,650 | 16 | $4,650 | $9,285 | $4,507 |
| 2024 | $97,945 | $4,519 | $7,710 | $4,950 | 22 | $4,950 | $3,039 | $4,629 |
| 2023 | $101,136 | $3,768 | $7,995 | $5,109 | 22 | $5,109 | $2,582 | $4,573 |
| 2022 | $105,363 | $3,688 | $9,038 | $6,133 | 22 | $6,133 | $1,959 | $5,217 |
| 2021 | $110,713 | $11,630 | $10,214 | $6,750 | 27 | $6,750 | $9,576 | $6,097 |
| 2020 | $109,297 | $11,621 | $8,732 | $5,450 | 39 | — | $9,567 | $6,379 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Benson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Food Bank of Iowa says it receives, warehouses, and distributes food to nonprofit member agencies serving people in need. Hope Ministries describes its work as providing meals, shelter, and life-recovery support to people facing homelessness, hunger, abuse, or addiction. Seed Savers Exchange says it works to preserve traditional garden and food-crop varieties.
Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions involve service dogs for military veterans (Puppy Jake Foundation), sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities (Special Olympics Iowa), and nature sanctuary and environmental stewardship (Wing Haven Foundation).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $4,650. Grants ranged from $100 to $1,000, with a median of $200. Larger grants included $1,000 to First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, $700 to Animal Rescue League, $600 to Iowa Wild Bird Rehabilitation, and $500 to Food Bank of Iowa. Other recipients included Mind & Spirit Counseling Center ($250), Hope Ministries ($200), and Wing Haven Foundation ($200).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sandy B. Johnson as president.
Benson Family Foundation is led by Sandy B. Johnson, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sandy B. Johnson
President
On filings since 2020
2 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 Benson Family Foundation
How much does Benson Family Foundation give each year?
Benson Family Foundation gave $5K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $5K across 22 grants.
What is Benson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Benson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $200, and its average grant was $291, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Benson Family Foundation that year got $433 on average.
Where does Benson Family Foundation give grants?
Benson Family Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Des Moines, IA (7 grants), Urbandale, IA (2 grants) and Johnston, IA (2 grants).
Does Benson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Benson Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Benson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Benson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include First Unitarian Church of Des Moines ($1,000), Animal Rescue League ($700) and Iowa Wild Bird Rehabilitation ($600), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Benson Family Foundation?
Benson Family Foundation reported $101K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Benson Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Food Bank of Iowa says it receives, warehouses, and distributes food to nonprofit member agencies serving people in need. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Benson Family Foundation?
The foundation stated on its 2024 filing 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 20-6077479. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 31, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 19, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Benson Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Benson 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.
Benson Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?