Ben & Jerry's Foundation Grants 2026: Funding Stopped
Updated 3 official sources
Quick Answer: Ben & Jerry's Foundation grants are winding down. As checked November 10, 2026, the Foundation's home page says its funding has been stopped, and its July 15, 2026 press release says it will suspend operations as of December 31, 2026 unless it wins a favorable ruling in its legal challenge.
Full answer and how we checked it
If you're a Vermont community nonprofit, school or town, one program is still open: Community Action Team (CAT) grants, generally under $2,000, with applications accepted through November 16, 2026. The National Grassroots Organizing program (up to $30,000 a year) is closed with no plans to reopen, and the Vermont Equity & Justice round closed August 19, 2026.
Who this is for: This guide is for grassroots organizing groups, Vermont nonprofits, towns and schools, and anyone who searched for Ben & Jerry's Foundation grants and needs to know what's still possible. It covers the Foundation's current status in its own words, the one open program, who got funded in 2024, and real alternatives. Grantsights isn't affiliated with the Ben & Jerry's Foundation or with Ben & Jerry's Homemade.
Data note: Grant figures come from the Ben & Jerry's Foundation's Form 990-PF for calendar year 2024 (EIN 03-0300865, South Burlington, Vermont), read from the e-filed return on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer on November 10, 2026. Grantsights parsed all 448 lines on Part XIV line 3a, worth $4,220,251, which matches the return's own line 3a total and its Part I line 25. Every line says "General Support," so the return doesn't name the program behind each grant. Grantsights set aside 2 payments worth $437,363 to intermediaries whose final recipients aren't listed: $295,000 to the Tides Foundation (the Foundation's program charters say its UK fund is wired to Tides, which makes the UK grants) and $142,363 to Vanguard Charitable, a donor-advised fund sponsor. It also set aside 52 gifts under $1,000 worth $15,664 to organizations missing from all three of the Foundation's published 2024 program lists, such as $213 to Colgate University and $26 to Special Olympics Vermont. Their size and spread match the employee matching gift program, which no organization can apply for, but the return doesn't label them, so treat that split as an estimate. The return lists no grants to individuals. That leaves 394 grants worth $3,767,224, median $2,500. The 2023 return (449 lines, $3,795,285) is used for comparison and repeat-grantee checks.
Last updated: 2026-11-10.
In this guide
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation grants open now: 4 programs checked
- The Foundation's current status, in its own words
- How to apply for a Community Action Team grant before November 16
- Who actually got Ben & Jerry's Foundation grants in 2024
- What the Ben & Jerry's Foundation's Pages Don't Tell You
- Is a Ben & Jerry's Foundation grant worth your time? A 4-question check
- Where to look instead of the Ben & Jerry's Foundation
- How Grantsights Checked This Guide
- Sources
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Ben & Jerry's Foundation grants open now: 4 programs checked
Grantsights checked 4 Ben & Jerry's Foundation grant routes on November 10, 2026. One is open, and it's for Vermont only.
| Program | Pays for | Who can apply | Published amount | Status on November 10, 2026 | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont Community Action Team (CAT) | General or project support for basic human needs: food, housing, health, elder care and childcare | Vermont community nonprofits, groups with a 501(c)(3) fiscal agent, municipal schools, municipalities | Generally under $2,000 | Open through November 16, 2026; reviewed monthly | Community Action Team page (opens in a new tab) |
| Vermont Equity & Justice | Racial, economic, social and environmental justice work in Vermont | Vermont 501(c)(3)s or fiscally sponsored groups with budgets under $500,000 | Up to $15,000; average $10,000; $300,000 total in 2026 | Closed. Deadline was August 19, 2026 | Equity & Justice page (opens in a new tab) |
| Jerry Greenfield National Grassroots Organizing (NGO) | Unrestricted general operating support | Constituent-led US groups with budgets under $350,000 | Up to $30,000 a year; average $20,000 | Closed. No plans to reopen | National Grants page (opens in a new tab) |
| Employee matching gifts | Matches of Ben & Jerry's employees' donations | No organization can apply; employees direct it | $50,000 a year budget per the program charters | Employee-directed | Financial Documents page (opens in a new tab) |
Recently closed: the National Grassroots page says applications are no longer being accepted and that, given uncertainty about its own source of funding, the Foundation doesn't plan to reopen the program. Its eligibility questionnaire is marked as no longer available.
Our honest read: unless you're a Vermont community group that can file by November 16, there's no Ben & Jerry's Foundation grant to apply for. Spend the time on the alternatives later in this guide.
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The Foundation's current status, in its own words
The Foundation's July 15, 2026 press release gives three dates that matter to applicants. Here's what its own pages say, checked November 10, 2026. Grantsights isn't taking a side in the dispute; these are the Foundation's statements.
- Funding stopped. The home page banner reads "Our independence is at risk and our funding has been stopped." The press release says The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC), which it calls Unilever's spinoff, decided in April 2025 to cut the Foundation's funding.
- Suspension date. The release says the Foundation "will suspend operations as of December 31, 2026, unless it obtains a favorable ruling in its legal challenge," and that the challenge is expected to run into next year. It also says the Foundation was required to leave its corporate office by July 15, 2026.
- The lawsuit. The release says the Foundation joined Ben & Jerry's Independent Board in a legal challenge under the merger contract, pending in federal court in New York. The Funding at Risk page posts the filings, the latest dated June 30, 2026.
- Vermont money affected. The release says the cut also affects roughly $600,000 a year given across Vermont through the employee match program, the Community Action Teams and the Equity & Justice grants.
The Equity & Justice page adds that the Foundation used reserve funds to keep that program running for the 2026 cycle. The Community Action Team page says that with operations suspending at year's end, applicants should submit sooner rather than later.
According to the Foundation's audited 2024 financial statements, nearly all of its support has come from the company: the company provided about 95% of total support and revenue in 2024, and contributions under the acquisition agreement were $6,022,342 in 2024 and $5,333,813 in 2023. That's why a funding stop puts every program at risk at once.
How to apply for a Community Action Team grant before November 16
There are 5 steps, all from the Community Action Team page as checked November 10, 2026. The program is the one Ben & Jerry's Foundation route open today.
- Confirm you qualify. You must be located in Vermont and be a local, community-based 501(c)(3), a group with a 501(c)(3) fiscal agent, a municipal school, or a municipality.
- Check the not-funded list. The page excludes individuals and scholarships, statewide or national organizations (local affiliates are fine), businesses, other foundations and regranters, discretionary or emergency requests, religious organizations unless their outreach serves the broad community, and anything that could look like it benefits a Ben & Jerry's employee or family member.
- Match the priorities. Preference goes to groups that serve seniors, youth, low-income people and communities of color; meet basic needs such as housing, food, health care, elder care and childcare; have a strong volunteer base; and don't rely only on Ben & Jerry's money.
- Take the eligibility questionnaire, then register and apply online. Use the Login link at the foot of any Foundation page. The questionnaire can be taken only once a year, and the page warns that the wrong answers can steer you to a different program, so answer with the CAT program in mind. Mailed requests aren't accepted.
- Submit early. Requests are accepted through November 16, 2026. The page says each of the three employee teams (Waterbury, St. Albans and South Burlington) sets its own meeting timing, it can't promise a review within a month, and it expects a rush toward the deadline.
Common mistake: asking for more than the program gives. The page says CAT grants are generally under $2,000. A $10,000 ask for a CAT grant reads as a poor fit to a volunteer employee committee.
A note for current grantees: the National Grassroots program made two-year grants, and the audited statements show $1,547,474 in grants payable at the end of 2024. The pages Grantsights checked don't say how second-year payments will be handled after December 31, 2026. If you're owed a second-year payment, ask the Foundation directly at the contact on its site.
Who actually got Ben & Jerry's Foundation grants in 2024
Grantsights analysis of the 2024 return found 394 grants worth $3,767,224 after the intermediary payments and likely matching gifts come out. According to our analysis, the median grant was $2,500. One grant per organization: every one of the 394 went to a different recipient. Two very different funders sit inside that list: a Vermont small-grants funder and a national funder of $20,000 to $30,000 organizing grants.
| 2024 grant size | Grants | Total paid |
|---|---|---|
| Under $1,000 (matched to a program list) | 28 | $13,650 |
| $1,000 to $2,000 | 163 | $222,834 |
| $2,001 to $4,999 | 36 | $102,575 |
| $5,000 to $15,000 | 59 | $516,165 |
| $15,001 to $30,000 | 102 | $2,559,500 |
| Over $30,000 | 6 | $352,500 |
| Total (exclusions set aside) | 394 | $3,767,224 |
Vermont versus national
According to the 2024 return data, Vermont recipients got 213 grants worth $683,374 (median $1,750), while recipients in other states got 181 grants worth $3,083,850 (median $20,000). So Vermont had more than half the grants but about 18% of the money.
| Recipient state | Grants | Total paid |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 213 | $683,374 |
| California | 28 | $551,350 |
| New York | 24 | $395,500 |
| Massachusetts | 14 | $339,000 |
| Illinois | 6 | $158,000 |
| Ohio | 6 | $150,000 |
| South Dakota | 10 | $143,000 |
The 394 grants reached recipients in 38 states, DC and Puerto Rico. Outside Vermont, 98 grants of $15,001 to $30,000 took $2,465,500, which is the National Grassroots program at work: 33 grants were exactly $30,000, its yearly cap.
Program mix
The return doesn't label programs, so Grantsights matched recipient names against the Foundation's own 2024 recipient lists for the Community Action Team, Equity & Justice and National Grassroots programs. Name matching is approximate, so read these as close counts, not exact ones.
| Program (matched to the Foundation's 2024 lists) | Grants on the return | Total paid |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont Community Action Team | About 112 | About $160,000 |
| Vermont Equity & Justice | About 18 | About $216,000 |
| Vermont grants on no published list (trustee, staff and plant fund grants and others) | About 83 | About $308,000 |
| Non-Vermont grants, mostly National Grassroots | About 181 | About $3,084,000 |
The program charters posted on the Financial Documents page explain the unlisted Vermont and national grants: each trustee may designate $30,000 a year, a Good Neighbor Fund gives about $100,000 a year in $1,000 to $5,000 grants outside the regular guidelines, and a Plant Managers Fund gives $20,000 a year for community events near the plants. None of those has an application.
Named examples from the 2024 return
For example, 350 Sacramento received $30,000 in 2024, matching the "$30,000/Yr; 2 Yrs." award on the Foundation's 2024 National Grassroots list. Adelante Student Voices in Poughkeepsie, New York, Hawaii Workers Center in Honolulu, Ohio Immigrant Alliance and Texas Prisons Community Advocates each received $30,000. Alaskans Take A Stand received $20,000 and Activist San Diego $25,000.
In Vermont, GunSense Vermont Education Fund, Northeast Kingdom Organizing and Voices for Vermont's Children each got $15,000, the Equity & Justice cap. One organization in Vermont, the Addison County Community Action Group (HOPE) in Middlebury, received $2,000 for food insecurity work through the Community Action Team, and the Hardwick Area Food Pantry got $2,000 the same way. That's the realistic size of a CAT grant.
What the Ben & Jerry's Foundation's Pages Don't Tell You
Grantsights checked the Foundation's program pages against its 2023 and 2024 returns, its audited statements and its program charters. Five points stand out.
1. The national program was always a long shot. The National Grassroots FAQ says only 5% to 10% of requests were approved for further consideration, and it asked denied groups to wait a year before reapplying. Even before the funding stop, most applicants shouldn't have counted on it.
2. About half the national money was already committed. Grants were two-year awards. Of the 108 grants of $15,000 or more outside Vermont in 2024 (worth $2,878,000), 53 went to organizations also paid in 2023, worth $1,495,500. Many 2024 payments were second-year installments, not new slots.
3. Some grants never had an application. The charters describe trustee-designated grants ($30,000 per trustee a year), a staff-led Good Neighbor Fund, a Plant Managers Fund, a UK fund run through Tides by invitation, and the employee match. Don't underestimate how much of the 990-PF list came through these doors rather than the open programs.
