Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
The Ben & Jerry's Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social-justice grantmaking nonprofit founded in 1985 in South Burlington, Vermont, awarding small-dollar grants to grassroots organizations across the U.S. and Vermont, historically funded by 7.5% of Ben & Jerry's pretax profits (~$5M annually).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersSouth Burlington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ben & Jerry’s Foundation does
The Ben & Jerry's Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social-justice grantmaking organization founded in 1985 and headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont, alongside its corporate namesake Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. The foundation operates three grant programs: the Jerry Greenfield National Grassroots Organizing Grant Program (up to $30,000 per award to small grassroots organizations nationwide), the Vermont Equity & Justice Grant Program (up to $15,000 to Vermont-based equity-focused nonprofits), and the Vermont Community Action Teams program (under $2,000 for local Vermont community needs). Its grantee beneficiaries are grassroots organizations led by people directly impacted by injustice, addressing racial, economic, social, and environmental disparities. A distinguishing operational feature is its employee-guided grantmaking model, in which Ben & Jerry's corporate employees sit on review committees that decide awards — embedding participatory governance into the foundation's identity.
The foundation's revenue model is unusual for a nonprofit: it has historically been funded almost entirely by Ben & Jerry's itself pursuant to a 1985 commitment to contribute 7.5% of the ice cream company's annual pretax profits, yielding approximately $5 million per year in recent periods. Cumulatively, the foundation has disbursed over $70 million in grants since inception. Beyond grantmaking, the foundation invests in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to generate returns while supporting low-income communities, and uses Foundant as its third-party grant management platform for application intake and processing.
The foundation's operating geography is constrained to the United States and U.S. territories, with a concentration in Vermont. It is currently in an active legal dispute with The Magnum Ice Cream Company (Unilever's ice cream spin-off), having filed suit in the Southern District of New York in December 2025 to defend its independence after Magnum reportedly ceased funding contributions. A March 2026 court ruling permitted the foundation to formally join the litigation. The foundation has responded with a defensive "Hands Off the Foundation" public campaign, a transition to deadline-based grantmaking cycles, and surfaced audit findings on financial governance deficiencies tied to the parent-company transition. The current litigation outcome is the dominant variable determining the foundation's near-term solvency and programmatic continuity.
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
- Legal name
- BEN & JERRY'S FOUNDATION, INC.
- Website
- https://benandjerrysfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Ben & Jerry's Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social-justice grantmaking nonprofit founded in 1985 in South Burlington, Vermont, awarding small-dollar grants to grassroots organizations across the U.S. and Vermont, historically funded by 7.5% of Ben & Jerry's pretax profits (~$5M annually).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Justice Philanthropy / Grantmaking Foundation
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
Keywords
Where Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- South Burlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation Funding from Ben & Jerry's: The foundation receives approximately $5 million annually from Ben & Jerry's ice cream company, which is used to support various social justice causes through grant programs.
- Investment Income: The foundation invests in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) including community development banks, credit unions, and loan funds to generate returns while supporting low-income communities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ben & Jerry's Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social justice philanthropy organization that provides unrestricted, general operating support grants to grassroots nonprofits in the United States and its territories. It operates three grant programs—the National Grassroots Organizing Program, the Vermont Equity & Justice Program, and the Vermont Community Action Teams—guided by Ben & Jerry's employees who serve on grantmaking committees.
Product overview
Ben & Jerry's Foundation is a social justice philanthropy organization that operates three distinct grant programs: the Jerry Greenfield National Grassroots Organizing Grant Program (supporting grassroots organizations nationwide with grants up to $30,000), the Vermont Equity & Justice Grant Program (supporting Vermont organizations addressing racial and social inequities with grants up to $15,000), and the Vermont Community Action Team Grant Program (small grants under $2,000 for Vermont community organizations). A distinguishing feature is the Employee Grantmaking Committee model, where Ben & Jerry's employees guide all grantmaking decisions, reflecting the company's progressive values and commitment to grassroots leadership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Jerry Greenfield National Grassroots Organizing Grant Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $70 million awarded to grassroots organizations since 1985
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Libra Foundation: Small family-founded progressive philanthropy focused on social justice, racial equity, and community organizing. Directly comparable as a smaller-scale foundation funding grassroots organizing and progressive causes.
- Haymarket People's Fund: Vermont-based community foundation funding progressive social change, with a strong New England focus. Highly comparable in geographic focus (Vermont), scale, and grassroots organizing grantmaking model.
- Akonadi Foundation: Foundation supporting racial justice movement building through grants to grassroots organizing groups in the Bay Area and beyond. Comparable in mission, scale, and focus on supporting organizing led by impacted communities.
- Proteus Fund: Philanthropic intermediary supporting progressive social movements through re-granting and capacity building. Similar scale and model of providing flexible, multi-year support to grassroots social justice organizations.
- Foundation for a Just Society: Private foundation funding grassroots movements for social, racial, and gender justice. Comparable in funding grassroots organizing for marginalized communities with similar grant size ranges and unrestricted support.
- Threshold Foundation: Progressive foundation funding social justice, environmental sustainability, and movement building. Similar size and grantmaking approach for grassroots organizations working on systemic change.
- Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program: Grants program supporting progressive social justice organizing at the grassroots level. Similar in providing unrestricted, capacity-building support to community organizing efforts.
- Needmor Fund: Family foundation supporting grassroots organizing for social, economic, and environmental justice. Comparable mission, scale, and unrestricted general operating support grantmaking model.
Broad incumbents
- Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. foundations with a long-standing commitment to social justice and inequality. While broader in scope and vastly larger in scale, Ford Foundation shares the focus on systemic change and grassroots empowerment.
- Open Society Foundations: Major international foundation supporting social justice, human rights, and democratic governance. Comparable in mission alignment with progressive social justice grantmaking, though operates at much greater scale and geographic scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceBen & Jerry’s Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
What does Ben & Jerry’s Foundation do?
Ben & Jerry's Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social justice philanthropy organization that provides unrestricted, general operating support grants to grassroots nonprofits in the United States and its territories. It operates three grant programs—the National Grassroots Organizing Program, the Vermont Equity & Justice Program, and the Vermont Community Action Teams—guided by Ben & Jerry's employees who serve on grantmaking committees.
Is Ben & Jerry’s Foundation a public or private company?
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ben & Jerry’s Foundation founded?
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ben & Jerry’s Foundation based?
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is headquartered in South Burlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ben & Jerry’s Foundation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Foundation Funding from Ben & Jerry's are the primary driver. The others are investment Income.
Who are Ben & Jerry’s Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Libra Foundation, Haymarket People's Fund, Akonadi Foundation, Proteus Fund, Foundation for a Just Society, Threshold Foundation, Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program and Needmor Fund. Broad incumbents are Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations.
Does Ben & Jerry’s Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ben & Jerry’s Foundation.
What industry is Ben & Jerry’s Foundation in?
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation's product category is Social Justice Philanthropy / Grantmaking Foundation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAN, Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.