The Benificus Foundation
Invitation OnlySan Carlos, California · EIN 77-0444504 · Private foundation
Grants paid (2024)$186M
Organizations funded56
Typical grant$488,538
Total assets$98.3M
Half of its grants to organizations were between $100,000 and $2,579,647.
From the return
How to apply
On its return for tax year 2024 the foundation checked the box saying it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
What it funds
Share of grant lines on the latest return, classified from the purpose each grant states.
Where it gives
58% of grants went outside California.
Grants paid in tax year 2024
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate Imperative Foundation | San Francisco, CA | General purpose | $45,776,097 |
| Calico Life Sciences LLC | South San Francisco, CA | Parkinson's disease research | $31,400,000 |
| Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research | New York, NY | General purpose | $21,383,580 |
| Aspen Global Change Institute | Basalt, CO | General purpose | $10,135,118 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | General purpose | $8,078,312 |
| Ted Foundation | New York, NY | General purpose | $7,412,671 |
| The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University | Redwood City, CA | General purpose | $7,094,660 |
| Alliance for Climate Protection Dba Climate Reality Project | Washington, DC | General purpose | $7,000,001 |
| Khan Academy | Mountain View, CA | General purpose | $5,032,740 |
| United States of Care Campaign | Arlington, VA | General purpose | $4,037,717 |
| Texas Children's Hospital | Houston, TX | General purpose | $3,908,304 |
| Environmental Defense Fund | New York, NY | General purpose | $3,528,330 |
| New Schools Fund | Oakland, CA | General purpose | $3,037,004 |
| One Campaign | Washington, DC | General purpose | $3,026,445 |
| University of California San Francisco Foundation | San Francisco, CA | General purpose | $2,579,647 |
| Rice University | Houston, TX | General purpose | $2,530,542 |
| College Track | Oakland, CA | General purpose | $2,520,621 |
| Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Associates Inc (Weta) | Arlington, VA | General purpose | $2,352,470 |
| United States Energy Foundation | San Francisco, CA | General purpose | $2,023,308 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | General purpose | $2,014,796 |
| Friends of Wildcare | San Rafael, CA | General purpose | $2,006,885 |
| University of California Berkeley Foundation | Berkeley, CA | General purpose | $1,006,600 |
| Calmatters | Sacramento, CA | General purpose | $1,000,000 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties | San Jose, CA | General purpose | $1,000,000 |
| Foundation for Excellence in Education | Tallahassee, FL | General purpose | $985,043 |
| Planet Word (The Museum of Language Arts) | Washington, DC | General purpose | $606,149 |
| Newdeal Forum | Washington, DC | General purpose | $512,663 |
| Securing America's Future Energy Foundation | Washington, DC | General purpose | $512,663 |
| Smarthistory | Pleasantville, NY | General purpose | $488,538 |
| Carbonplan | San Francisco, CA | General purpose | $337,972 |
| E-Liability Institute Inc | San Rafael, CA | General purpose | $333,000 |
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | General purpose | $314,433 |
| Third Way Institute | Washington, DC | General purpose | $256,331 |
| Equis Institute | Washington, DC | General purpose | $254,616 |
| Accountable for Health Institute Inc | Washington, DC | General purpose | $250,000 |
| Aspen Valley Land Trust | Carbondale, CO | General purpose | $250,000 |
| Aspen Center for Environmental Studies | Aspen, CO | General purpose | $150,000 |
| Giffords | Washington, DC | General purpose | $102,411 |
| Human Rights Watch | New York, NY | General purpose | $100,000 |
| Pro Publica Inc | New York, NY | General purpose | $100,000 |
| Raphael House | San Francisco, CA | General purpose | $100,000 |
| St Anthony Foundation | San Francisco, CA | General purpose | $100,000 |
| The Backstoppers Inc | Brentwood, MO | General purpose | $100,000 |
| Wikimedia Foundation | San Francisco, CA | General purpose | $100,000 |
| The Aspen Institute | Washington, DC | General purpose | $60,000 |
| California Academy of Sciences | San Francisco, CA | General purpose | $30,000 |
| Best Buddies | Miami, FL | General purpose | $25,000 |
| Kqed Inc | San Francisco, CA | General purpose | $25,000 |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | Bethesda, MD | General purpose | $10,000 |
| Edible Schoolyard Project | Berkeley, CA | General purpose | $10,000 |
| My New Red Shoes | Redwood City, CA | General purpose | $10,000 |
| The Art of Problem Solving Initiative Inc | New York, NY | General purpose | $10,000 |
| Aspen Music Festival and School | Aspen, CO | General purpose | $5,000 |
| Spaulding Wooden Boat Center | Sausalito, CA | General purpose | $5,000 |
| Woodside-Portola Valley Fire Foundation | Portola Valley, CA | General purpose | $5,000 |
| Aspen Public Radioroaring Fork Public Radio Inc | Aspen, CO | General purpose | $2,500 |
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Grant lines |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $186,037,167 | 56 |
| 2023 | $220,068,974 | 43 |
Sources
- IRS Form 990-PF, tax year 2024, filed Nov 14, 2025 - IRS e-file batch, object ID 202513189349105251
- IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 77-0444504
- Profile updated Nov 5, 2026
Facts on this page come from the foundation's own IRS Form 990-PF filings as published by the IRS. Grantvello does not know whether a foundation is accepting proposals right now: a past grant is not an open opportunity. Always confirm current guidelines with the funder before applying.