4. The headline giving overstates what's left. The 2024 return shows $4.22 million paid, but the Foundation's fair market value of assets at the end of 2024 was $9,224,372, and the press release calls it "a $6 million foundation." The Equity & Justice page says reserve funds kept the 2026 round going. A red flag for planning: no 2027 round of any program has been announced.
5. Vermont groups are the only applicants left. The open CAT program funds Vermont community groups, and its own page excludes statewide and national organizations. Out-of-state groups searching for Ben & Jerry's Foundation grants have no route at all today.
Is a Ben & Jerry's Foundation grant worth your time? A 4-question check
- Are you a local Vermont nonprofit, fiscally sponsored group, municipal school or town? If not, skip to the alternatives.
- Can you submit by November 16, 2026? If not, there's no current program for you.
- Is your ask about $2,000 or less, for food, housing, health, elder care or childcare? That's the CAT sweet spot.
- Are you a past National Grassroots grantee owed a second-year payment? Contact the Foundation directly; don't wait for a portal notice.
Plausible fit: a Rutland County food shelf asking $1,500 for winter food purchases. Poor fit: a tenant organizing group in Ohio; the national program it would have used is closed.
Where to look instead of the Ben & Jerry's Foundation
Most grassroots groups need a funder with an open door now. Start with grants for grassroots organizations, which explains how regranting funds pass small grants to groups with or without a 501(c)(3).
Grassroots organizing funds that appear on the 2024 return: RESIST in Boston received $75,000 from the Foundation in 2024. Its grants page, checked November 10, 2026, describes a monthly Urgent Action Fund for 501(c)(3) or fiscally sponsored US groups with budgets under $150,000, open until its yearly cap is reached; the next cycle date it lists (September 14 to 18) has passed, so check the page before you plan around it. Its 2026 Movement Bank is invitation-only. See RESIST's grants page (opens in a new tab).
Cause-specific guides: environmental justice grants, grants for immigrant services, the best grants for immigration nonprofits and grants for housing and homelessness cover the issues National Grassroots grantees worked on.
Large national funders: the Kellogg Foundation guide covers one of the few big foundations that still takes unsolicited letters of inquiry year-round, which makes it the closest open door for racial equity work at a larger scale. The Ford Foundation guide explains why Ford, a long-time social justice funder, is mostly invitation-only. And the MacKenzie Scott guide shows how her gifts reach grassroots groups with no application at all, so you can tell whether being findable is worth the effort.
Vermont groups: the Vermont grants guide covers state agencies and programs. For town-led projects, the Vermont Community Development Program (opens in a new tab) runs the state's federal Community Development Block Grant money. According to the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, planning grants run $3,000 to $75,000 and accessibility modification grants $5,000 to $300,000, any Vermont town, city (except Burlington) or incorporated village can apply, and most projects pair the town with community nonprofits. Its page says FY26 pre-applications are open. For small food and basic-needs requests, grants for food pantries and community foundation grants list funders with local rounds.
Grantsights tools: Grantsights' community funder lists group private foundations by cause and state from the grants on their own 990-PF returns, and you can preview the list for your state free. For public money with posted deadlines, the Grantsights grant database lists open federal and state programs.
How Grantsights Checked This Guide
Grantsights checked 9 Foundation pages and documents and 2 returns on November 10, 2026. ProPublica's records show Ben & Jerrys Foundation in South Burlington, Vermont, under EIN 03-0300865, with a calendar-year 990-PF; the return's header shows the same EIN.
