Bender Family Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
About Bender Family Foundation
The Bender Family Foundation is a locally focused funder concentrated in Albany and the Capital Region, prioritizing arts and cultural institutions, historic preservation, and community place-making. It also supports land conservation, neighborhood-serving social services (refugee/immigrant assistance, food security), and local education/literacy initiatives. The foundation often provides program and capital support to mid-sized local nonprofits and cultural sites, and it shows a preference for sustaining community assets and public-facing projects.
Focus Areas
Historic preservation and restoration of Albany-area landmarks (e.g., meeting houses, museums, historic homes)Support for regional arts institutions and public arts programming (museums, performing arts center, downtown galleries)Local land conservation and creation of community green spaces (Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy/Bender Melon Farm Preserve)Neighborhood-serving social services: refugee/immigrant support and regional food securityAdult education and literacy plus workforce-oriented higher education in the Capital Region
Who They Fund
local community residents (Albany neighborhoods)
About Bender Family Foundation
The Bender Family Foundation’s giving is anchored in Albany and the Capital Region, with a visible pattern of sustaining public-facing institutions and community assets over multiple years. A 2023 grant of $20,000 to the Albany Institute of History and Art for a website overhaul and server expansion shows that the foundation will fund behind-the-scenes infrastructure when it supports a cultural institution’s long-term use. The same year, it also backed Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy with $15,000 to help create the Bender Melon Farm Preserve, linking its philanthropy to local land stewardship and place-making. Across recent grants, the foundation supports historic sites, arts organizations, literacy and education groups, food-security providers, refugee and immigrant services, and neighborhood-based civic nonprofits. Its portfolio includes operating support for organizations such as Historic Albany Foundation, the Shaker Heritage Society, and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, indicating a preference for ongoing institutional support rather than isolated project-only gifts. The overall pattern is local, practical, and tied to preserving and strengthening institutions that residents use directly.
What Bender Family Foundation Funds
Historic preservation is a recurring thread. In 2023, the foundation gave $10,000 to Shaker Heritage Society for energy efficiency and health and safety upgrades at the Shaker Meeting House, and it also provided $15,000 in 2025 to Historic Cherry Hill for general operating support. Arts and cultural programming is another clear priority: the Arts Center of the Capital Region received $15,000 in 2025 for operating support, while Collar Works received $10,000 in 2025. The foundation also backs community-serving human services. Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus received $10,000 in 2025 for general operating support, and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York received $15,000 in 2025 for operating support. Education and literacy appear as well, including $15,000 to Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County and $15,000 to Youth Fx Inc in 2025 and $10,000 to Social Enterpirse & Training Center for Education for All in 2023.
How Bender Family Foundation Gives
Typical grants are small to mid-sized: the 25th percentile is $1,500, the median is $6,750, and the 75th percentile is $10,000. The recent grant list shows repeated support to several organizations across multiple years, including Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, Albany Institute of History and Art, University at Albany Foundation, Shaker Heritage Society, Historic Albany Foundation, and Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus. That pattern points to recurring relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation is a family foundation, and it also funds individuals. Most recent grants are general operating support, with occasional project, capital, or capacity-building support such as the Albany Institute website and server expansion.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$239K
Total Assets
$2.4M
Total Revenue
$243K
Total Expenses
$305K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $2K and $10K, with a median of $7K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$7K
75th Percentile
$10K
Geographic Reach
Local4 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeExplore related grant guides
Want a Personalized Pitch for Bender Family Foundation?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime