The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc
The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc is a private family foundation established in 1985 in Washington, DC. The foundation continues the philanthropic legacy of Dorothy G. Bender and her family across multiple generations. It is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization and is tax-exempt, with donations being tax-deductible.
Key facts about The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc
- EIN
- 52-1406566
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $637,599
- Grants made (2025)
- 54
- Average grant
- $11,807
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 51% first-time grantees (26 of 51, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (47% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation currently does not accept unsolicited proposals. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc's 54 itemized 2025 grants were Maryland (47%), District of Columbia (32%) and Florida (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (22 grants), New York, NY (4 grants), Vienna, VA (2 grants) and Silver Spring, MD (2 grants). 89% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Is The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
51%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 26 of 51 grantees (51%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 31% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+18%). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc
- How to evaluate The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$638K
+9.9% YoY
Grant Count
54
+14.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$12K
-4.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary areas of interest include:
- Arts and culture
- Education
- Health, including hospitals and health associations
- Social services
- Children and youth
- Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking
Grantmaking
How to Apply
** The foundation currently does not accept unsolicited proposals. Organizations must be invited to apply for grant funding or request support for events through the foundation's application portal.
Ready to take the next step with The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Dorothy G Bender Foundation primarily supports organizations in:
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Virginia
- Greater metropolitan Washington, DC area
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 54 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $6,214,023 (as of 2024)
Total Annual Giving: $580,200 (2024)
Revenue: $1.32 million (2023)
Expenses: $579,000 (2023)
Total Assets (2023): $7.79 million
Total Liabilities: $18,500 (2023)
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 24, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 23, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
233 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Medstar-Georgetown Medical Center Inc ($200,000), United States Holocaust Memorial Museum ($75,000), National Gallery of Art ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MEDSTAR-GEORGETOWN MEDICAL CENTER INC Columbia, MD | General & Unrestricted | $200,000 |
| UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $75,000 |
| NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART Landover, MD | General & Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Washington, DC | Grace and Morton Bender Scholarship Fund | $25,000 |
| GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC Montgomery, AL | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| THE GREATER WASHINGTON JEWISH COALITION AGAINST DO Rockville, MD | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| CROSSED PAWS PET RESCUE INC Auburndale, FL | General & Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Washington, DC | the National Portrait Gallery's Portrait of a National Gala program | $15,000 |
| SOUTH FLORIDA WILDLIFE CENTER INC Ft Lauderdale, FL | General & Unrestricted | $13,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Bender | Pres, Dir | 10 | — |
| Jack Bender | Dir, Sec, Treas | 1 | — |
| Jay Bender | Dir, VP | 1 | — |
| Kenneth Bender | Dir | 1 | — |
| Scott Bender | Dir | 1 | — |
| Lisa Bender Feldman | Dir | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Address: Foundation Source, 501 Silverside Road, Wilmington, DE 19809
Phone: 800-839-1754
Website: http://www.benderfoundationinc.org
EIN: 52-1406566
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation's primary areas of interest include: • Arts and culture • Education • Health, including hospitals and health associations • Social services • Children and youth • Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking
How do I apply for a grant from The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc?
The foundation currently does not accept unsolicited proposals. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc make grants?
The Dorothy G Bender Foundation primarily supports organizations in: • District of Columbia • Florida • Virginia • Greater metropolitan Washington, DC area
What size grants does The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc award?
In 2025, The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc awarded 54 grants totaling $638K — an average of about $12K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1406566. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Dorothy G Bender Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.