The Emily Benatar Foundation is a left-of-center private family foundation based in Palo Alto, California. It was founded as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit private family foundation in April 2015 in Palo Alto California. The foundation’s namesake, Emily Benatar, who died of bacterial meningitis on May 9, 2012, was the daughter of its secretary and president, respectively Darrell and Lisa Benatar. ^{1 2 3}

Grants

The Emily Benatar Foundation has given grants to center and left-of-center organizations including Amnesty International, a non-governmental organization focused on human rights;  Doctors Without Borders, an international aid organization which specializes in providing medical care; Citizens Climate Education, an environmentalist advocacy organization affiliated with the lobbying group the Citizens’ Climate Lobby; the Environmental Defense Fund, an environmentalist advocacy organization; the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development nongovernmental organization; and Planned Parenthood, an international pro-abortion and reproductive health services oriented organization. ⁴

Additionally, the Foundation has given grants to a variety of religious organizations, including Congregation Beth Am, the East Bay Jewish Family and Children’s Services, the Jewish Center for Justice, and the Los Altos United Methodist Church. ⁵

Activities

The Emily Benatar Foundation manages an annual “In-Her-Honor Campaign,” in which it encourages supporters to commit acts or make donations in honor of its namesake. Examples of such acts include instances of volunteering with health care institutions, on homeless issues, and with educational organizations. Examples of donations include financial donations to the Red Dress Gala Event, Hands on Bay Area, the East Bay College Fund, and Heifer International (also known as the Heifer Project International), a community-based organization that advocates for ending poverty and world hunger. It also makes a donation of cookies to Ronald McDonald House. ⁶

Additionally, the organization also hosts its own project as part of its annual campaign. For instance, in 2022, the organization hosted an event where supporters were asked to bring photos and make watercolor cards reflecting “the Beauty of the World.” ⁷

Funding

The Emily Benatar Foundation is funded by donations in the form of cash and shares of stock from its president and secretary, Lisa and Darrel Benatar. In its first year of operation, 2014, the pair donated a total of $954, 273, $454,273 of which was in the form of shares of Berkshire Hathaway. Per its 2021 tax returns, the organization holds shares of the latter as well as Amazon, Apple, Tesla, and Home Depot. ^{8 9}

Leadership

Lisa Benatar is the president of the Emily Benatar Foundation and the mother of its namesake. Additionally, Benatar is the manager of Utilities Program Services for the City of Palo Alto, California, and a member of the city’s Sustainability Team. ^{10 11 12}

1.  Homepage. EmilyBenatar. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://www.emilybenatar.com/
2. The Emily Benatar Foundation. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472369180/202243129349100319/full
3. “The Emily Benatar Foundation.” ProPublica. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472369180
4. The Emily Benatar Foundation. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472369180/202243129349100319/full
5. The Emily Benatar Foundation. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472369180/202243129349100319/full
6.  “Honoring Emily Projects.” EmilyBenatar. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://www.emilybenatar.com/in-her-honor-campaign
7.  “Honoring Emily with Art 2022: The Beauty of the World.” EmilyBenatar. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://www.emilybenatar.com/honoring-emily-art-project-2022
8. The Emily Benatar Foundation. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472369180/202243129349100319/full
9. The Emily Benatar Foundation. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2014.

   https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/472369180/2015_05_PF%2F47-2369180_990PF_201412

10. “2022 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.” City of Palo Alto. 2022. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/meeting/attachment/1475.pdf?name=Attachment%20B%20-%202022%20SCAP%20Report
11. Homepage. EmilyBenatar. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://www.emilybenatar.com/
12. The Emily Benatar Foundation. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472369180/202243129349100319/full