Binder Foundation
Binder Foundation is a private foundation based in Pasadena, California. In 2024, it reported 34 grants totaling $871,000, supporting organizations that include youth services, schools, universities, and health-related organizations.
Binder Foundation at a glance
In short: Binder Foundation gave $871K across 34 grants in 2024 (avg $26K), mostly in California. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $871,000
- +7.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- +6.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $25,618
- +0.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $15,873,740
- +3.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (9 of 33, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (62% 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 Binder Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 969 Buckingham Place, Pasadena, CA 91105-2205
Phone: (310) 473-8440
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Binder Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Give-Mentor-Love Foundation ($300K). Together the top 10 received $698K.
Grant Size Distribution
133 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 106 grants of 133 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 62% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 31% to recipients in Massachusetts. New York and the District of Columbia each received 3%, and Arizona received 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Binder Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 33 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $33K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 61% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 78% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $813K (2023) to $4.0M (2022). In 2024 it made 34 grants totaling $871K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Give-Mentor-Love Foundation South Pasadena, CA | Donation | $300,000 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Donation | $155,000 |
| UCLA Los Angeles, CA | Donation | $38,000 |
| Carlthorp School Santa Monica, CA | Donation | $37,000 |
| Dexter Southfield Brookline, MA | Donation | $31,000 |
| Village School Pacific Palisades, CA | Donation | $30,000 |
| Caltech Pasadena, CA | Donation | $30,000 |
| Breast Cancer Research Foundation New York, NY | Donation | $30,000 |
| City of Hope Duarte, CA | Donation | $25,000 |
| La's Best Los Angeles, CA | Donation | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Binder 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $15,873,740 | $1,534,394 | $968,862 | $871,000 | 34 | $888,159 | $1,440,832 | $1,133,915 |
| 2023 | $15,308,208 | $899,590 | $935,366 | $813,400 | 32 | $813,400 | $742,299 | $990,562 |
| 2022 | $15,343,984 | $1,329,546 | $4,089,933 | $3,960,000 | 26 | $3,960,000 | $1,199,613 | $993,810 |
| 2021 | $18,104,371 | $1,535,045 | $1,108,450 | $975,750 | 20 | $975,750 | $1,391,345 | $1,249,609 |
| 2020 | $17,677,777 | $724,184 | $1,126,621 | $1,026,750 | 21 | — | $647,506 | $1,019,197 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Binder Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M 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 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Give-Mentor-Love Foundation describes its mission as helping Los Angeles County youth recovering from neglect and abuse, including sexual exploitation. City of Hope says its mission is to make hope a reality for people touched by cancer and diabetes. Education recipients include MIT, whose mission includes advancing knowledge and educating students, and LA’s BEST, which provides free before- and after-school activities to children in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $871,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $300,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest awards included $300,000 to Give-Mentor-Love Foundation and $155,000 to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Other notable grants were $38,000 to UCLA, $37,000 to Carlthorp School, $31,000 to Dexter Southfield, and $30,000 each to Village School, Caltech, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Gordon Binder and Adele Binder as trustees.
Binder Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Adele Binder
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Gordon Binder
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Binder Foundation
How much does Binder Foundation give each year?
Binder Foundation gave $871K across 34 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $813K across 32 grants.
What is Binder Foundation's typical grant size?
Binder Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $25,618, across 34 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Binder Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Binder Foundation give grants?
Binder Foundation gives mostly in California: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (31%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (10 grants), Boston, MA (5 grants), Cambridge, MA (3 grants) and Pacific Palisades, CA (3 grants).
Does Binder Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 34 grants with a stated purpose on Binder Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (34 grants).
Who are Binder Foundation's largest grantees?
Binder Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Give-Mentor-Love Foundation ($300,000), Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($155,000) and UCLA ($38,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Binder Foundation?
Binder Foundation reported $15.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $888K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (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 Binder Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Give-Mentor-Love Foundation describes its mission as helping Los Angeles County youth recovering from neglect and abuse, including sexual exploitation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Binder Foundation?
The foundation 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 Binder Foundation's EIN?
Binder Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4635806. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Binder 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Binder Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Binder Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/binder-foundation-morg_c3e56af726544b718f7ef453181f5c1a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954635806_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Binder Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/binder-foundation-morg_c3e56af726544b718f7ef453181f5c1a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Binder 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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