Created in 1985, the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is a left-progressive organization that provides grants to nonprofits with a presence in Vermont and to nonprofit organizations that support left-of-center causes, including environmentalist policy. It is the corporate philanthropic arm of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.

History

The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation was created in 1985 after its parent company, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc., funded the foundation with 50,000 shares from a public stock offering. The company’s board of directors also committed to supporting the Foundation by pledging 7.5% of Ben & Jerry’s annual pre-tax profits to the Foundation. ¹

In the early 1990s, the Foundation’s philanthropic strategy evolved to include employees in the decision-making and grantmaking process through the creation of employee-led Community Action Teams. In 1998, the Foundation also established a Matching Gift Program for Ben & Jerry’s employees. ²

In 2000, Ben & Jerry’s was acquired by Unilever, an international conglomerate with hundreds of brands. Since the company’s acquisition, the Foundation has not received 7.5% of pretax profits. Instead, Ben & Jerry’s supports the Foundation with a fluctuating annual allocation that corresponds to Ben & Jerry’s overall ice cream sales. In 2015, this allocation allotted $2.8 million to the Foundation. ³

Grant Programs

The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation supplies a number of grants each year to Vermont-based left-progressive organizations, as well as organizations that operate across the United States. The employee-led Vermont Community Action Team Grant Program allocates monthly general support grants that are typically under $2,000 to community-based nonprofits in Vermont. ⁴

The Vermont Economic Justice Grant Program supports organizations addressing the impact of poverty in the state. The program grants up to $20,000 to nonprofits based in Vermont. Grantees are chosen by a team made up of Ben & Jerry’s employees from across the company’s three sites in Vermont. ⁵

The Foundation’s Vermont Capacity Building Grant Program allocates a multi-year grant to one Vermont-based nonprofit each year. The grant allocates a maximum of $30,000 per year, for no more than three years, to an organization working to “further social justice, protect the environment, or support family farms and local food systems.” ⁶

The Grassroots Organizing for Social Change Grant Program awards a one-year grant up to $30,000 to organizations based outside of Vermont but within the United States. ⁷ The program has supported a number of left-of-center causes and organizations. In 2019, recipients included the left-of-center Dakota Rural Action; the Progressive Maryland Education Fund; and Rogue Climate, a left-progressive organization advocating for the passage of left-of-center energy legislation in Oregon. ⁸ Each of the recipients received over $15,000. ⁹ In 2018, the Workers Center for Racial Justice and the left-of-center Alliance of Families for Justice each received over $20,000. ¹⁰

COVID-19 Response

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation suspended new applicants for the Vermont Capacity Building Grant Program¹¹ and the Grassroots Organizing for Social Change Grant Program to focus on addressing the emerging needs of the pandemic. ¹²

Grant requests for the Vermont Economic Justice and Vermont Community Action Team programs were not disrupted, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, though the Vermont Community Action Team guidelines specified that grants would address immediate community needs related to the pandemic, such as access to housing, food, and healthcare. ¹³

Finance

The organization’s tax return for 2018 lists more than $3.6 million in total revenue and more than $3.4 million in total expenses. ¹⁴ The Foundation has reported more than $3 million in total revenue each year since 2016, including $3.2 million in total revenue in 2016 and $3.4 million in 2017. ^{15 16}

Leadership

The Foundation is led by managing director Lisa Pendolino, who has worked for the Foundation since 1999. ¹⁷

1. “Meet the Staff and Trustees.” BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION. Accessed March 6, 2021. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/who-we-are.html.
2. “Meet the Staff and Trustees.” BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION. Accessed March 6, 2021. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/who-we-are.html.
3. “Meet the Staff and Trustees.” BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION. Accessed March 6, 2021. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/who-we-are.html.
4. “Vermont Community Action Team Program.” BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION. Accessed March 6, 2021. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/vermont-community-action-teams.html.
5. “Vermont Economic Justice Program.” BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION. Accessed March 6, 2021. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/vermont-economic-justice-grants.html.
6. “Vermont Capacity Building Grant Program.” BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION. Accessed March 6, 2021. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/the-vermont-capacity-building-grant-program.html
7. “FAQ.” BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION. Accessed March 6, 2021. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/faq.html.
8. “Rogue Climate.” MRG Foundation, November 27, 2014. https://mrgfoundation.org/grantees/rogue-climate/.
9. “2019 Grant Recipients.” Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, 2019. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/files/new%20pdfs/2019%20Full%20Year%20Grant%20List.pdf.
10. “2018 Grant Recipients.” Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, 2018. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/files/new%20pdfs/2018%20Grant%20Recipients%20National%20FullYr.pdf.
11. “Vermont Capacity Building Grant Program.” BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION. Accessed March 6, 2021. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/the-vermont-capacity-building-grant-program.html
12. “Grassroots Organizing for Social Change Program.” BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION. Accessed March 6, 2021. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/the-grassroots-organizing-for-social-change-program/.
13. “Vermont Community Action Team Program.” BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION. Accessed March 6, 2021. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/vermont-community-action-teams.html.
14. Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018
15. Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2016
16. Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017
17. “Meet the Staff and Trustees.” BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION. Accessed March 6, 2021. https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/who-we-are.html.