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Ben & Jerry's Foundation

Annual Giving
$3.8M
Grant Range
$0K - $0.0M
Decision Time
2mo
Success Rate
7%

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $3,795,285 (2023)
  • Success Rate: ~7%
  • Decision Time: 1-2 months for initial response
  • Grant Range: $250 - $30,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (U.S. and territories) with special Vermont programs

Contact Details

Website: https://benandjerrysfoundation.org Email: info@benandjerrysfoundation.org Phone: (802) 495-1378 Address: 530 Community Dr, South Burlington, VT 05403

Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm EST

Pre-Application Support: Questions are welcomed via email or phone after thoroughly reviewing program information on their website.

Overview

The Ben & Jerry's Foundation was established in 1985 in New York by Bennett "Ben" Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream company. The Foundation was created alongside Ben & Jerry's public stock offering, with an initial gift of 50,000 shares from Ben Cohen. The Foundation receives ongoing support through an annual allocation from Ben & Jerry's (now owned by Unilever) that takes into account ice cream sales and inflation, continuing the original commitment of 7.5% of pretax profits to philanthropy. With assets of $8,171,045 and annual giving of approximately $3.8 million (2023), the Foundation describes itself as a social justice organization that supports grassroots organizations working in their communities to achieve social and environmental justice. In 2023, the Foundation made 449 grants. The Foundation moved to a two-year grant cycle in 2023, demonstrating its commitment to providing longer-term, more stable support to grassroots organizations. The Foundation is especially interested in supporting communities who have historically been denied power, believing that the people most impacted by injustice are in the best position to propose solutions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

National Grassroots Organizing (NGO) Program: $20,000-$30,000 per year (two-year grants)

  • Two-year unrestricted, general operating support grants
  • Up to $30,000 per year, with an average grant size of $20,000 per year
  • For organizations with budgets under $350,000
  • Rolling application process through online grants management system
  • Applications reviewed on an ongoing basis with invitations sent every other month

Vermont Equity & Justice Grant Program: $10,000-$15,000

  • Competitive grants up to $15,000, with an average grant size of $10,000
  • For Vermont-based, Vermont-focused organizations
  • Organizations must have total annual operating budgets of $350,000 or less
  • Supports organizations helping to alleviate impacts of poverty and working toward social, environmental, and economic justice in Vermont
  • Online application through grants management system

Vermont Community Action Team (CAT) Program: Up to $2,000

  • Small grants typically $2,000 and under
  • For local community organizations providing services, activities, and events
  • Emphasis on underserved populations including seniors, at-risk youth, and low-income communities
  • Applications reviewed monthly
  • Rolling basis through online portal

Priority Areas

The Foundation focuses on supporting grassroots, constituent-led organizations using direct action and community organizing strategies to accomplish their goals. Key priority areas include:

  • Social and Environmental Justice: Organizations addressing systemic oppression and working toward equitable solutions
  • Grassroots Community Organizing: Local, constituent-based organizations using community organizing strategies
  • Constituent-Led Initiatives: Organizations where people directly impacted by issues have clear decision-making power
  • BIPOC Leadership: Priority consideration for organizations led by members of the BIPOC community addressing systemic oppression and the legacy of white supremacy
  • Anti-Oppression Values: Organizations that center anti-oppression values in their work
  • Systemic Change: Organizations addressing root causes rather than just consequences

The Foundation emphasizes social change over social service, seeking organizations that address whole communities and systems rather than providing direct services to individuals.

What They Don't Fund

The Foundation explicitly does not fund:

  • Colleges and universities
  • Individuals or scholarships
  • Research projects
  • Capital campaigns (building construction, renovation, or equipment purchases)
  • State agencies
  • Religious programs or organizations with religious purposes
  • International or foreign-based programs
  • Basic or direct social service programs
  • Organizations with budgets over $350,000 (for National and Vermont E&J programs)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Jeff Furman - President Jeff Furman served on the Ben & Jerry's corporate board for almost 40 years, providing in-house legal counsel, top-level management, and fostering many of the company's social initiatives. His current role is Board of Directors Emeritus alongside being President of the Ben & Jerry's Foundation. He has also served on the local school board, working to eliminate race and socioeconomic status as a predictor of student success.

