The Susie and Scott Bender Family Foundation concentrates on a small number of sizable, unrestricted grants to institutions that reflect education, Jewish communal life, healthcare, and national security/public policy interests. They favor established organizations—both local independent schools and Jewish-sector nonprofits—as well as major medical centers and policy think tanks. Their support is philanthropic/general operating rather than project-restricted, suggesting trust in grantees' organizational priorities.
Concentrated giving: a few large, unrestricted grants (many six-figure gifts) with at least one repeat grantee (St. John’s). Funding is focused and high-dollar rather than many small awards, directed to established nonprofits rather than start-ups.
A small set of large unrestricted grants defines the Susie and Scott Bender Family Foundation’s public profile. In the latest grants listed, $100,000 awards went to St John’s School and Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care, both in Houston, showing a preference for established institutions rather than narrow project funding. The foundation’s recent support also includes major medical, Jewish communal, and policy organizations, with each grant labeled unrestricted general support. That pattern suggests a grantmaker that backs core operating needs across a few recurring spheres: independent K-12 education, Jewish senior care and thought institutions, healthcare, and public-policy research. The foundation’s giving is not broad or transactional; it is concentrated in a small number of sizeable grants to organizations with substantial institutional roles. Houston appears more than once in the recent record, but the foundation’s giving is not limited to one type of institution. A private school, a Jewish senior care provider, and a hospital all appear among the recent recipients, indicating a cross-sector approach anchored in general support. The recent grants also show that the foundation includes national policy work alongside local charitable institutions.
Independent education is one clear focus. The foundation gave $100,000 to St John’s School in Houston in 2024 and another $60,500 to the same school in 2023, both for unrestricted general support. Jewish communal and elder-care institutions are another area. Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care in Houston received $100,000 in 2024 as unrestricted general support, and Tikvah Fund in New York received $50,000 in 2023 for unrestricted general support. Healthcare also appears in the recent record. Houston Methodist Hospital received $50,000 in 2024 for unrestricted general support. Public-policy and national-security interests are represented as well. Foundation for Defense of Democracies received $100,000 in 2023, again designated unrestricted general support.
Typical grant sizes are substantial: the 25th percentile is $52,625, the median is $80,250, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. The recent record shows repeated support for the same recipient across years, including St John’s School in 2023 and 2024, which points to some continuity rather than one-time-only gifts. Grants are given as unrestricted general support, and the foundation is a family foundation with a regional giving scope. It does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$500K
$5.2M
$532K
$555K
Most grants fall between $53K and $100K, with a median of $80K.
25th Percentile
$53K
Median
$80K
75th Percentile
$100K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in TX.
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Notable grantees: St. John’s School, Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Tikvah Fund, Houston Methodist Hospital
The recent grants are all to U.S. recipients. Houston, Texas, appears multiple times in the recent list, with grants to St John’s School, Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care, and Houston Methodist Hospital. New York, New York, also appears through Tikvah Fund, while Washington, DC, appears through Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The foundation’s top state by grant count is New York, not New Jersey, where it is headquartered.
The recent record shows support for independent schools, Jewish communal and elder-care organizations, a hospital, and a national security/public policy think tank. All of the listed grants are unrestricted general support, which suggests the foundation backs institutional core needs across these sectors.
The foundation’s grant sizes are relatively large. The 25th percentile is $52,625, the median is $80,250, and the 75th percentile is $100,000.
Yes. St John’s School appears in both 2023 and 2024, with grants of $60,500 and $100,000. That repeated appearance suggests the foundation sometimes supports the same organization across multiple years.
By recipient location, New York is the top state by grant count. The recent list also includes multiple recipients in Houston, Texas, and one in Washington, DC.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $500,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| ST JOHN'S SCHOOL | HOUSTON, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| CONGREGATION BETH YESHURUN | HOUSTON, TX | $82,096 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| SEVEN ACRES JEWISH SENIOR CARE | HOUSTON, TX | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| ST JOHN'S SCHOOL | HOUSTON, TX | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL | HOUSTON, TX | $50,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| ST JOHN'S SCHOOL | HOUSTON, TX | $60,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| TIKVAH FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
ST JOHN'S SCHOOL
$100,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
CONGREGATION BETH YESHURUN
$82,096UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
ST JOHN'S SCHOOL
$100,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
ST JOHN'S SCHOOL
$60,500UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
TIKVAH FUND
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL