Benton Telecommunications Foundation
Benton Telecommunications Foundation is a private foundation based in Rice, Minnesota, founded by Benton Cooperative Telephone Company in 2007. It supports projects and programs related to wellness, basic human needs, education and personal development, and community development.
Benton Telecommunications Foundation at a glance
In short: Benton Telecommunications Foundation gave $178K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Minnesota. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $177,750
- +39.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +13.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,110
- +22.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $6,405,696
- +9.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (8 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (92% 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 Benton Telecommunications Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The website provides a letter-of-inquiry process for full proposals and a small-grant application that may be submitted at any time.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists full-grant cycles with letter-of-inquiry and proposal deadlines in December 2025 and January, April, May, August, and September 2026. As of October 2, 2026, all listed deadlines and award dates have passed. The 2025 filing states that there are no deadlines.
- Deadline
- The website lists full-grant cycles with letter-of-inquiry and proposal deadlines in December 2025 and January, April,…
- Contact
Application contact: Josh Anderson
Mailing address: 2220 125Th St Nw, Rice, MN 56367
Phone: (320) 393-2115
Website: https://www.bentontelecomfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Benton Telecommunications Foundation
Who Benton Telecommunications Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Cancer Society - Relay for Life ($25K). Together the top 10 received $159K.
Grant Size Distribution
133 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 133 grants of 133 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing says priority is given to projects directly within the Benton Cooperative Telephone Company service delivery area, and that proposals in counties served with an impact on people in the direct service area may also be considered. The website emphasizes community development in municipalities located in Benton County, Minnesota. In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota and 8% to recipients in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Benton Telecommunications Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 25 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 26% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 74% 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 $127K (2024) to $255K (2021). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $178K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Cancer Society - Relay for Life Eagen, MN | Relay Support, Research, Education, and Advocacy | $25,000 |
| Eastern Morrison County 4 Wheeler Club Inc Pierz, MN | Widen & clean up trails along the soo line trail | $25,000 |
| Employment Enterprises Inc Little Falls, MN | Automatic Doors for Entrance into Their Building | $25,000 |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Great Strides Minneapolis, MN | Walk support for a cure & assist people with cf | $20,000 |
| Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge Inc Minneapolis, MN | Help Veterans Through Addiction, PTSD, and Mental Health | $20,000 |
| City of Rice Rice, MN | Reader sign on city hall for messages to residents, etc. | $15,000 |
| Muscular Dystrophy Association Chicago, IL | Assist Camp Cost for Children with Muscular Dystrophy | $15,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota St Cloud, MN | Expansion of bigs program - sr rice school & sctc | $10,000 |
| Can Do Canines New Hope, MN | Costs for starter kits for trained dogs to help disabled | $2,000 |
| Christian Reformed Church of Pease Pease, MN | Youth Service Week for Area Surrounding Pease | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Benton Telecommunications 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 | $6,405,696 | $509,915 | $266,716 | $177,750 | 25 | $217,146 | $460,964 | $293,602 |
| 2024 | $5,864,886 | $403,222 | $209,799 | $127,375 | 22 | $166,899 | $361,797 | $274,069 |
| 2023 | $5,353,971 | $342,304 | $287,436 | $211,135 | 29 | $252,879 | $307,772 | $242,386 |
| 2022 | $4,770,047 | $142,535 | $332,559 | $240,350 | 27 | $282,331 | $103,803 | $252,790 |
| 2021 | $6,110,560 | $670,282 | $348,928 | $254,543 | 30 | $295,909 | $607,848 | $284,066 |
| 2020 | $5,639,450 | $42,423 | $254,376 | $156,163 | 32 | — | $30,721 | $250,834 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Benton Telecommunications Foundation reported a distributable amount of $294K 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 foundation’s stated focus areas are healthy living; basic human needs and services, including food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and healthcare; educational and personal development, with an emphasis on youth leadership and mentoring; and community development, particularly in municipalities in Benton County, Minnesota.
Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Employment Enterprises Inc., which received $25,000, describes its mission as empowering individuals to achieve personal success in the community. Can Do Canines, which received $2,000, says it creates mutually beneficial partnerships between people and specially trained dogs. Community Christian School of Pease, which received $1,500, describes its mission as providing biblically centered education for children. Angel Foundation, which received $1,000, says it offers cancer patients and their loved ones financial assistance, education, and emotional support.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 25 grants totaling $177,750. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $25,000, with a median award of $2,000. The largest awards included $25,000 each to American Cancer Society–Relay for Life, Eastern Morrison County 4 Wheeler Club, and Employment Enterprises Inc.; $20,000 each to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation–Great Strides and Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge; and $15,000 each to the City of Rice and Muscular Dystrophy Association.
The 2025 filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its website describes a two-stage process for full proposals: submit a two- to three-page letter of inquiry describing the applicant, its legal name and tax status, the proposed project and use of funds, its relation to the foundation’s mission, and the requested amount. Applicants invited to proceed submit a full proposal of no more than 10 single-spaced pages, excluding attachments. Requests over $2,000 require a 50% match and the full grant application. Requests under $2,000 use the small grant application, are reviewed monthly, and may be submitted at any time; the application instructions request an IRS determination letter from nonprofit organizations. For awarded small grants, the foundation requests a brief, one-page report explaining outcomes.
The filing lists eligible applicant types as 501(c)(3) organizations, governmental agencies or boards, and churches. It also lists individual grants for travel, study, or similar purposes, and disaster relief or individual economic relief as described in Treasury regulations, among its restrictions. The filing states that priority is given to projects directly within the Benton Cooperative Telephone Company service delivery area, while proposals in counties served that affect people in the direct service area may also be considered.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Daniel Lieser as president, Nancy Frerich as vice president, Mike Kahl as secretary, Cheryl Scapanski as treasurer, and Roger Secord and Jim Young as directors.
Benton Telecommunications Foundation is led by Daniel Lieser, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Daniel Lieser
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Young
Director
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roger Secord
Director
Vice President → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cheryl Scapanski
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Frerich
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Kahl
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Raymond Thompson (2020–2021) — Director
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 Benton Telecommunications Foundation
How much does Benton Telecommunications Foundation give each year?
Benton Telecommunications Foundation gave $178K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $127K across 22 grants.
What is Benton Telecommunications Foundation's typical grant size?
Benton Telecommunications Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $7,110, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Benton Telecommunications Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Benton Telecommunications Foundation give grants?
Benton Telecommunications Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Rice, MN (8 grants), Minneapolis, MN (2 grants), St Cloud, MN (2 grants) and Pease, MN (2 grants).
Does Benton Telecommunications Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Benton Telecommunications Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Benton Telecommunications Foundation's largest grantees?
Benton Telecommunications Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include American Cancer Society - Relay for Life ($25,000), Eastern Morrison County 4 Wheeler Club Inc ($25,000) and Employment Enterprises Inc ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Benton Telecommunications Foundation?
Benton Telecommunications Foundation reported $6.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $217K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $294K (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 Benton Telecommunications Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated focus areas are healthy living; basic human needs and services, including food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and healthcare; educational and personal development, with an emphasis on youth leadership and mentoring; and community development, particularly in municipalities in Benton County, Minnesota. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Benton Telecommunications Foundation?
The website provides a letter-of-inquiry process for full proposals and a small-grant application that may be submitted at any time. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Benton Telecommunications Foundation's EIN?
Benton Telecommunications Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1577232. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 30, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 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 May 15, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Benton Telecommunications Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/benton-telecommunications-foundation-morg_49e9543075a148b9865e22c438b87da7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261577232_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Benton Telecommunications Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/benton-telecommunications-foundation-morg_49e9543075a148b9865e22c438b87da7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Benton Telecommunications 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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