Frederick R Benson Trust

TERRE HAUTE, IN EIN: 35-6011748

The Frederick R Benson Trust is a private foundation established in 1950 and located in Terre Haute, Indiana. It operates as an independent, non-operating foundation focused on grantmaking to charitable organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.4M

-4.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$84K

+0.0% YoY

Grant Count

+6.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2K

-5.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Frederick R Benson Trust reported a distributable amount of $77K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The trust's primary funding interests include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$1,000

Average Grant

amount varies by year

Review Cycle

**Restrictions:**

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Vigo County, Indiana (Terre Haute area)

Grant Distribution by State

Indiana $411K (100%)

States

Indiana

Cities

IndianapolisPimentoRockvilleSt Mary Of The WoodsSt MaryofthewoodsTerre HauteWest Terre Haute

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets:

$1,383,816 (as of 2024)

Annual Giving:

$84,000–$85,000 in distributions

Tax Status:

EIN: 35-6011748
501(c)(3) organization
IRS ruling year: 1953
Private non-operating foundation

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$1,383,816	$1,442,270	$1,463,206
Revenue	$41,999	$78,350	$58,318
Expenses	$100,453	$99,286	$103,261
Qualifying Distributions	$85,269	$85,297	$86,420
Net Investment Income	$26,815	$64,361	$41,477
Distributable Amount	$76,701	$69,613	$72,589

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

248 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include American Red Cross of the Wabash Valley ($28,000), 14th & Chestnut Community Center ($2,000), Big Brothers Big Sisters Wabash Valley ($2,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
14th & Chestnut Community Center Terre Haute, IN	General support	$2,000
American Red Cross of the Wabash Valley Terre Haute, IN	General Support	$28,000
Art Spaces Inc Terre Haute, IN	General Support	$400
Big Brothers Big Sisters Wabash Valley Terre Haute, IN	General Support	$2,000
Candles Holocaust Museum Terre Haute, IN	General Support	$1,500
Catholic Charities Terre Haute, IN	General Support	$1,000
Council on Domestic Abuse Terre Haute, IN	General Support	$1,500
Covenant Cooperative Ministry Terre Haute, IN	General Support	$500
Friends of the Arboretum Inc Terre Haute, IN	General Support	$300
Gibault Inc Terre Haute, IN	General Support	$2,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

First Financial Bank NA - Trustee (2 hours per week, $15,000 compensation)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
First Financial Bank NA	Trustee	2	$15,418

Recent Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2024

The trust awarded a $2,000 general support grant to the League of Terre Haute in 2024, demonstrating continued grantmaking activity in the local community.

COVID-19 Grants Awarded to 31 Organizations by The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Frederick R Benson Trust fund?

The trust's primary funding interests include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from Frederick R Benson Trust?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant awards range from $200 to $28,333 • Median grant size: $1,000 • Average grant amount varies by year • Total annual giving: approximately $84,000–$85,000 **Application Process:** • Written application required, including statement of need and use of proceeds • Verification of 501(c)(3) status required • No stated deadline **Restrictions:** • Funding is limited to 501(c)(3) organizations located in Vigo County, Indiana

Where does Frederick R Benson Trust make grants?

Vigo County, Indiana (Terre Haute area)

What size grants does Frederick R Benson Trust award?

In 2024, Frederick R Benson Trust awarded 51 grants totaling $84K — an average of about $2K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Frederick R Benson Trust required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Frederick R Benson Trust reported a distributable amount of $77K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.