Benjamin Fund
OVERVIEW: The Benjamin Fund supports community organizing and democracy efforts around the United States.
IP TAKE: This is a low-profile funder that does not maintain a website, restricting transparency about grantmaking guidelines and how to get in touch. Grantmaking tends to prioritize those in New York, California and D.C.. This is not an accessible funder. Grants are typically for general operational support.
PROFILE: The Benjamin Fund was established in 2003 by American political activist Medea Benjamin. Benjamin is the co-founder of activist groups Code Pink and Global Exchange. She has run for United States Senate as a Green Party candidate in 2000 and currently contributes to OpEdNews and The Huffington Post. While the foundation does not have a website, tax filings indicate that it funds work addressing environmentalism, political activism, economic justice, anti-war, and human rights.
Grants for Democracy and Civic Engagement
Benjamin Fund founder Medea Benjamin is one of the co-founders of women-led grassroots social justice and anti-war NGO Code Pink. She is also a co-founder of Global Exchange, a human rights, economic justice, and fair trade advocacy group. The Benjamin Fund itself does not have a website detailing its grantmaking priorities, but tax filings show that it tends to fund groups in the United States doing work related to discrimination, public affairs, civic participation, campaign finance, community organizing, individual liberties, and election regulation. Past grantees related to civic engagement include the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Democracy Now, National People’s Action, Grassroots Global Justice, ACLU, Alliance for Global Justice and the Public Citizen Foundation.
Grants for Work and Opportunity
The Benjamin Fund does not have a website detailing its grantmaking priorities, but tax filings show that it tends to fund groups doing work related to economic justice, immigrant rights, public policy, discrimination, and community development. Past grantees related to work and economic opportunity include the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Interfaith Worker Justice, and National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
Grants for Environmental Conservation
The Benjamin Fund does not have a website detailing its grantmaking priorities, but tax filings show that it tends to fund groups doing work related to environmental conservation, climate change, fossil fuel use, international development, and sustainability. Past grantees include Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
Grants for Global Peace and Security
Benjamin Fund founder Medea Benjamin is one of the co-founders of women-led grassroots social justice and anti-war NGO Code Pink. She is also a co-founder of Global Exchange, a human rights, economic justice, and fair trade advocacy group. The Benjamin Fund itself does not have a website detailing its grantmaking priorities, but tax filings show that it tends to fund groups doing work related to United States foreign policy, anti-war activism, human rights, international peace and security, conflict resolution, and global development. Grantees include 350org, Jewish Voice for Peace, Center for International Policy, Veterans for Peace, and Grassroots International.
Important Grant Details:
The Benjamin Fund’s political activism grants generally range from $10,000 to $100,000. While the foundation’s funding has no explicit geographical limitations, by virtue of its field of work, its grantmaking tends to center on New York, California, and Washington, D.C.
The Benjamin Fund does not accept unsolicited proposals and does not provide a clear way to get in touch.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
c/o Medea Benjamin
7601 Ne Miami Ct
Miami, FL United States 33138
Telephone: 4157105244