P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation
The P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation is a private foundation based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations in several states, including organizations working in arts, education, conservation, health, and other areas.
P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation at a glance
In short: P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation gave $268K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state Illinois. 4% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990 filing.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $268,000
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,720
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,100
- Total assets
- $3,437,631
- -0.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (1 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (26% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to P Bruce and Virginia C Benson 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: 1422 Alamo Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80907-7302
Phone: (719) 635-5950
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Barrington Youth Dance Ensemble ($40K). Together the top 10 received $232K.
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 119 grants of 119 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares were directed to organizations in Illinois (26%), Colorado (14%), New York (14%), California (12%), and Michigan (11%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 25 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 96% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method
- In 2023 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $219K (2023) to $268K (2025). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $268K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Barrington Youth Dance Ensemble Barrington, IL | Charitable | $40,000 |
| Darrow School New Lebanon, NY | Charitable | $37,500 |
| Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Colorado Springs, CO | Charitable | $26,000 |
| North Shore Country Day School Winnetka, IL | Charitable | $25,000 |
| NRA Civil Rights Defense Fairfax, VA | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Whitman College Walla Walla, WA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, AZ | Charitable | $8,200 |
| Citizens for Conservation Barrington, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,437,631 | $327,245 | $333,258 | $268,000 | 25 | — | $79,983 | — |
| 2024 | $3,443,644 | $439,219 | $308,807 | $250,250 | 25 | — | $86,962 | — |
| 2023 | $3,313,232 | $220,670 | $269,824 | $218,500 | 21 | $217,000 | $82,346 | $203,865 |
| 2022 | $3,362,386 | $356,941 | $297,903 | $237,700 | 24 | $237,700 | $51,280 | $242,473 |
| 2021 | $3,303,348 | $288,678 | $276,655 | $221,500 | 24 | — | $61,047 | $209,329 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose missions span different fields. Barrington Youth Dance Ensemble says it promotes dance and performance opportunities for young artists and provides programming for schools, seniors, and disadvantaged people. Darrow School describes an educational mission centered on serving students with diverse backgrounds and abilities. Citizens for Conservation says it works to protect and restore land and conserve natural resources, while World Central Kitchen says it provides meals during humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $268,000 through 25 grants. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $40,000, with a median grant of $3,100. Its largest listed grants included $40,000 to Barrington Youth Dance Ensemble, $37,500 to Darrow School, $30,000 each to Hillsdale College and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation, and $26,000 to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dave Benson as secretary/treasurer, Polly Benson-Brown as vice president, and Lucia Dhaens as president.
P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation is led by Lucia Dhaens, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lucia Dhaens
President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Dave Benson
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Polly Benson-Brown
Vice President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation
How much does P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation give each year?
P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation gave $268K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2024 it gave $250K across 25 grants.
What is P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation's typical grant size?
P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,100, and its average grant was $10,720, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation give grants?
P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. The next largest states were Colorado (14%) and New York (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Colorado Springs, CO (4 grants), Barrington, IL (2 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Denver, CO (2 grants).
Does P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 filing were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (25 grants).
Who are P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation's largest grantees?
P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Barrington Youth Dance Ensemble ($40,000), Darrow School ($37,500) and Hillsdale College ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation?
P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation reported $3.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. Its revenue that year was $327K.
What does P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose missions span different fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from P Bruce and Virginia C Benson 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 P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation's EIN?
P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1090517. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does P Bruce and Virginia C Benson 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 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/p-bruce-and-virginia-c-benson-foundation-morg_75d0e81e28604ba8a19f0cff2d36e102
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_841090517_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{P Bruce and Virginia C Benson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/p-bruce-and-virginia-c-benson-foundation-morg_75d0e81e28604ba8a19f0cff2d36e102},
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 P Bruce and Virginia C Benson 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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