Newman W Benson Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Towanda, PA EIN: 16-1387370

The NEWMAN W BENSON FOUNDATION is a private foundation based in Towanda, Pennsylvania. Its 2021 filing is marked as a final return, and the foundation stated that it sold its marketable securities and mutual funds and distributed the resulting cash to qualifying public charities. It therefore appears to have wound down or stopped grantmaking.

Key facts about Newman W Benson Foundation

In short: Newman W Benson Foundation gave $611K across 22 grants in 2021 (avg $28K), mostly in Pennsylvania. Source: 2021 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
16-1387370
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2021
Annual giving (2021)
$611,282
Grants made (2021)
22
Average grant
$27,786
Median grant
$5,000
Primary geography
Pennsylvania (100% of itemized 2021 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Deadline
None listed on the final filing; this is not a current application cycle.

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2021; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2021 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

-100.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$611K

+1871.9% YoY

Grant Count

22

+83.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$28K

+975.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Newman W Benson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $18K for 2021 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

How Newman W Benson Foundation gives

  • 23% of 2021 grantees were also funded in 2020. Method
  • In 2021 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2021 grants included support for churches, schools, community organizations, and other charitable organizations.

Among the recipients, North Rome Christian School described its mission as providing K–12 education. Bradford County Humane Society described its mission as caring for, sheltering, and placing abandoned, abused, and neglected animals in Bradford and Sullivan counties, as well as providing humane education, programs, and services to the community and pet owners.

Grantmaking

In 2021, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $611,282. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $500,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Notable recipients included SS Peter and Paul Church in Towanda ($500,000), Epiphany School in Sayre ($20,000), North Rome Christian School in Rome ($10,250), West Warren Congregational Church in Rome ($10,000), French Azilum Historical Society in Towanda ($10,000), and Scranton Diocesan Annual Appeal ($10,000).

Review Cycle

; these details are from the foundation’s final return and should not be treated as a current application process. The filing states that eligible organizations are in the United States or its possessions, with special consideration for organizations benefiting residents of Towanda, Pennsylvania, and Bradford County, Pennsylvania.

How to Apply

. The filing states that eligible organizations are in the United States or its possessions, with special consideration for organizations benefiting residents of Towanda, Pennsylvania, and Bradford County, Pennsylvania.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation’s 2021 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania. The filing states that special consideration is given to organizations benefiting residents of Towanda and Bradford County, while also allowing organizations in the United States or its possessions.

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of all 22 itemized 2021 grant dollars.

States

Cities

TowandaRomeWysox TwpSayreUlsterWysoxMechanicsburgPottsvilleScrantonTroyWyalusing

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K12 grants202022 grants2021

From 2020 to 2021, annual grant giving ranged from $31K (2020) to $611K (2021). In 2021 it made 22 grants totaling $611K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2021

SS Peter and Paul Church: $500KSS Peter and Paul Church$500KEpiphany School: $20KEpiphany School$20KNorth Rome Christian School: $10KNorth Rome Christian School$10KWest Warren Congregational Church: $10KWest Warren CongregationalChurch$10KFrench Azilum Historical Society: $10KFrench Azilum HistoricalSociety$10KScranton Diocesan Annual Appeal: $10KScranton Diocesan AnnualAppeal$10KTowanda Lions Club: $6KTowanda Lions Club$6KEndless Mountains Mission Center: $5KEndless Mountains MissionCenter$5KChrist Episcopal Church: $5KChrist Episcopal Church$5KTowanda Christian Outreach Food Pantry: $5KTowanda Christian OutreachFood Pantry$5K

The largest 2021 recipient was SS Peter and Paul Church ($500K). Together the top 10 received $581K.

Grant Size Distribution

34 grants across all recorded years

33<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 33 grants of 34 (97%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
SS Peter and Paul Church Towanda, PADonation$500,000
Epiphany School Sayre, PADonation$20,000
North Rome Christian School Rome, PADonation$10,250
West Warren Congregational Church Rome, PADonation$10,000
French Azilum Historical Society Towanda, PADonation$10,000
Scranton Diocesan Annual Appeal Scranton, PADonation$10,000
Towanda Lions Club Towanda, PADonation$5,700
Endless Mountains Mission Center Troy, PADonation$5,044
Christ Episcopal Church Pottsville, PADonation$5,000
Towanda Christian Outreach Food Pantry Wysox, PADonation$5,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants Grant count
2021 — $207,041 $615,897 $611,282 22
2020 $408,856 $30,392 $44,953 $31,000 12
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$200K$400K$600K$800K20202021
Metric20212020
Total Assets—$408,856
Revenue$207,041$30,392
Expenses$615,897$44,953
Qualifying Distributions$611,282—
Net Investment Income$202,873$25,392
Distributable Amount$17,613$23,420

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2021

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2021 filing lists Patricia Benson as President and Robert Salpino as Treasurer.

Newman W Benson Foundation is led by Patricia Benson, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2021 report compensation.

Officers on the 2021 filing

  • Patricia Benson

    President

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Robert Salpino

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2021. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: 873 Wesauking Drive, Towanda, PA 18848-7550
Phone: (570) 265-3498

Frequently asked questions about Newman W Benson Foundation

How much does Newman W Benson Foundation give each year?

Newman W Benson Foundation gave $611K across 22 grants in 2021, according to its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2020 it gave $31K across 12 grants.

What is Newman W Benson Foundation's typical grant size?

Newman W Benson Foundation's median grant in 2021 was $5,000, and its average grant was $27,786, across 22 grants on its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Newman W Benson Foundation give grants?

Newman W Benson Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Towanda, PA (8 grants), Rome, PA (3 grants), Ulster, PA (2 grants) and Wysox TWP, PA (2 grants).

Does Newman W Benson Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2021: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Newman W Benson Foundation's 2021 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (22 grants).

Who are Newman W Benson Foundation's largest grantees?

Newman W Benson Foundation's largest 2021 grantees include SS Peter and Paul Church ($500,000), Epiphany School ($20,000) and North Rome Christian School ($10,250), according to its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2021 grant dollars.

What does Newman W Benson Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2021 grants included support for churches, schools, community organizations, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Newman W Benson Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

How much is Newman W Benson Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2021, Newman W Benson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $18K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Newman W Benson Foundation's EIN?

Newman W Benson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 16-1387370. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2021.

Does Newman W Benson Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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