About Benedict Silverman Foundation
The Benedict Silverman Foundation is a highly targeted funder of literacy and reading improvement initiatives, prioritizing large, institutional grants that support science-of-reading interventions and literacy programming. Most dollars flow to a small number of education organizations — including repeated investments in university-affiliated research and operational support for reading-focused nonprofits — with a smaller, secondary interest in basic social services such as food pantry support in New York City.
Focus Areas
K–12 literacy and reading interventions grounded in the science of readingUniversity-based literacy research and program development (CUNY)Operational support for literacy nonprofits implementing evidence-based curriculaLocal New York City community basic needs (food pantry support)
Who They Fund
K–12 students (reading/readiness program participants)early childhood educators / students pursuing early childhood credentialslow-income families and food-insecure individualsschools and pilot site school communities
About Benedict Silverman Foundation
Benedict Silverman Foundation’s clearest pattern is a concentrated commitment to science-of-reading work, led by a $2,010,000 grant to The Reading Institute for operational support in 2025. That large award sits alongside repeated support for literacy programming through the Research Foundation of the City University of New York, which received $1,506,500 in 2024 and $521,000 in 2023. The foundation also backs organizations that translate reading research into practice, such as Literacy Trust, which received general operating support in 2023. Across recent years, the foundation has favored institutional grantees rather than individuals, with most dollars going to education organizations, university-affiliated entities, and literacy nonprofits. Its grantmaking also extends into basic needs work in New York City, including food pantry support for Fund for the City of New York and South Asian Council for Social Services. The portfolio shows a mix of operating support, literacy programming, tutoring, and pilot-site funding, with recurring awards suggesting sustained relationships in the literacy and reading-instruction space.
What Benedict Silverman Foundation Funds
The foundation’s core educational focus is K–12 literacy and reading readiness. In 2024, it gave $175,440 to Eastern Oregon University for Reading Go and Reading Ready, and $113,385 to Sonoma State University for the same program, showing support for a named reading intervention model at multiple institutions. University-linked literacy work is another thread. The Research Foundation of the City University of New York received $1,506,500 in 2024 and $521,000 in 2023 for literacy programming, indicating multi-year backing for program development. It also funds tutoring and school-based support. Saint Joseph’s University received $137,298 in 2024 for a tutoring program, while Johns Hopkins University & Health System received $125,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for tutoring programs. Beyond education, the foundation supported food pantry work through Elijah’s Promise Inc, which received $100,000 in 2025 for a food pantry and $78,000 in 2023 for a mobile food pantry.
How Benedict Silverman Foundation Gives
Typical awards cluster in the six-figure range: p25 is $52,564, the median is $107,250, and p75 is $132,258. The distribution is pulled upward by a small number of larger institutional grants, including a seven-figure award and several grants above $500,000. Recent grants also show repeat support to the same organizations across multiple years, especially in literacy and food pantry work. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The recent record points to grantmaking through direct awards to nonprofits, universities, and related support organizations rather than an open application platform.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.6M
Total Assets
$37.3M
Total Revenue
$2.2M
Total Expenses
$4.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $53K and $132K, with a median of $107K.
25th Percentile
$53K
Median
$107K
75th Percentile
$132K
Geographic Reach
Regional9 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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