The Emily Benatar Foundation
The Emily Benatar Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations and an individual recipient, with most grant dollars going to California recipients.
The Emily Benatar Foundation at a glance
In short: The Emily Benatar Foundation gave $365K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in California. 57% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $365,349
- +8.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- -39.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,785
- +79.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $8,332,516
- -6.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 57% first-time grantees (17 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Emily Benatar Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2522 Webster Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 387-4990
Website: HTTPS://WWW.EMILYBENATAR.COM/
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Emily Benatar Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Bright Minds Africa ($253K). Together the top 10 received $347K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($3,418), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
217 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 208 grants of 217 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California recipients received 96% of grant dollars and recipients in Washington, DC, received 3%. The reported shares for New York, Pennsylvania, and Utah were each 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Emily Benatar Foundation open to new grantees?
57%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 30 grantees (57%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 43% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+16%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 59% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $242K (2021) to $401K (2023). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $365K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bright Minds Africa Brisbane, CA | General & Unrestricted | $253,290 |
| Palo Alto Art Center Foundation Palo Alto, CA | General & Unrestricted | $40,000 |
| SF-Marin Food Bank San Francisco, CA | General & Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| New Venture Fund Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Ada's Cafe Palo Alto, CA | General & Unrestricted | $7,500 |
| Insight Meditation Center of the Peninsula Redwood City, CA | General & Unrestricted | $6,400 |
| California Academy of Sciences San Francisco, CA | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Kqed San Francisco, CA | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $3,418 |
| Camp Kesem National Covina, CA | General & Unrestricted | $2,500 |
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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 | $8,332,516 | $-66,057 | $496,253 | $365,349 | 31 | $379,660 | $21,170 | $648,954 |
| 2024 | $8,894,826 | $471,843 | $523,825 | $335,681 | 51 | $337,627 | $399,505 | $582,853 |
| 2023 | $8,946,808 | $7,790,736 | $471,608 | $400,769 | 44 | $408,219 | $7,307,432 | $368,985 |
| 2022 | $1,627,680 | $635,083 | $316,707 | $314,300 | 42 | $314,300 | $452,307 | $114,428 |
| 2021 | $1,309,304 | $514,569 | $252,287 | $241,849 | 49 | $241,849 | $217,149 | $119,040 |
| 2020 | $1,047,022 | $473,367 | $351,165 | $348,709 | 49 | — | $315,594 | $82,861 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Emily Benatar Foundation reported a distributable amount of $649K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including art, food assistance, disability inclusion, science and environmental education, public media, support for children affected by a parent’s cancer, and poverty-fighting solutions.
The Palo Alto Art Center Foundation says its mission is to expand the reach and impact of the Palo Alto Art Center through fundraising and advocacy. Ada’s Cafe says it hires, trains, and empowers people with disabilities through its food-service business and engages local youth in cafe activities. The California Academy of Sciences describes its mission as regenerating the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. Other 2025 grantees describe work supporting children affected by a parent’s cancer (Camp Kesem National), families and individuals experiencing hardship (Ecumenical Hunger Program), and promising poverty-fighting solutions (Tipping Point Community).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $365,349. Itemized grants ranged from $50 to $253,290, with a median of $1,000. The largest award was $253,290 to Bright Minds Africa for general and unrestricted purposes. Other notable grants included $40,000 to the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation, $15,000 to SF-Marin Food Bank, $10,000 to New Venture Fund, and $7,500 to Ada’s Cafe; each was listed for general and unrestricted purposes.
The foundation also reported grants of $6,400 to Insight Meditation Center of the Peninsula, $5,000 each to the California Academy of Sciences and KQED, and $2,500 to Camp Kesem National. A $3,418 payment to an individual recipient was designated for medical expenses related to amputation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lisa Benatar as president, Darrell Benatar as secretary and treasurer, and Isabel Benatar as director.
The Emily Benatar Foundation is led by Lisa Benatar, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lisa Benatar
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Isabel Benatar
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Darrell Benatar
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Emily Benatar Foundation
How much does The Emily Benatar Foundation give each year?
The Emily Benatar Foundation gave $365K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $336K across 51 grants.
What is The Emily Benatar Foundation's typical grant size?
The Emily Benatar Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $11,785, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Emily Benatar Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does The Emily Benatar Foundation give grants?
The Emily Benatar Foundation gives mostly in California: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (5 grants), Palo Alto, CA (3 grants), Oakland, CA (3 grants) and Redwood City, CA (2 grants).
Does The Emily Benatar Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of The Emily Benatar Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (29 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Emily Benatar Foundation's largest grantees?
The Emily Benatar Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Bright Minds Africa ($253,290), Palo Alto Art Center Foundation ($40,000) and SF-Marin Food Bank ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($3,418), which are not listed by name. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Emily Benatar Foundation?
The Emily Benatar Foundation reported $8.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $380K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $649K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Emily Benatar Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Emily Benatar Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Emily Benatar Foundation's EIN?
The Emily Benatar Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2369180. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Emily Benatar 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 29, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 5, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Emily Benatar Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Emily Benatar Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-emily-benatar-foundation-morg_a247e45794864f1f8829bfef0278411b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_472369180_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Emily Benatar Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-emily-benatar-foundation-morg_a247e45794864f1f8829bfef0278411b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Emily Benatar 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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