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Form 990-PFTax year 2024EIN 27-0284495

BESS Family Foundation

A private foundation in Wilmington, DE. Its return for tax year 2024 lists 52 grants and $1.3 million paid in grants.

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Tax year 2024 (period ending Dec 31, 2024), read from the IRS e-file on Nov 11, 2026. Returns reach the IRS 5 to 18 months after the year they describe.

How to apply

Preselected only

The return checks the box saying the foundation gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Assets and giving by year

7 returns on file
Grants paid by tax year. The latest year is in blue.

  • Tax year 2024

    $1,348,832

    Grants listed
    52
    Assets, end of year
    $1,964,625

  • Tax year 2023

    $1,348,749

    Grants listed
    36
    Assets, end of year
    $1,443,400

  • Tax year 2022

    $1,150,019

    Grants listed
    34
    Assets, end of year
    $2,454,105

  • Tax year 2021

    $721,000

    Grants listed
    27
    Assets, end of year
    $3,662,329

  • Tax year 2020

    $0

    Grants listed
    0
    Assets, end of year
    $1,907,963

  • Tax year 2019

    $0

    Grants listed
    0
    Assets, end of year
    $1,846,617

  • Tax year 2018

    $0

    Grants listed
    0
    Assets, end of year
    $1,788,725

Grants paid in 2024

52 grants, largest first

As listed on the return.

  1. Inquiring Systems IncSanta Rosa, CA

    One Earth Sangha

    $100,000
  2. University of WisconsinGreen Bay, WI

    the Loka Initiative

    $100,000
  3. Garrison InstituteGarrison, NY

    a project to map and grow the field of interconnected people and organizations leading Earth-based mindfulness and meditation practices

    $50,000
  4. Insight Meditation Society IncBarre, MA

    integrating earth awareness practices into new and existing programs

    $50,000
  5. Inward Bound Mindfulness Education IncAttleboro, MA

    integration of earth awareness practices into existing programs

    $50,000
  6. Our Lady of the Resurrection Monastery Inc C O BenCold Springs, NY

    Capital improvements fund

    $50,000
  7. Sati Center for Buddist StudiesRedwood City, CA

    the Buddhist Eco-Chaplaincy Program

    $50,000
  8. University of California San Francisco FoundationSan Francisco, CA

    Climate Resilience course/Epel

    $50,000
  9. Beloved Community CirclesBelmont, MA

    General & Unrestricted

    $40,000
  10. Barre Center for Buddhist Studies IncBarre, MA

    General & Unrestricted

    $35,000
  11. Barre Center for Buddhist Studies IncBarre, MA

    a series of three ecodharma retreats to be held at BCBS

    $33,333
  12. Big Springs Garden Retreat Center IncSierra City, CA

    a series of three ecodharma retreats

    $33,333
  13. Insight Meditation Community of WashingtonMontgomry VLG, MD

    a series of three ecodharma retreats to be held at the seven oaks retreat center

    $33,333
  14. Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat CenterNiwot, CO

    a series of three Ecodharma nature retreats to be held at RMERC

    $33,333
  15. Brown UniversityProvidence, RI

    travel expenses associated with the 2024 Indigenous mindfulness coalition retreat led by Dr Jeffrey Proulx

    $25,000
  16. Cambridge Insight Meditation Center IncCambridge, MA

    General & Unrestricted

    $25,000
  17. Dharmadatta CommunityPeekskill, NY

    Damcho and Karya's project on earth awareness practices

    $25,000
  18. Inquiring Systems IncSanta Rosa, CA

    Mindful of Nature Fund

    $25,000
  19. Inquiring Systems IncSanta Rosa, CA

    Work that Reconnects Network

    $25,000
  20. Lotus Institute IncPataskala, OH

    Integrating earth awareness practices into new and existing programs

    $25,000
  21. Mindful Living RevolutionLos Angeles, CA

    General & Unrestricted

    $25,000
  22. Mindful Living RevolutionLos Angeles, CA

    Hurricane Relief

    $25,000
  23. Mountain Cloud Zen Center IncSanta Fe, NM

    2024 Indigenous Mindfulness Coalition retreat

    $25,000
  24. Natural Dharma FellowshipSpringfield, NH

    General & Unrestricted

    $25,000
  25. Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat CenterNiwot, CO

