Doris L Benz Trust
Doris L Benz Trust is a private foundation based in Exeter, New Hampshire. Its 2025 filing describes scholarship support for students from specified New Hampshire high schools and annual distributions to tax-exempt organizations in Massachusetts or New Hampshire.
Doris L Benz Trust at a glance
In short: Doris L Benz Trust gave $520K across 21 grants in 2026 (avg $25K), mostly in New Hampshire. 38% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $519,694
- +0.4% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 21
- +5.0% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $24,747
- -4.3% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $5,896,918
- -4.1% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (8 of 21, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New Hampshire (74% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Doris L Benz Trust
- How to Apply
-
The trust’s 2025 filing instructs applicants to write to the trust and include an IRS determination letter confirming 501(c)(3) status. The filing states that restrictions apply: one half of income is for the specified New Hampshire student scholarships, and the remaining half is for qualifying organizations in Massachusetts or New Hampshire.
- Review Cycle
- The 2025 filing states that there are no submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- The 2025 filing states that there are no submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: The Doris L Benz Trust
Mailing address: 20 Dogtown Road, Exeter, NH 03833-4518
Phone: (603) 303-1128
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Doris L Benz Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was New Hampshire Charitable Foundation ($262K). Together the top 10 received $427K.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 97 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing identifies scholarship eligibility in Sandwich and elsewhere in Carroll County, New Hampshire, and specifies that the organizational distributions are for 501(c)(3) organizations located in Massachusetts or New Hampshire. In 2026, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in New Hampshire, 22% to recipients in Massachusetts, and 4% to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Doris L Benz Trust open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 8 of 21 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $30K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 48% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (−1%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 93% 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 (2021–2026). 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 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $454K (2021) to $525K (2023). In 2026 it made 21 grants totaling $520K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Concord, NH | Charitable Distribution | $262,346 |
| Castle in the Clouds Moultonborough, NH | Charitable Distribution | $20,000 |
| Agassiz Village Framingham, MA | Charitable Distribution | $20,000 |
| First Responder Therapy Dogs Inc San Raphael, CA | Charitable Distribution | $20,000 |
| Patriot Resilient Leader Institute Gilford, NH | Charitable Distribution | $20,000 |
| Hidden Battles Foundation Inc Dracut, MA | Charitable Distribution | $20,000 |
| Amazing Grace Animal Sanctuary Sullivan, NH | Charitable Distribution | $20,000 |
| Endicott College Beverly, MA | Charitable Distribution | $15,000 |
| Doris Benz Community Center Ctr Sandwich, NH | Charitable Distribution | $15,000 |
| Compassionate Care ALS Inc West Falmouth, MA | Charitable Distribution | $15,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $5,896,918 | $414,464 | $665,734 | $519,694 | 21 | $556,872 | $312,048 | $598,869 |
| 2025 | $6,148,188 | $522,893 | $659,724 | $517,418 | 20 | $553,352 | $424,165 | $570,309 |
| 2024 | $6,285,019 | $476,188 | $595,014 | $469,026 | 19 | $503,259 | $384,433 | $527,309 |
| 2023 | $6,399,939 | $281,525 | $680,704 | $525,187 | 19 | $561,350 | $218,982 | $514,822 |
| 2022 | $6,799,118 | $360,492 | $621,736 | $472,038 | 18 | $510,266 | $262,642 | $556,401 |
| 2021 | $7,060,362 | $828,929 | $590,100 | $454,443 | 20 | — | $736,709 | $523,849 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Doris L Benz Trust reported a distributable amount of $599K for 2026 — 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 trust is provided. Its 2025 filing says that one half of its income is to be used for scholarships for students graduating from Interlakes Regional High School in Sandwich, New Hampshire, or from any high school in Carroll County, New Hampshire. The remaining half is to be distributed annually to 501(c)(3) organizations located in Massachusetts or New Hampshire.
Its 2026 grants included $20,000 to Amazing Grace Animal Sanctuary, whose stated mission is to provide a home for abandoned, mistreated, and unloved farm animals. Hidden Battles Foundation, which received $20,000, says it provides activity-driven therapy, suicide-prevention awareness, family support, and peer-led support groups. First Responder Therapy Dogs, also awarded $20,000, says it addresses first responders’ mental health needs with emotional support from therapy dogs. Compassionate Care ALS, which received $15,000, says it assists individuals and families with ALS.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the trust reported 21 grants totaling $519,694. Grant amounts ranged from $3,672 to $262,346, with a median of $15,000. The largest listed grant was $262,346 to New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Other notable grants included $20,000 each to Castle in the Clouds, Agassiz Village, First Responder Therapy Dogs, Patriot Resilient Leader Institute, Hidden Battles Foundation, and Amazing Grace Animal Sanctuary. Endicott College received $15,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Ronald P. Weyland and Janice W. Sinclair as co-trustees.
Doris L Benz Trust's 2026 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Janice W. Sinclair
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2021
7 hrs/week
$35K (2021) → $37K (2026)
Ronald P. Weyland
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2021
7 hrs/week
$35K (2021) → $37K (2026)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $37K, to Ronald P Weyland (Co-Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Doris L Benz Trust
How much does Doris L Benz Trust give each year?
Doris L Benz Trust gave $520K across 21 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $517K across 20 grants.
What is Doris L Benz Trust's typical grant size?
Doris L Benz Trust's median grant in 2026 was $15,000, and its average grant was $24,747, across 21 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Doris L Benz Trust that year got $16K on average.
Where does Doris L Benz Trust give grants?
Doris L Benz Trust gives mostly in New Hampshire: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Salem, MA (2 grants).
Does Doris L Benz Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Doris L Benz Trust's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Distribution" (21 grants).
Who are Doris L Benz Trust's largest grantees?
Doris L Benz Trust's largest 2026 grantees include New Hampshire Charitable Foundation ($262,346), Castle in the Clouds ($20,000) and Agassiz Village ($20,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Doris L Benz Trust?
Doris L Benz Trust reported $5.9M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $557K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $599K (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 Doris L Benz Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 filing says that one half of its income is to be used for scholarships for students graduating from Interlakes Regional High School in Sandwich, New Hampshire, or from any high school in Carroll County, New Hampshire. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Doris L Benz Trust?
The trust’s 2025 filing instructs applicants to write to the trust and include an IRS determination letter confirming 501(c)(3) status. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Doris L Benz Trust's EIN?
Doris L Benz Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6504871. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Doris L Benz Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Doris L Benz Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/doris-l-benz-trust-morg_fb585b74ce6542c5a07226536510fa76
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046504871_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Doris L Benz Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/doris-l-benz-trust-morg_fb585b74ce6542c5a07226536510fa76},
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 Doris L Benz Trust'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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