| Page or filing | Finding on November 10, 2026 | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Home page | "Our funding has been stopped" banner; July 15, 2026 press release linked | Know the current status |
| July 15, 2026 press release | Suspension of operations as of December 31, 2026 unless a favorable ruling; about $600,000 a year in Vermont affected | Plan around the end date |
| Community Action Team page | Open through November 16, 2026; grants generally under $2,000 | Apply if you're a Vermont community group |
| Equity & Justice page | Closed; August 19, 2026 deadline; up to $15,000; $300,000 for 2026 | Know the Vermont round is over |
| National Grants page | Closed; no plans to reopen; up to $30,000 a year | Rule it out |
| 2024 audited financial statements and program charters | Company gave about 95% of 2024 support; program budgets | Understand unlisted grants |
| 2024 Form 990-PF (calendar 2024) | 448 lines, $4,220,251; 394 grants, $3,767,224 after exclusions | Size a realistic fit |
| 2023 Form 990-PF (calendar 2023) | 449 lines, $3,795,285 | Spot repeat grantees |
The grant list is public because private foundations must file it. According to IRS guidance on the private foundation annual return (opens in a new tab), Form 990-PF is due by the 15th day of the 5th month after the year ends, which is May 15 for a calendar-year foundation; the 2025 return wasn't on ProPublica when Grantsights checked. To read a return yourself, use the guide on how to read a 990-PF. Every open route here asks for 501(c)(3) status or a fiscal sponsor; the IRS page on 501(c)(3) exemption requirements (opens in a new tab) explains what that status means. The Ben & Jerry's company site blocked automated requests on November 10, 2026, so this guide doesn't describe company sponsorships or donations.
Sources
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: Home page (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: Funding at Risk (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: July 15, 2026 press release (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: National Grants (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: Community Action Team (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: Equity & Justice (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: Our Team (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: Financial Documents (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: 2024 Financial Statements (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: Program Charters and Internal Controls (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: 2024 National Grassroots Grant Recipients (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: 2024 Community Action Team Grant List (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Ben & Jerry's Foundation: 2024 Vermont Equity & Justice Grant Recipients (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: Ben & Jerrys Foundation filings (opens in a new tab)
- RESIST: Grants (opens in a new tab)
- Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development: Vermont Community Development Program (opens in a new tab)
- IRS: Private Foundation Annual Return (opens in a new tab)
- IRS: Exemption Requirements for 501(c)(3) Organizations (opens in a new tab)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Ben & Jerry's Foundation still giving grants?
Only one small Vermont program, as checked November 10, 2026. The Foundation's home page says its funding has been stopped, and its July 15, 2026 press release says it will suspend operations as of December 31, 2026 unless it wins a favorable ruling in its legal challenge. The Vermont Community Action Team program takes applications through November 16, 2026. The National Grassroots Organizing program and the Vermont Equity & Justice program are closed.
How much does the Ben & Jerry's Foundation give?
Its 2024 Form 990-PF lists 448 grants worth $4,220,251. Grantsights analysis of that list set aside two payments to intermediaries ($437,363) and 52 small gifts under $1,000 that look like employee matches ($15,664), leaving 394 grants worth $3,767,224 with a median of $2,500. National grassroots grants ran up to $30,000 a year; Community Action Team grants are generally under $2,000.
Who could apply for a Ben & Jerry's Foundation grant?
The National Grassroots Organizing program took constituent-led US organizations with budgets under $350,000 and 501(c)(3) status or a fiscal sponsor. It's closed with no plans to reopen. The open Community Action Team program takes Vermont community nonprofits, groups with a 501(c)(3) fiscal agent, municipal schools and municipalities.
How do I apply for a Community Action Team grant?
Read the program's requirements and areas not funded, take the eligibility questionnaire, then register your organization and apply in the Foundation's online grants system (the Login link at the foot of its pages). It doesn't accept mailed requests. The deadline is November 16, 2026, and the Foundation expects a rush before it, so submit early.
When is the Ben & Jerry's Foundation deadline?
November 16, 2026, for Vermont Community Action Team requests, the only open program on November 10, 2026. The Vermont Equity & Justice deadline was August 19, 2026, with decisions planned for October. The National Grassroots Organizing program has no deadline because it no longer accepts applications.
Is the Ben & Jerry's Foundation the same as Ben & Jerry's the ice cream company?
No. The Ben & Jerry's Foundation (EIN 03-0300865) is a separate private foundation in South Burlington, Vermont, with its own trustees. Its audited 2024 statements say nearly all its support came from the company under a funding formula set in the 2000 acquisition agreement, and that the company provided about 95% of its 2024 support. That funding is what the Foundation says has been stopped.
Last updated November 10, 2026. Published by Grantsights from public sources. See our editorial policy, how we build and check guides, corrections and how we make money.
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