Anuradha Mittal - Trustee Anuradha Mittal, founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute, is an internationally renowned expert on trade, development, human rights, and agriculture issues. She joined the Ben & Jerry's Foundation board of trustees in 2012 and serves on the independent board of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., where she serves as Chair. The Nation magazine named her the Most Valuable Thinker in 2008.

Liz Bankowski - Trustee Liz has been a trustee of the Foundation since 1994, representing one of the longest-serving board members.

Tamara Toles O'Laughlin - Trustee Tamara is an environmentalist focused on equity, access, and community.

Nolan - Trustee Nolan has been with Ben & Jerry's since 2009 and serves as a trustee of the Foundation.

Staff

The Foundation's staff includes Lisa Pendolino, Rebecca Golden, Alex Thomas Tutt (joined 2024), and Dana Jeffery.

Foundation Philosophy

The Foundation articulates its core belief that "those most impacted by inequity and injustice are in the best position to develop solutions, with the intent to achieve a better future for all by providing support to community-based, grassroots organizations confronting social and environmental injustice."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Step 1: Eligibility Questionnaire Organizations must first complete an eligibility questionnaire available on the Foundation's website. Organizations that are eligible to apply are offered a link to the grant portal and application form.

Step 2: Online Application All applications must be submitted online through the Foundation's grants management system. Applicants must register their organization before applying.

Step 3: Review Process Foundation staff and Committee Members evaluate all applications submitted and may invite organizations that meet their stated funding priorities to have a conversation.

Application Method: Rolling basis - applications may be submitted at any time throughout the year. The Foundation reviews incoming applications on an ongoing basis, with invitations to participate in conversations with Committee Members sent out every other month for specific review rounds.

Required Status: Organizations must have 501(c)3 tax-exempt status or a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)3 status.

Decision Timeline

  • Initial Response: If an organization is not invited to apply, they should hear back within 1-2 months, dependent on volume of incoming requests
  • Review Rounds: Invitations for conversations sent every other month
  • Grant Cycle: The Foundation moved to a two-year grant cycle in 2023

All organizations are notified whether they are funded or not. If an application is denied, organizations receive an email with an explanation of why the committee determined it was ineligible or did not align well with funding priorities.

Success Rates

The Foundation's grant programs are highly competitive, with approximately a 7% acceptance rate. In 2023, the Foundation made 449 grants totaling $3,795,285, but they receive far more grant requests than they can possibly fund. The average grant size across all programs is approximately $8,500, though this varies significantly by program.

Reapplication Policy

If Deemed Ineligible: If the Foundation has determined that an organization is not eligible for the grant, they should not reapply. However, if applicants feel the committee misunderstood their request, they may call to get clarity about whether or not it would be appropriate to reapply and when.

If Denied but Eligible: For organizations that were unsuccessful but may still be eligible, the Foundation generally asks that an applicant wait one year after the denial notification before submitting another request in order to maintain a manageable application flow.

Current Grantees: Organizations currently receiving two-year grants should follow the Foundation's guidance regarding renewal or new applications.

Application Success Factors

What the Foundation Values

The Foundation emphasizes that effective grassroots organizing includes:

  • Community Outreach: Networking and ally-gaining activities that build support and momentum
  • Leadership Development: For those without access to civic engagement
  • Constituent Empowerment: Where impacted people drive decision-making
  • Popular Education: Teaching and learning approaches that engage communities
  • Strategic Planning: Clear goals to gain rights, win collective political power, and create positive community change

Constituent-Led Requirements

The Foundation states: "The organization must be led by the people directly impacted by the issues the organization works on, and those people have clear decision-making power." Constituents should define core values, identify and prioritize issues, and determine the appropriate course of action to solve them.

