The Benificus Foundation concentrates its giving on climate and clean-energy advocacy, education innovation and access, and biomedical research into neurological diseases, while also funding high-profile convening organizations and select local Bay Area services. It favors large, unrestricted/general-purpose awards to established institutions and national advocacy groups, often routing multi-million dollar grants to repeat grantees that can scale policy, research, or educational impact. Geographic emphasis is California (especially Bay Area) with significant national partners in New York and Washington, DC.
The Benificus Foundation’s recent giving is defined by a very large commitment to Stanford: $105,590,350 to The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University for general purpose support in 2024. That scale is part of a broader pattern of major, unrestricted awards to institutions working in climate policy, education, and biomedical research. The foundation has also directed multi-year support to Climate Imperative Foundation, including $45,776,097 in 2025 after earlier grants of $35,948,911 in 2024 and $35,947,646 in 2023. Another major area is Parkinson’s and brain-disorders research, reflected in $31,400,000 to Calico Life Sciences LLC in 2025 and $21,383,580 to Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research in the same year. Alongside those large-scale bets, the foundation gives to convening and policy organizations such as Aspen Global Change Institute, TED, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and Climate Reality Project. The grant record points to a funder that favors established organizations, often with general-purpose support, and uses large awards to back work that can influence research, policy, education access, and public dialogue.
Climate advocacy is one of the clearest threads in the foundation’s portfolio. It gave $45,776,097 to Climate Imperative Foundation in 2025 for general purpose support, and also supported Alliance for Climate Protection Dba Climate Reality Project with $7,063,038 in 2023. Education is another recurring area: Khan Academy received $5,032,740 in 2025 for general purpose support, while New Schools Fund received $3,037,179 in 2024. The foundation also backs higher-education institutions and research capacity, including $8,078,312 to Northwestern University in 2025 for general purpose support. Medical research is represented through $31,400,000 to Calico Life Sciences LLC in 2025 for Parkinson's disease research and $6,571,743 to Texas Children's Hospital in 2024 for general purpose support.
The Benificus Foundation’s typical grant size is large: the 25th percentile is $25,000, the median is $250,000, and the 75th percentile is $2,024,710. The recent record shows repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, especially Climate Imperative Foundation, Aspen Global Change Institute, TED, Environmental Defense Fund, Khan Academy, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and Texas Children's Hospital. Grants are commonly described as general purpose support, including awards to universities, advocacy groups, and research organizations. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals.
$186M
$8.3M
$42.4M
$186.7M
Most grants fall between $25K and $2M, with a median of $250K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$250K
75th Percentile
$2M
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Concentrated, high-value grants with repeated multi-million-dollar commitments to a core set of national institutions and influential intermediaries; mixes large unrestricted general‑purpose awards with targeted research funding and a smaller stream of local Bay Area operating support.
Notable grantees: Climate Imperative Foundation, The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Aspen Global Change Institute, Khan Academy
Grantmaking is national, with every recent grant in the United States. California receives the largest share of grants by count, and 46% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state of California. Recent California recipients include San Francisco, South San Francisco, Redwood City, Mountain View, and Oakland. Outside California, the portfolio includes New York, Washington, DC, Houston, Evanston, Arlington, and Basalt, showing a spread across research, advocacy, and convening hubs.
It most often funds established nonprofits and research institutions through general-purpose support. Recent examples include Climate Imperative Foundation, Stanford, Aspen Global Change Institute, TED, and Environmental Defense Fund, alongside biomedical and education organizations such as Calico Life Sciences LLC and Khan Academy.
Its grants are typically large. The typical grant-size distribution is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $250,000 at the median, and $2,024,710 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards include multiple grants above $30 million and several in the $7 million to $10 million range.
Yes. The recent record shows multi-year support for several recipients, including Climate Imperative Foundation in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Aspen Global Change Institute in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and TED in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
California is the top state by grant count, with 46% of grants going to recipients in that state. Recent California recipients are concentrated in San Francisco, South San Francisco, Redwood City, Mountain View, and Oakland.
