BESS Family Foundation
The BESS Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2008 and based in Wilmington, Delaware. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to philanthropic grantmaking.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.0M
+36.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.3M
+0.0% YoY
Grant Count
52
+44.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$26K
-30.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The BESS Family Foundation provides grants to organizations that offer evidence-based mindfulness and meditation programs designed to help people address contemporary challenges. The foundation specifically focuses on work at the intersection of mindfulness and meditation with the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss.
Grantmaking
The foundation makes grants to a range of organizations. Recent grant recipients have included:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking extends across multiple states, with primary activity in California, Massachusetts, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $1,443,400
- Total Revenue: $433,080
- Total Expenses: $1,443,785
- Total Liabilities: $0
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $1,964,625
- Total Giving: $1,348,832
The foundation has been tax-exempt since July 2009 (EIN: 27-0284495).
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,964,625 | $1,443,400 | $2,454,105 |
| Revenue | $2,055,524 | $433,080 | $73,848 |
| Expenses | $1,534,299 | $1,443,785 | $1,282,072 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,514,057 | $1,441,849 | $1,241,230 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,496,560 | $44,150 | $32,632 |
| Distributable Amount | $68,005 | $92,328 | $150,065 |
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
147 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Lalita Badinehal - Executive Director (2022)
- Jodi Castallo - Program Coordinator (2023)
The foundation employs approximately 4 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Chigier | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Shelly D Chigier | Trustee | 16 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Similar funders by location and focus area
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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