    General & Unrestricted

    $25,000
  26. Saranaloka FoundationSan Rafael, CA

    the work led by Ayya Santacitta at the Aloka Earth room

    $25,000
  27. Shambhala USACamden, CT

    Touching the Earth's Hivemind Eco Assembly Project

    $25,000
  28. Upaya Zen Center IncSanta Fe, NM

    reviewing, indexing and cataloging teachings on eco-dharma in the vast Upaya audio and video archives

    $25,000
  29. Upaya Zen Center IncSanta Fe, NM

    General & Unrestricted

    $25,000
  30. Zen Peacemakers IncSunderland, MA

    program offerings focused on climate, environment, and Earth care

    $25,000
  31. Barre Center for Buddhist Studies IncBarre, MA

    September, 2024 ecodharma retreat

    $22,000
  32. Boundless in MotionBoulder, CO

    Indigenous Women's Retreat at Rocky Mountain Ecodharma retreat center

    $15,000
  33. Dharma Gates IncBrooklyn, NY

    an eight-week online series "How to Love In A Damaged World"

    $15,000
  34. Insight Meditation Center of the Mid-PeninsulaRedwood City, CA

    a BIPOC retreat at Big Springs

    $15,000
  35. Durango SanghaDurango, CO

    establishing a new practice group that will gather in nature, on the land, particularly in the Durango community and surrounding areas

    $12,500
  36. Braided Wisdom IncSan Francisco, CA

    General & Unrestricted

    $10,000
  37. Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and EcologyEugene, OR

    Great Vow Wildland Firefighter Mindfulness Retreat

    $10,000
  38. Fractured Atlas IncHartsdale, NY

    Triptych Journey

    $10,000
  39. Inquiring Systems IncSanta Rosa, CA

    One Earth Sangha - website for Earth Awareness Community retreat program

    $10,000
  40. Insight Meditation Community of Western MassachuseEasthampton, MA

    Rebecca Bradshaw's retreat "Down to Earth Dharma: healing our relationship with ourselves and the Earth"

    $10,000
  41. Interdependence ProjectBrooklyn, NY

    a year long ecodharma project with 6 outdoor events

    $10,000
  42. Myriad USA IncNew York, NY

    the Wellbeing Project

    $10,000
  43. Northwest Zen SanghaPortland, OR

    coordinating across Buddhist sanghas for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements to temple buildings and offerings events that focus on ecological awareness

    $10,000
  44. San Francisco Zen CenterSan Francisco, CA

    Tassajara Wildland Firefighter Retreat

    $10,000
  45. Sky Mind RetreatsMoab, UT

    General & Unrestricted

    $10,000
  46. Sounds True FoundationDenver, CO

    "We Are The Great Turning" podcast

    $10,000
  47. Spirit Rock Meditation CenterWoodacre, CA

    General & Unrestricted

    $10,000
  48. Tergar InternationalMinneapolis, MN

    integrating ecodharma into programming

    $10,000
  49. Tricycle Foundation IncNew York, NY

    2024 Buddhism and Ecology Gathering

    $10,000
  50. Vallecitos Mountain RefugeDurango, CO

    General & Unrestricted

    $10,000
  51. Saranaloka FoundationSan Rafael, CA

    translation of Fang einfach an! to English

    $6,000
  52. Genx Buddhist Teachers SanghaBoston, MA

    a plenary session to explore the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss on GenX Buddhist teachers, as well as on students with a focus on what support could help cope with those effects

    $5,000

Where the money goes

By cause: grants to organizations we matched to the IRS list of exempt organizations, by their category.

  1. Religion14 grants $295,49933% of the total
  2. Community development5 grants $185,00021% of the total
  3. Education6 grants $185,00021% of the total
  4. Human services4 grants $95,00011% of the total
  5. Public affairs3 grants $60,0007% of the total
  6. Civil rights1 grant $40,0004% of the total
  7. 3 other causes3 grants $30,0003% of the total

By State

Grants to organizations with a US address, latest year.

  1. California15 grants $419,333
  2. Massachusetts10 grants $295,333
  3. New York8 grants $180,000
  4. Colorado6 grants $105,833
  5. Wisconsin1 grant $100,000
  6. New Mexico3 grants $75,000
  7. Maryland1 grant $33,333
  8. Connecticut1 grant $25,000
  9. New Hampshire1 grant $25,000
  10. Ohio1 grant $25,000

Officers, directors and trustees

2 people as filed

As filed on the return, with average hours per week and pay from the foundation.

  • Benjamin ChigierTrustee Hours 1Pay $0
  • Shelly D ChigierTrustee Hours 16Pay $0

The return

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