The Benificus Foundation
The Benificus Foundation is a private foundation based in San Carlos, California. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations working in areas including climate, Parkinson’s disease research, education, health care, and environmental protection.
The Benificus Foundation at a glance
In short: The Benificus Foundation gave $186.0M across 56 grants in 2024 (avg $3.3M), mostly in California. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $186,037,167
- -15.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 56
- +30.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,322,092
- -35.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $500,601
- Total assets
- $8,272,321
- -31.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (11 of 56, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (57% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Benificus Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1180 San Carlos Avenue 717, San Carlos, CA 94070
Phone: (650) 384-0240
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Benificus Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Climate Imperative Foundation ($45.8M). Together the top 10 received $147.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
216 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 216 (27%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, California organizations received 57% of grant dollars, followed by New York at 19%, the District of Columbia at 7%, Colorado at 6%, and Illinois at 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 56 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Benificus Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 56 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4.2M; repeat grants $3.1M. How we count
Medians: $338K first-time, $513K repeat.
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 214% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $59.2M (2021) to $220.1M (2023). In 2024 it made 56 grants totaling $186.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Climate Imperative Foundation San Francisco, CA | General Purpose | $45,776,097 |
| Calico Life Sciences LLC South San Francisco, CA | Parkinson's Disease Research | $31,400,000 |
| Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research New York, NY | General Purpose | $21,383,580 |
| Aspen Global Change Institute Basalt, CO | General Purpose | $10,135,118 |
| Northwestern University Evanston, IL | General Purpose | $8,078,312 |
| Ted Foundation New York, NY | General Purpose | $7,412,671 |
| The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University Redwood City, CA | General Purpose | $7,094,660 |
| Alliance for Climate Protection DBA Climate Reality Project Washington, DC | General Purpose | $7,000,001 |
| Khan Academy Mountain View, CA | General Purpose | $5,032,740 |
| United States of Care Campaign Arlington, VA | General Purpose | $4,037,717 |
Ready to take the next step with The Benificus Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,272,321 | $42,360,819 | $186,693,536 | $186,037,167 | 56 | $186,078,117 | $42,225,744 | $8,565,787 |
| 2023 | $12,065,869 | $2,579,850 | $220,283,579 | $220,068,974 | 43 | $220,114,874 | $2,441,345 | $16,870,857 |
| 2022 | $12,363,256 | $2,742,801 | $100,161,609 | $99,890,001 | 55 | $99,932,701 | $2,579,113 | $23,295,048 |
| 2021 | $13,481,294 | $1,960,393 | $59,447,336 | $59,248,925 | 33 | $59,288,625 | $1,811,682 | $31,935,329 |
| 2020 | $13,401,459 | $-427,034 | $71,405,595 | $71,204,637 | 29 | — | $37,005 | $22,892,015 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Benificus Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for climate initiatives, Parkinson’s disease research, universities, education organizations, health care, and environmental organizations.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Climate Imperative Foundation says its mission is to use science and economics to cut global carbon emissions. Aspen Global Change Institute says it advances global-change science and solutions through research, convening, education, and communications. Khan Academy describes its mission as providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. United States of Care Campaign says it works toward access to quality, affordable health care for everyone. Environmental Defense Fund says it seeks to preserve the natural systems on which life depends. New Schools Fund says it supports promising education ventures to improve public education and close the achievement gap.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 56 grants totaling $186,037,167. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $45,776,097, with a median grant of $500,600.
The largest reported 2024 grants included $45,776,097 to Climate Imperative Foundation; $31,400,000 to Calico Life Sciences LLC for Parkinson’s disease research; $21,383,580 to Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research; $10,135,118 to Aspen Global Change Institute; and $8,078,312 to Northwestern University. Other notable grants included $7,412,671 to TED Foundation, $7,094,660 to Stanford University, $7,000,001 to Alliance for Climate Protection dba Climate Reality Project, and $5,032,740 to Khan Academy.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists L. John Doerr III as vice president, Ann Howland Doerr as president, CFO, and secretary, and Barbara S. Hager as CEO.
The Benificus Foundation is led by Barbara S. Hager, CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Barbara S. Hager
CEO
CEO & CFO → CEO, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann Howland Doerr
President, CFO & Secretary
President → President, CFO & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
L. John Doerr III
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 The Benificus Foundation
How much does The Benificus Foundation give each year?
The Benificus Foundation gave $186.0M across 56 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $220.1M across 43 grants.
What is The Benificus Foundation's typical grant size?
The Benificus Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $500,601, and its average grant was $3,322,092, across 56 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Benificus Foundation that year got $4.2M on average.
Where does The Benificus Foundation give grants?
The Benificus Foundation gives mostly in California: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (19%) and District of Columbia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (11 grants), San Francisco, CA (9 grants), New York, NY (7 grants) and Aspen, CO (3 grants).
Does The Benificus Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 98% of The Benificus Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (55 of 56) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Benificus Foundation's largest grantees?
The Benificus Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Climate Imperative Foundation ($45,776,097), Calico Life Sciences LLC ($31,400,000) and Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research ($21,383,580), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Benificus Foundation?
The Benificus Foundation reported $8.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $186.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Benificus Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for climate initiatives, Parkinson’s disease research, universities, education organizations, health care, and environmental organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Benificus Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Benificus Foundation's EIN?
The Benificus Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0444504. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Benificus 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 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Benificus Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Benificus Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-benificus-foundation-morg_7fcfb052ad2442148775074adc216bb1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_770444504_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Benificus Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-benificus-foundation-morg_7fcfb052ad2442148775074adc216bb1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 The Benificus 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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