Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation
Metairie, LA · EIN 26-0221908. Reported 230 grants totalling $34.7M to 171 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $5,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $2,500 and $100,000; the smallest was $100 and the largest $3,120,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $7,300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Jesuit High School | New Orleans, LA | $3,500,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Oshner Clinic Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $3,120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Catholic Community Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $2,379,200 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Archbishop Rummel High School | Metairie, LA | $2,000,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank | New Orleans, LA | $2,000,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Archdiocese of New Orleans | Metairie, LA | $1,988,300 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Notre Dame Seminary | New Orleans, LA | $1,154,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Jesuit High School of New Orleans Foundation Inc | New Orleans, LA | $1,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Aloysius Century Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $1,000,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Tulane University | New Orleans, LA | $900,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Delgado Community College | New Orleans, LA | $500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| National World War II Museum Inc | New Orleans, LA | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ochsner Heart Valve Center | New Orleans, LA | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Mississippi | Jackson, MS | $500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Kingsley House | New Orleans, LA | $400,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The Papal Foundation | Bala Cynwyd, PA | $400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| New Orleans Museum of Art | New Orleans, LA | $369,999 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| La SPCA | New Orleans, LA | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Toys for Tots | Triangle, VA | $275,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bastion Community of Resilience | New Orleans, LA | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Delgado Community College Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Mississippi Foundation | Jackson, MS | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Nfl Charities | New York, NY | $217,667 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Friends of Notre-Dame De Paris | Etna, NH | $205,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Clover Nola Inc | New Orleans, LA | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Clover Nola Inc (formerly Kingsley House Inc) | New Orleans, LA | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Good Shepherd Nativity School | New Orleans, LA | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Michael's Special School | New Orleans, LA | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Stuart Hall School for Boys | New Orleans, LA | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| UNCF | New Orleans, LA | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| United Negro College Fund Inc | New Orleans, LA | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Friends of Lpb | Baton Rouge, LA | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Louisiana Public Broadcasting | Baton Rouge, LA | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| World Monuments Fund | New York, NY | $110,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| 2024 N O Book Festival | New Orleans, LA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Caf America | Alexandria, VA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Galileo Foundation US Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Louisiana Key Academy | Baton Rouge, LA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Metairie Park Country Day School | Metairie, LA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Team Gleason Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| New Orleans Public Television | New Orleans, LA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Greater New Orleans Educational Television Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $55,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Governors Mansion Preservation Foundation Inc | Baton Rouge, LA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Emerge Foundation | Baton Rouge, LA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Louisiana Museum Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Louisiana Hibernian Charity | New Orleans, LA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Make-a-Wish Texas Gulf South and Louisiana | Metairie, LA | $38,618 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| La Baptist Childrens Home | Monroe, LA | $25,836 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Academy of the Sacred Heart | New Orleans, LA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Catholic Herald Institute | New York, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Noma | New Orleans, LA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Samaritans Feet | Charlotte, NC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana | Schriever, LA | $22,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Catholic Charities-Archdiocese of No | New Orleans, LA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia | Nashville, TN | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Special Olympics Louisiana | Convington, LA | $19,650 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Louisiana SPCA | New Orleans, LA | $15,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Families Helping Families | New Orleans, LA | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Girl Scouts | New Orleans, LA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ogden Museum of Southern Art | New Orleans, LA | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| New Orleans Ballet Association | New Orleans, LA | $13,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Dominican Sisters-St Cecilia Congregation | New Orleans, LA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dominican Sisters-St Cecilia Congregation | Nashville, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Holy Name of Jesus School & Parish | New Orleans, LA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Louisiana Appleseed | New Orleans, LA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities | New Orleans, LA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Metanoia Inc | Zachary, LA | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Salvation Army | San Antonio, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra | New Orleans, LA | $9,990 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | $8,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Kid Smart | New Orleans, LA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Louisiana Landmarks Society | New Orleans, LA | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Lifecycles Louisiana | Mandeville, LA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| University of Holy Cross | New Orleans, LA | $7,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Pro Bono Project | New Orleans, LA | $6,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Southern Dominican Providence USA | Metairie, LA | $6,120 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Humane Society of Louisiana | New Orleans, LA | $5,700 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Ladies Leukemia League | Metairie, LA | $5,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor | New Orleans, LA | $5,500 | 2 | 1 | 2023 |
