Beren Sea Foundation
Beren Sea Foundation is a private foundation based in Wichita, Kansas. Its 2024 grants supported charitable organizations in Kansas, New York, and Pennsylvania, including organizations working in community services, education, health, and efforts to combat hate.
Beren Sea Foundation at a glance
In short: Beren Sea Foundation gave $4.2M across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $302K), mostly in Kansas. 43% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,225,588
- -16.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- +55.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $301,828
- -46.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,750
- Total assets
- $11,437,273
- +43.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (6 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Kansas (70% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Beren Sea Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2020 N Bramblewood St, Wichita, KS 67206
Phone: (316) 265-3311
Website: https://berenseafoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Beren Sea Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Combat Hate Foundation ($2.8M). Together the top 10 received $4.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
46 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 17 grants of 46 (37%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kansas, 28% to New York, and 2% to Pennsylvania. Illinois accounted for 0% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Beren Sea Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 14 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $525K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $73K repeat.
- 43% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 57% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 876% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.7M (2021) to $5.1M (2023). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $4.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Combat Hate Foundation Moundridge, KS | General | $2,775,000 |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc New York, NY | Beren-Galila Initiative | $1,100,000 |
| Abavath Achim Congregation Wichita, KS | General | $100,234 |
| Penn Hillel Philadelphia, PA | General | $85,000 |
| Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation Wichita, KS | 2023 Contribution & Lunch Jewish Heritage Month | $60,018 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY | Richard Wong Lab | $51,000 |
| Wichita Community Tennis Inc Wichita, KS | WTO Contribution | $20,000 |
| Center for Hearing and Communication New York, NY | CHC Communication Partner and Gala | $11,500 |
| Wichita Collegiate School Wichita, KS | Tom Davis Legacy Endowment | $10,000 |
| Wichita Jewish Community Center Washinton, KS | General | $5,501 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $11,437,273 | $15,122,534 | $11,659,121 | $4,225,588 | 14 | $5,094,793 | $2,122,802 | $581,580 |
| 2023 | $7,973,860 | $7,851,737 | $7,730,817 | $5,050,621 | 9 | $5,893,750 | $684,449 | $397,573 |
| 2022 | $7,853,797 | $5,100,998 | $5,241,369 | $4,492,380 | 8 | $5,198,502 | $1,091,328 | $443,841 |
| 2021 | $7,993,311 | $4,533,677 | $3,504,318 | $2,683,491 | 6 | $3,455,235 | $1,496,421 | $509,297 |
| 2020 | $7,032,424 | $3,701,244 | $4,133,125 | $3,098,798 | 9 | — | $418,689 | $498,237 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Beren Sea Foundation reported a distributable amount of $582K for 2024 — 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 grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes. For example, Combat Hate Foundation describes its goal as educating the public about the harm caused by hate crimes; Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation says it works to strengthen and preserve Jewish identity through philanthropy, education, and cultural events; and Wichita Collegiate School describes its work as providing a transformative education grounded in academic excellence.
Other 2024 recipients describe work in health and community services. Center for Hearing and Communication provides services for people affected by hearing loss, deafness, or listening challenges. PEF Israel Endowment Funds says it supports relief and physical well-being for needy people in Israel, health facilities, and educational and religious institutions. Penn Hillel describes a focus on Jewish education, human services, family and economic needs, and support for Israel and Jews at risk elsewhere.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 14 grants totaling $4,225,588 in 2024. The smallest was $155, the largest was $2,775,000, and the median was $15,750. Earlier reported grantmaking was $5,050,621 across 9 grants in 2023 and $4,492,380 across 8 grants in 2022.
Among the largest listed 2024 grants were $2,775,000 to Combat Hate Foundation for general purposes and $1,100,000 to PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc. for the Beren-Galila Initiative. Other listed grants included $100,234 to Ahavath Achim Congregation, $85,000 to Penn Hillel, and $60,018 to Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Adam E. Beren as president and secretary, and Ellen Beren as treasurer.
Beren Sea Foundation is led by Adam E. Beren, President & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Adam E. Beren
President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ellen Beren
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Beren Sea Foundation
How much does Beren Sea Foundation give each year?
Beren Sea Foundation gave $4.2M across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $5.1M across 9 grants.
What is Beren Sea Foundation's typical grant size?
Beren Sea Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,750, and its average grant was $301,828, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Beren Sea Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Beren Sea Foundation give grants?
Beren Sea Foundation gives mostly in Kansas: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (28%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wichita, KS (6 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Beren Sea Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 50% of Beren Sea Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Beren Sea Foundation's largest grantees?
Beren Sea Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Combat Hate Foundation ($2,775,000), PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc ($1,100,000) and Abavath Achim Congregation ($100,234), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 94% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Beren Sea Foundation?
Beren Sea Foundation reported $11.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $582K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Beren Sea Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Beren Sea Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Beren Sea Foundation's EIN?
Beren Sea Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-0800568. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Beren Sea 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 22, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 4, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Beren Sea Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/beren-sea-foundation-morg_5fc1b7a9840c425b876c5d541d3ca830
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_460800568_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Beren Sea Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/beren-sea-foundation-morg_5fc1b7a9840c425b876c5d541d3ca830},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Beren Sea 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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