Strong Application Components

Applications should demonstrate:

  • A plan with clear goals to gain rights, win collective political power, and create positive community change
  • An assessment of the problem being addressed and best tactics to employ
  • Organizing activities such as community and ally outreach, leadership development, constituent empowerment and decision-making, popular education, campaign development, mobilizing constituents and allies, coalition building, and non-violent direct action
  • How the organization addresses root causes rather than just providing social services
  • Evidence that the organization is local, constituent-based, and working to help communities through self-empowering, community organizing efforts

Examples of Recently Funded Organizations

National Grassroots Organizing Program Recipients:

  • City Wide Tenant Union of Rochester (housing rights organizing)
  • Ohio Immigrant Alliance (immigrant rights)
  • Ex-Prisoner Organizing Collective in Worcester, Massachusetts (criminal justice reform)
  • Free Black Women's Library in Brooklyn (cultural organizing)
  • Dakota Rural Action (environmental and rural justice)
  • Progressive Maryland Education Fund (progressive policy advocacy)
  • Rogue Climate in Oregon (climate justice)
  • Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) - statewide coalition working to reduce incarceration
  • Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa - organizing low-wage workers across race, ethnicity, and immigration status
  • DRUM - South Asian Organizing Center - membership-led organization of low-wage South Asian immigrant workers

Vermont Program Recipients:

  • Latchis Arts in Brattleboro
  • Faith in Action Northern Communities Partnership
  • Richmond Food Shelf and Thrift Store
  • Northeast Disabled Athletic Association

Language and Terminology

The Foundation uses specific terminology that applicants should understand and incorporate where relevant:

  • "Grassroots organizing" vs. "social service"
  • "Constituent-led" and "constituent empowerment"
  • "Systemic change" and "root causes"
  • "Social and environmental justice"
  • "Direct action" and "community organizing strategies"
  • "Anti-oppression values"
  • "Historically denied power"

Common Success Factors

  • Budget Size: Organizations with budgets under $250,000 are generally funded; the cap is $350,000 for National and Vermont E&J programs
  • BIPOC Leadership: Priority consideration for BIPOC-led organizations
  • Clear Organizing Strategy: Demonstrating specific organizing tactics and strategies, not just service provision
  • Constituent Voice: Evidence that those impacted are leading the work
  • Systemic Focus: Addressing underlying causes rather than symptoms

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Grassroots is Essential: The Foundation exclusively funds grassroots, constituent-led organizations. Your application must clearly demonstrate that those most impacted by the issues are leading the organization and making key decisions.

  • Social Change vs. Social Service: Understand the distinction. The Foundation funds organizing for systemic change, not direct service provision. Frame your work in terms of addressing root causes and building collective power, not just helping individuals.

  • Budget Matters: Stay under the $350,000 budget threshold for National and Vermont E&J programs. Organizations with budgets under $250,000 are generally in the sweet spot for funding.

  • BIPOC Leadership Prioritized: If your organization is led by members of the BIPOC community and addressing systemic oppression and white supremacy, make this clear in your application as it receives priority consideration.

  • Two-Year Commitment: With the move to two-year grant cycles in 2023, the Foundation is looking for organizations ready for longer-term partnerships. Demonstrate organizational stability and clear multi-year plans.

  • Competitive but Worth It: With only a 7% acceptance rate, competition is fierce. However, the Foundation's unrestricted, general operating support (for National program) is valuable. Make your application count by clearly demonstrating alignment with their values and criteria.

  • Rolling Process Advantage: Applications are accepted year-round, so you can apply when your organization is ready rather than rushing to meet a deadline. However, this also means you're competing against applications submitted throughout the year.

  • Be Patient and Persistent: If not invited initially, you'll hear back in 1-2 months. If denied but still eligible, wait one year before reapplying. Use that time to strengthen your organizing work and constituent leadership.

  • Use Their Language: Incorporate terms like "constituent-led," "grassroots organizing," "systemic change," and "anti-oppression values" when they genuinely describe your work. The Foundation has a specific framework and wants to fund organizations operating within it.

  • Show Your Organizing: Clearly articulate your organizing strategies - community outreach, leadership development, coalition building, direct action, popular education, etc. The Foundation wants to see a plan with clear goals to gain rights and create community change.

References

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