The Bennett Foundation
The Bennett Foundation is a private foundation based in Pacific Palisades, California. In its 2025 filing, it reported 14 grants totaling $1,534,018, including support for arts, cultural, and educational organizations.
The Bennett Foundation at a glance
In short: The Bennett Foundation gave $1.5M across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $110K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,534,018
- +21.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $109,573
- +12.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $95,358
- Total assets
- $9,358,783
- -7.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (71% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Bennett Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1056 Amalfi Dr, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272-4028
Phone: (213) 621-0810
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Bennett Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Grange Park Opera ($266K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 44 grants of 66 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
For 2025 grant dollars, the filing reports 71% going to recipients in New York and 10% to recipients in Maryland. It reports 19% for an unspecified recipient state and 0% for California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Bennett Foundation gives
- 21% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 181% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 103% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $28K (2020) to $2.3M (2019). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grange Park Opera | Funding for access lift to Treetop Studio | $265,880 |
| American Associates of the Old Vic Theatre Inc New York, NY | General Operating Support | $248,940 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY lONDON New York, NY | General Operating Support | $203,175 |
| KING BAUDOUIN Foundation US inc New York, NY | General Operating Support | $200,655 |
| Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation New York, NY | General Operating Support | $189,630 |
| International Friends of the Natural History Bethesda, MD | General Operating Support | $160,641 |
| THE Wallace Collection in America INC New York, NY | General Operating Support | $156,733 |
| THE Royal Oak Foundation Inc New York, NY | General Operating Support | $33,982 |
| Glyndebourne America Inc New york, NY | General Operating Support | $24,896 |
| Buxton Arts Festival | Support Opera Seasons 2025 and 2026 | $20,193 |
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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 | $9,358,783 | $668,585 | $1,548,261 | $1,534,018 | 14 | $1,542,336 | $797,147 | $1,504,371 |
| 2024 | $10,131,867 | $674,494 | $1,296,165 | $1,263,856 | 13 | $1,287,015 | $794,321 | $1,381,823 |
| 2023 | $10,780,803 | $7,798 | $1,032,098 | $1,019,074 | 13 | $1,029,548 | $5,348 | $1,174,739 |
| 2022 | $11,600,693 | $1,473,909 | $559,582 | $545,341 | 20 | $545,341 | $1,459,001 | $1,096,523 |
| 2021 | $11,902,491 | $69,793 | $198,103 | $93,808 | 6 | $93,808 | $26,820 | $1,035,411 |
| 2020 | $12,031,860 | $2,178,265 | $61,954 | $27,582 | 3 | — | $2,143,893 | $793,093 |
| 2019 | $10,860,181 | $6,736,869 | $2,344,782 | $2,333,010 | 20 | — | $626,697 | $678,444 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bennett Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M for 2025 — 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 2025 grants included general operating support for organizations connected with museums, historic places, a university, and the performing arts, as well as project-specific support for an access lift at Treetop Studio and for opera seasons.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. The Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation says it promotes an educational forum in architecture, design, conservation, museum studies, collections, and decorative arts. The Wallace Collection in America says it educates the public about art and raises awareness of the Wallace Collection. The Royal Oak Foundation says it connects Americans with efforts to preserve places in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Cambridge in America says it promotes interest in and support for the University of Cambridge and its colleges among U.S. alumni and friends.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 14 grants totaling $1,534,018. Grant amounts ranged from $1,299 to $265,880, with a median grant of $95,358.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $265,880 to Grange Park Opera for an access lift to Treetop Studio; $248,940 to American Associates of the Old Vic Theatre Inc for general operating support; $203,175 to American Friends of the National Gallery London for general operating support; and $200,655 to King Baudouin Foundation US Inc for general operating support. Other notable grants included $189,630 to Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation and $156,733 to The Wallace Collection in America, both for general operating support, and $160,641 to International Friends of the Natural History for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William H Borthwick, David B Borthwick, and Molly Lowell Borthwick as trustees.
The Bennett Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David B. Borthwick
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Molly Lowell Borthwick
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William H. Borthwick
Trustee
As Needed → Trustee, 2021
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 The Bennett Foundation
How much does The Bennett Foundation give each year?
The Bennett Foundation gave $1.5M across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 13 grants.
What is The Bennett Foundation's typical grant size?
The Bennett Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $95,358, and its average grant was $109,573, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Bennett Foundation give grants?
The Bennett Foundation gives mostly in New York: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Maryland (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (10 grants).
Does The Bennett Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 86% of The Bennett Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Bennett Foundation's largest grantees?
The Bennett Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Grange Park Opera ($265,880), American Associates of the Old Vic Theatre Inc ($248,940) and AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY lONDON ($203,175), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Bennett Foundation?
The Bennett Foundation reported $9.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bennett Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included general operating support for organizations connected with museums, historic places, a university, and the performing arts, as well as project-specific support for an access lift at Treetop Studio and for opera seasons. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bennett Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Bennett Foundation's EIN?
The Bennett Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4720080. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Bennett 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 12, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work The Bennett Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Bennett Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Bennett Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bennett-foundation-morg_74998872b6544228a762953a89082479
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954720080_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Bennett Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bennett-foundation-morg_74998872b6544228a762953a89082479},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Bennett 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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