The Bender Family Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) family foundation established in 1997 and based in Albany, New York. The foundation operates as a grantmaking organization dedicated to supporting philanthropic initiatives across the Capital Region and surrounding areas.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.4M
+7.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$253K
+31.0% YoY
Grant Count
34
+25.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$7K
+4.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation works to foster, preserve, and fund the arts, culture, education, history, and environment of New York State's Capital Region.
Primary funding areas include:
- Arts and culture
- Humanities
- History
- Education
- Environment and natural resources
- Human services
- Youth development
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** Grants typically range from $5,000 to $15,000.
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation prioritizes funding for:
- The city of Albany
- Albany County
The foundation also considers projects within a 30-mile radius measured from the New York State Capitol Building (State Street, Albany). The foundation has supported projects in New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Vermont.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $2,360,255
- Total Revenues: $330,810
- Total Expenses: $310,418
- Number of Employees: 0
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $2,190,000
- Total Revenues: $1,110,000
- Total Expenses: $242,000
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,360,255 | $2,192,041 | $2,259,457 |
| Revenue | $330,810 | $1,106,802 | $41,467 |
| Expenses | $310,418 | $241,831 | $277,930 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $253,103 | $193,000 | $221,750 |
| Net Investment Income | $254,701 | $87,583 | $32,705 |
| Distributable Amount | $225,044 | $189,801 | $166,769 |
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
166 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Bender Family Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Jeffrey P. Bender — President
- M. Christian Bender — Vice-President
- Phoebe P. Bender — Secretary
- Jackie Mahoney — Treasurer
- Ten Eyck Powell Jr. — Board Member
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JEFFREY P BENDER | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| M CHRISTIAN BENDER | VICE-PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| PHOEBE P BENDER | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| JACKIE MAHONEY | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| TEN EYCK POWELL JR | BOARD | 1 | — |
Contact Information
- Address: 111 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210-2214
- Telephone: 518-457-5046
- Website: www.cfgcr.org/benderff/
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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