The grant record centers on climate and clean-energy advocacy, education innovation and access, Parkinson’s and brain-disorders research, and convening or policy organizations. Named recipients in those areas include Climate Imperative Foundation, Khan Academy, Calico Life Sciences LLC, Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLIMATE IMPERATIVE FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $45,776,097 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALICO LIFE SCIENCES LLC | SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $31,400,000 | 2025 | PARKINSON'S DISEASE RESEARCH |
| MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION FOR PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | NEW YORK, NY | $21,383,580 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ASPEN GLOBAL CHANGE INSTITUTE | BASALT, CO | $10,135,118 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $8,078,312 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TED FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $7,412,671 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $7,094,660 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ALLIANCE FOR CLIMATE PROTECTION DBA CLIMATE REALITY PROJECT | WASHINGTON, DC | $7,000,001 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| KHAN ACADEMY | MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA | $5,032,740 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNITED STATES OF CARE CAMPAIGN | ARLINGTON, VA | $4,037,717 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | HOUSTON, TX | $3,908,304 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $3,528,330 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NEW SCHOOLS FUND | OAKLAND, CA | $3,037,004 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ONE CAMPAIGN | WASHINGTON, DC | $3,026,445 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $2,579,647 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RICE UNIVERSITY | HOUSTON, TX | $2,530,542 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| COLLEGE TRACK | OAKLAND, CA | $2,520,621 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GREATER WASHINGTON EDUCATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATES INC (WETA) | ARLINGTON, VA | $2,352,470 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNITED STATES ENERGY FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $2,023,308 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ROCKEFELLER PHILANTHROPY ADVISORS | NEW YORK, NY | $2,014,796 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FRIENDS OF WILDCARE | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $2,006,885 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $1,006,600 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALMATTERS | SACRAMENTO, CA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF SANTA CLARA AND SAN MATEO COUNTIES | SAN JOSE, CA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION | TALLAHASSEE, FL | $985,043 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PLANET WORD (THE MUSEUM OF LANGUAGE ARTS) | WASHINGTON, DC | $606,149 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE ENERGY FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $512,663 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NEWDEAL FORUM | WASHINGTON, DC | $512,663 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SMARTHISTORY | PLEASANTVILLE, NY | $488,538 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CARBONPLAN | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $337,972 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| E-LIABILITY INSTITUTE INC | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $333,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NEW VENTURE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $314,433 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THIRD WAY INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $256,331 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| EQUIS INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $254,616 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ACCOUNTABLE FOR HEALTH INSTITUTE INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ASPEN VALLEY LAND TRUST | CARBONDALE, CO | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ASPEN CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES | ASPEN, CO | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GIFFORDS | WASHINGTON, DC | $102,411 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ST ANTHONY FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE BACKSTOPPERS INC | BRENTWOOD, MO | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PRO PUBLICA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RAPHAEL HOUSE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE ASPEN INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $60,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BEST BUDDIES | MIAMI, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| KQED INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE ART OF PROBLEM SOLVING INITIATIVE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MY NEW RED SHOES | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
CALICO LIFE SCIENCES LLC
$31,400,000PARKINSON'S DISEASE RESEARCH
TED FOUNDATION
$7,412,671GENERAL PURPOSE
GENERAL PURPOSE
GENERAL PURPOSE
TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$3,908,304GENERAL PURPOSE
GENERAL PURPOSE
FRIENDS OF WILDCARE
$2,006,885GENERAL PURPOSE
CALMATTERS
$1,000,000GENERAL PURPOSE
SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF SANTA CLARA AND SAN MATEO COUNTIES
$1,000,000GENERAL PURPOSE
NEWDEAL FORUM
$512,663GENERAL PURPOSE
SMARTHISTORY
$488,538GENERAL PURPOSE
E-LIABILITY INSTITUTE INC
$333,000GENERAL PURPOSE
ACCOUNTABLE FOR HEALTH INSTITUTE INC
$250,000GENERAL PURPOSE
ST ANTHONY FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL PURPOSE
THE BACKSTOPPERS INC
$100,000GENERAL PURPOSE
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
$100,000GENERAL PURPOSE
WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
$30,000GENERAL PURPOSE