The Benificus Foundation is a private foundation established in 1997 and based in San Carlos, California. It is classified as a 501(c)(3) private grantmaking foundation (NTEE code T20). The foundation conducts what its founders describe as "venture philanthropy," providing millions annually to high-potential but often high-risk projects aligned with its core interests.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$8.3M
-31.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$186.0M
-15.5% YoY
Grant Count
56
+30.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3.3M
-35.1% YoY
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Benificus Foundation's primary areas of focus are:
- K-12 education reform
- Climate change
- Health equity
- Global development
The foundation is known for its significant support of K-12 school reform and climate action initiatives. A landmark 2022 gift established Stanford University's Doerr School of Sustainability. Recent tax filings from 2023 indicate a substantially increased commitment to climate organizations.
Grantmaking
The foundation's giving varies considerably from year to year. In 2023, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $217,840,409. Notable 2023 grants included:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is primarily concentrated in California, the District of Columbia, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2023 Financial Data
- Total Assets: $12,065,869
- Total Revenues: $2,579,850
- Total Expenses: $220,283,579
- Total Giving: $217,840,409
Historical Assets
The foundation's assets have fluctuated over time, with reported assets ranging from approximately $8.3 million to $24.4 million depending on the reporting source and year.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $8,272,321 | $12,065,869 | $12,363,256 |
| Revenue | $42,360,819 | $2,579,850 | $2,742,801 |
| Expenses | $186,693,536 | $220,283,579 | $100,161,609 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $186,078,117 | $220,114,874 | $99,932,701 |
| Net Investment Income | $42,225,744 | $2,441,345 | $2,579,113 |
| Distributable Amount | $8,565,787 | $16,870,857 | $23,295,048 |
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
205 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Climate Imperative Foundation ($45,776,097), Calico Life Sciences Llc ($31,400,000), Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research ($21,383,580).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACCOUNTABLE FOR HEALTH INSTITUTE INC WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL PURPOSE | $250,000 |
| ALLIANCE FOR CLIMATE PROTECTION DBA CLIMATE REALITY PROJECT WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL PURPOSE | $7,000,001 |
| ASPEN CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES ASPEN, CO | GENERAL PURPOSE | $150,000 |
| ASPEN GLOBAL CHANGE INSTITUTE BASALT, CO | GENERAL PURPOSE | $10,135,118 |
| ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL ASPEN, CO | GENERAL PURPOSE | $5,000 |
| ASPEN PUBLIC RADIOROARING FORK PUBLIC RADIO INC ASPEN, CO | GENERAL PURPOSE | $2,500 |
| ASPEN VALLEY LAND TRUST CARBONDALE, CO | GENERAL PURPOSE | $250,000 |
| BEST BUDDIES MIAMI, FL | GENERAL PURPOSE | $25,000 |
| CALICO LIFE SCIENCES LLC SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA | PARKINSON'S DISEASE RESEARCH | $31,400,000 |
| CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $30,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Founders & Key Personnel
L. John Doerr – Founder. A venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Doerr studied electrical engineering at Rice University and earned an MBA from Harvard. He was employed at Intel before joining Kleiner Perkins in 1980. His venture capital firm provided early-stage funding to major technology companies including Amazon, Google, Compaq, Netscape, Symantec, Sun Microsystems, Intuit, and drugstore.com. In 2009, Doerr was appointed to President Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
Ann Howland Doerr – Founder and President of Benificus Foundation. She also serves as board chair for Khan Academy.
Trustees – L. John Doerr III, Ann Howland Doerr, and Barbara S. Hager
Both John and Ann Doerr are billionaire signatories of the Giving Pledge, committing to give away at least half of their wealth to philanthropy.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| L JOHN DOERR III | VICE PRESIDENT | — | — |
| ANN HOWLAND DOERR | PRESIDENT, CFO, AND SECRETARY | — | — |
| BARBARA S HAGER | CEO | 2 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Benificus Foundation fund?
The Benificus Foundation's primary areas of focus are: • K-12 education reform • Climate change • Health equity • Global development The foundation is known for its significant support of K-12 school reform and climate action initiatives. A landmark 2022 gift established Stanford University's Doerr School of Sustainability. Recent tax filings from 2023 indicate a substantially increased commitment to climate organizations.
How do I apply for a grant from The Benificus Foundation?
**Grant Activity & Amounts** The foundation's giving varies considerably from year to year. In 2023, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $217,840,409. Notable 2023 grants included: • Stanford University: $105,590,350 • Climate Imperative Foundation: $35,948,911 • Aspen Global Change Institute (AGCI): $10,152,882 Typical grant awards range from $2,500 to over $105 million. **Application Process** The Benificus Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. The foundation prefers a proactiv…
Where does The Benificus Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking is primarily concentrated in California, the District of Columbia, and New York.
What size grants does The Benificus Foundation award?
In 2024, The Benificus Foundation awarded 56 grants totaling $186.0M — an average of about $3.3M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Benificus Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Benificus Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Benificus Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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