Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1
Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1, also known as the Bennett Family Foundation, is a private foundation based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 2004 through the bequest of Mabel Eleanore Newbold Bennett, it supports smaller, primarily local organizations serving communities in Greater Boston and Greater Philadelphia.
Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 at a glance
In short: Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 gave $307K across 54 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Massachusetts. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $306,750
- -3.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 54
- -5.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,681
- +2.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,055,436
- +1.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (15 of 54, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (50% 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 Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. For Greater Boston, Massachusetts organizations can submit an initial online request; the foundation may consider organizations in Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont in some cases. It asks applicants to have a brief mission statement, EIN, and a recent outcomes or annual report available. Renewal applicants may use a shorter renewal form if their organization information is unchanged. For Greater Philadelphia, the website says it is not presently accepting formal proposals from new grantees, but welcomes letters of introduction from eligible local nonprofits; if it decides to continue, it will request a formal proposal and supporting information. The foundation generally does not fund individuals or non-501(c)(3) organizations, educational institutions’ general operating funds or endowments, religious purposes, government organizations, organizations primarily engaged in policy or political advocacy, national organizations or local affiliates except for locally developed programs, deficits, debt reduction, fundraising or recognition events, or scholarships. It also states that it will not fund organizations that discriminate in hiring or populations served on the specified protected grounds.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists the last business day of March for Spring consideration and the last business day of September for Fall consideration for Boston initial requests. It states that submissions for Fall 2026 are closed and requests submitted now will be considered for Spring 2027. The 2024 filing lists April 1 and October 1 as inquiry deadlines; October 1, 2026 has passed.
- Deadline
- The website lists the last business day of March for Spring consideration and the last business day of September for…
- Contact
Application contact: Trustees Eleanore Bennett Charitabl
Mailing address: PO Box 381547, Cambridge, MA 02238
Phone: (610) 945-5569
Email: trustees@bennettfoundation.org
Website: https://bennettfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Nationalities Service Center ($33K). Together the top 10 received $142K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($5,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
227 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 227 grants of 227 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated geographic focus is Greater Boston/an individual recipient and Greater Philadelphia/Southeastern Pennsylvania. Its website describes Boston grantmaking as centered on Massachusetts, with possible consideration of organizations in Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont. In 2025, 50% of grant dollars went to Massachusetts recipients and 43% to Pennsylvania recipients; smaller shares went to New York, Maine, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 54 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 54 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 65% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 112% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $269K (2021) to $393K (2022). In 2025 it made 54 grants totaling $307K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Nationalities Service Center Philadelphia, PA | Entity Support | $32,500 |
| Share Food Program Philadelphia, PA | Entity Support | $29,500 |
| Health Care Access Phoenixville, PA | Entity Support | $12,500 |
| Action Against Hunger New York, NY | Entity Support | $10,000 |
| Roca Inc Chelsea, MA | Entity Support | $10,000 |
| Samaritans Inc Boston, MA | Entity Support | $10,000 |
| Surrey Services for Seniors Inc Devon, PA | Entity Support | $10,000 |
| The Baker Center for Children and Families Boston, MA | Entity Support | $10,000 |
| The Brookline Center for Community Mental Health Brookline, MA | Entity Support | $10,000 |
| Adolescent Consultation Services Cambridge, MA | Entity Support | $7,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1?
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 | $5,055,436 | $546,676 | $360,521 | $306,750 | 54 | $331,105 | $312,625 | $295,795 |
| 2024 | $4,962,873 | $265,799 | $371,835 | $317,500 | 57 | $340,650 | $276,754 | $270,184 |
| 2023 | $5,068,909 | $416,914 | $325,087 | $270,000 | 43 | $293,598 | $407,825 | $248,356 |
| 2022 | $4,977,082 | $389,149 | $449,226 | $393,000 | 43 | $417,125 | $356,965 | $321,274 |
| 2021 | $5,037,159 | $333,673 | $395,311 | $269,000 | 30 | — | $229,812 | $332,598 |
| 2020 | $5,098,797 | $132,737 | $330,928 | $282,750 | 37 | — | $112,245 | $280,049 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 reported a distributable amount of $296K 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 website describes its grantmaking as supporting smaller, primarily local organizations addressing specific needs in communities where family members live and work. It values organizations with staff expertise, measurable impact, and momentum toward program sustainability. Most grants support general operating expenses, though the foundation also describes program-specific and capacity-building grants.
In Greater Boston, the foundation prioritizes work with adolescents and young adults, particularly those facing mental-health needs, homelessness, justice involvement, foster-care transitions, or other barriers to independence. It highlights trauma-informed services, supportive relationships, and pathways involving workforce training, housing stability, or education. In Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania, it focuses on local organizations improving access to education, food, healthcare, housing, and legal services for at-risk communities.
Recent grantees illustrate the range of work supported. Nationalities Service Center describes its mission as welcoming and empowering immigrants to thrive in their communities and pursue a just future. Roca Inc. says it works to disrupt incarceration, poverty, and racism by engaging young adults and systems around urban violence. Samaritans Inc. describes work to reduce suicide through crisis support, grief support, and community education. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 54 grants totaling $306,750. Grants ranged from $500 to $32,500, with a median grant of $5,000. The foundation’s website gives a typical overall grant range of $2,500 to $25,000; its regional pages cite typical annual grants of $2,500 to $20,000, with occasional larger or multi-year commitments.
The largest 2025 grants included $32,500 to Nationalities Service Center and $29,500 to SHARE Food Program, both in Philadelphia; $12,500 to Health Care Access in Phoenixville; and $10,000 each to Action Against Hunger in New York, Roca Inc. in Chelsea, Samaritans Inc. in Boston, Surrey Services for Seniors in Devon, The Baker Center for Children and Families in Boston, and The Brookline Center for Community Mental Health.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas M. Chapin and Stewart B. Chapin as trustees. The foundation’s website says the trust is run by these co-trustees, with input from their families, and has no additional staff.
Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Stewart B. Chapin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$8K (2020) → $10K (2025)
Thomas M. Chapin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$8K (2020) → $10K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $10K, to Thomas M Chapin (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1
How much does Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 give each year?
Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 gave $307K across 54 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $318K across 57 grants.
What is Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1's typical grant size?
Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,681, across 54 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 that year got $6K on average.
Where does Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 give grants?
Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 gives mostly in Massachusetts: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (43%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (9 grants), Boston, MA (8 grants), Phoenixville, PA (7 grants) and Cambridge, MA (3 grants).
Does Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 54 grants with a stated purpose on Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Entity Support" (54 grants).
Who are Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1's largest grantees?
Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1's largest 2025 grantees include Nationalities Service Center ($32,500), Share Food Program ($29,500) and Health Care Access ($12,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($5,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1?
Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 reported $5.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $331K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $296K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 fund?
The foundation’s website describes its grantmaking as supporting smaller, primarily local organizations addressing specific needs in communities where family members live and work. It values organizations with staff expertise, measurable impact, and momentum toward program sustainability. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1's EIN?
Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-6016982. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1 funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/eleanore-bennett-charitable-trust-1-morg_c693cb39398341eabc0e1403084ad83b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_306016982_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust \#1 funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/eleanore-bennett-charitable-trust-1-morg_c693cb39398341eabc0e1403084ad83b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Eleanore Bennett Charitable Trust #1'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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