| Bravo | New Orleans, LA | $5,300 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Archdiocese of New Orleans Retreat Center | Metairie, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Archdiocese of New Orleans Spirituality Center | Metairie, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Association of the US Army | Mandeville, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Bravo | New York, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Boys Hope Girls Hope | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Children's Village | Birmingham, AL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cherish Times Two | Houma, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| City Park Conservancy | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Dress for Success New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Las Misiones | San Antonio, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Metairie, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Port Chester, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Longue Vue House & Gardens | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union | Mount Vernon, VA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Council of Jewish Women | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| New Orleans Hispanic Heritage | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| New Orleans Association of Firechiefs Firefighter Relief Fund Inc | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Original Divine Mercy Institute | Richland Hills, TX | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Patio Planters of the Vieux Carre | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rainbow Childcare Center | Lake Oswego, OR | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Michael Special School | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The St Louis Ix Art Society | Mandeville, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Teach for America | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Cenacle on the La | Metairie, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Historic New Orleans Collection | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Vieux Carre Commission | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Wyes | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| YMCA Children's Unified Benefits and Service | Metairie, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| YMCA of Greater New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| New Orleans Women & Children's Shelter | New Orleans, LA | $4,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Junior Achievement of Greater | Washington, DC | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Woman's Exchange | New Orleans, LA | $3,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Bridge House Corporation | New Orleans, LA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Elizabeth's Guild | Metairie, LA | $3,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Women's New Life Center | Metairie, LA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Anti-Defamation League | Atlanta, GA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cam Jordan Foundation | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Crimestoppers | Metairie, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Daughters of St Paul | Metairie, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Friends of Jefferson the Beautiful | Metairie, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Lighthouse for the Blind in New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Le Petit Theatre Du Vieux Carre | New Orleans, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Council of Jewish Women | New Orleans, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute Inc | New Orleans, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Society of St Vincent De Paul | New Orleans, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The American Association of the Order of St Lazarus Inc | Ridgefield, CT | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Life of a Single Mom | Baton Rouge, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Stabiler Foundation | Baton Rouge, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Vieux Carre Property Owners Residents and Associates | New Orleans, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wlae Tv | New Orleans, LA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Fellowship of Christian Athletes | Metairie, LA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Longue Vue | New Orleans, LA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Magnolia Community Services | Jeferson, LA | $1,800 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Bridge House Grace House | New Orleans, LA | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Educational Broadcasting Foundation Inc | New Orleans, LA | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| New Orleans Rotary Fund Inc | New Orleans, LA | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sister of the Holy Family | New Orleans, LA | $1,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Brother Martin High School | New Orleans, LA | $1,200 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Archdiocesan Spirituality Center | Metairie, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Bridge House | Boulder, CO | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dominican Friars | New Orleans, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Epilepsy Awareness of America | Metairie, LA | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Friends of the Cabildo | New Orleans, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Friends of the Cabildochildren's Hospital | Flowood, MS | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Gregorian University Foundation | Washington, DC | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame | Springfield, MA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| NAMI New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Shrine of Blessed Francis | New Orleans, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northwest Louisiana Pregnancy Care Center | Minden, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Raphael Village | New Orleans, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Red Bird Ministries | Breaux Bridge, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Society of the Divine Word | Bay St Louis, MS | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Seasons Grief and Loss Center | Metairie, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Charles Avenue Association | New Orleans, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| St Clement of Rome Church | Metairie, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Betty and Leonard Phillips Deaf Action Center | Shreveport, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Friends of the Algiers Courthouse | New Orleans, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Womens New Life Clinic | Baton Rouge, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Winston Rhea Scholars | New Orleans, LA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ledet Legacy Foundation | St Martinville, LA | $800 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mississippi Sickle Cell Foundation | Jackson, MS | $600 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Eldercare Support Service | Baton Rouge, LA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Giving Hope | New Orleans, LA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Unbranded | Metairie, LA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Edward Association of Men | Metairie, LA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| 4 Such a Time As This | Covington, LA | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Foundation for a Christian Civilization Inc | Hanover, PA | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
43 of 171 (25%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 40%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Ochsner Clinic Foundation
To support the mission of the organization
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 98 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 33 | $10.9M | $100,000 |
| 2022 | 34 | $6,768,283 | $14,825 |
| 2023 | 70 | $7,413,633 | $5,000 |
| 2024 | 93 | $9,573,988 | $5,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation has 3 of them, worth $51.8M. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back -- and it also tells you how much of the next year's budget is already spoken for.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation (children's Hospital) | New Orleans, LA | $50.0M |
| Lspca | New Orleans, LA | $1,500,000 |
| The Greater New Orleans Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $250,000 |
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 93% of this one's giving went to organizations in Louisiana. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $5,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Louisiana.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 5800 Airline Dr, Metairie, LA, 70003. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 26-0221908 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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