The Legler Benbough Foundation
The Legler Benbough Foundation is a private foundation based in San Diego, California. Its 2020 IRS filing is marked as the organization’s final return, indicating that the foundation appears to have wound down or stopped grantmaking.
The Legler Benbough Foundation at a glance
In short: The Legler Benbough Foundation gave $4.5M across 16 grants in 2020 (avg $283K), mostly in California. Source: 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2020)
- $4,535,503
- -13.1% vs 2019
- Grants made (2020)
- 16
- -38.5% vs 2019
- Average grant
- $283,469
- +41.2% vs 2019
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2020 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2020 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2020; updated September 2026.
How to apply to The Legler Benbough Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. It lists application materials, deadlines, and award restrictions as N/A.
- Contact
Application contact: Peter K Ellsworth
Mailing address: 2508 Historic Decatur Road Suite, 210, San Diego, CA 92106
Phone: (619) 235-8099
Website: https://www.benboughfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Legler Benbough Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2020
The largest 2020 recipient was San Diego Foundation ($2.5M). Together the top 10 received $4.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
42 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 15 grants of 42 (36%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All 2020 grant dollars went to recipients in California. The listed recipients are in San Diego or La Jolla.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2020 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Legler Benbough Foundation gives
- 69% of 2020 grantees were also funded in 2019. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020). 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 2020, annual grant giving ranged from $4.5M (2020) to $5.2M (2019). In 2020 it made 16 grants totaling $4.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Foundation San Diego, CA | General Support | $2,546,613 |
| University of San Diego San Diego, CA | General Support | $675,000 |
| San Diego Convention and Tourist Bureau San Diego, CA | General Support | $400,000 |
| National Conflict Resolution Center San Diego, CA | General Support | $300,000 |
| Outdoor Outreach San Diego, CA | General Support | $150,000 |
| Rise Urban Leadership Institute San Diego, CA | General Support | $150,000 |
| Uc San Diego Foundation La Jolla, CA | General Support | $100,000 |
| Balboa Park Online Collaborative Inc San Diego, CA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Voice of San Diego San Diego, CA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Urban Youth Collaborative (Pollard) San Diego, CA | General Support | $40,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | — | $15,728 | $4,216,610 | $4,535,503 | 16 | — | $178,241 |
| 2019 | $4,716,256 | $151,269 | $5,059,359 | $5,221,070 | 26 | $166,247 | $362,289 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Legler Benbough Foundation reported a distributable amount of $178K for 2020 — 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 2020 grants included general support for San Diego-area organizations in education, tourism, outdoor programs, civic leadership, journalism, technology collaboration, and community advancement.
For example, the University of San Diego describes its mission as advancing academic excellence to create a more inclusive, sustainable, and hopeful world. Outdoor Outreach says it connects youth to the transformative power of the outdoors. Rise Urban Leadership Institute says it advances urban leadership through civic engagement, nonprofit partnerships, and training. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2020, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $4,535,503. Grant amounts ranged from $1,390 to $2,546,613, with a median of $50,000. The previous reported year, 2019, had 26 grants totaling $5,221,070. Its 2020 filing, the latest on this page, reports 16 grants totaling $4.5 million.
The largest 2020 grants included $2,546,613 to the San Diego Foundation, $675,000 to the University of San Diego, $400,000 to the San Diego Convention and Tourist Bureau, $300,000 to the National Conflict Resolution Center, and $150,000 each to Outdoor Outreach and Rise Urban Leadership Institute. The listed grants were for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2020 filing lists Peter K. Ellsworth as president and director, and Bob Kelly, Frederick P. Crowell, and John G. Rebelo Jr. as governing directors.
The Legler Benbough Foundation is led by Peter K. Ellsworth, President & Director on every filing since 2019; all 4 officers listed in 2020 are compensated.
Officers on the 2020 filing
Peter K. Ellsworth
President & Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$152K (2019) → $83K (2020)
Bob Kelly
Governing Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$8K (2019) → $2K (2020)
Frederick P. Crowell
Governing Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$8K (2019) → $2K (2020)
John G. Rebelo Jr.
Governing Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$10K (2019) → $3K (2020)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2020. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2020 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2020 filing was $83K, to Peter K Ellsworth (President & Director). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Legler Benbough Foundation
How much does The Legler Benbough Foundation give each year?
The Legler Benbough Foundation gave $4.5M across 16 grants in 2020, according to its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2019 it gave $5.2M across 26 grants.
What is The Legler Benbough Foundation's typical grant size?
The Legler Benbough Foundation's median grant in 2020 was $50,000, and its average grant was $283,469, across 16 grants on its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Legler Benbough Foundation give grants?
The Legler Benbough Foundation gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (13 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Legler Benbough Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Legler Benbough Foundation's 2020 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Legler Benbough Foundation's largest grantees?
The Legler Benbough Foundation's largest 2020 grantees include San Diego Foundation ($2,546,613), University of San Diego ($675,000) and San Diego Convention and Tourist Bureau ($400,000), according to its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2020 grant dollars.
What does The Legler Benbough Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2020 grants included general support for San Diego-area organizations in education, tourism, outdoor programs, civic leadership, journalism, technology collaboration, and community advancement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Legler Benbough Foundation?
The filing says the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is The Legler Benbough Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2020, The Legler Benbough Foundation reported a distributable amount of $178K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Legler Benbough Foundation's EIN?
The Legler Benbough Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0105049. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2020.
Does The Legler Benbough Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2020
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from The Legler Benbough 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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