Bennington College
87% goes to programs $7 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Bennington College is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Bennington, Vermont, registered in 1957, with $86,826,890 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 87% of spending to programs.
Rt 67a, Bennington, VT, 05201 EIN 03-0179414 Since 1957
Revenue (FY2023)
$86.8M
▲ 13.6% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$89.5M
Net assets
$90.5M
Employees
1,048
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
AProgram efficiency40% of the rating87% to programs · $7 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Bennington College: 87% to programs · $7 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating12 mo reserves · -3% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Bennington College: 12 mo reserves · -3% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Bennington College: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Bennington College: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
A liberal arts educational institution in bennington, vt with 800 students enrolled.
What they do
Graduate programs: bennington's graduate programs are built on the belief that making new work is at the heart of the educational process. the college's graduate programs are small, intensive, and selective. bennington offers a low-residency master of fine arts in writing program, which is nationally recognized, as well as an on-campus master of fine arts in performing arts. in 2023-2024, these programs served approximately 100 students.
Contact & location
- Address
- Rt 67a, Bennington, VT, 05201
- City
- Bennington
- State
- Vermont
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Colleges & Universities
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $44.5M (FY2013) to $86.8M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $61.0MNet assets $90.5M
Operating margin
-3.1%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$151.5M
Total liabilities
$61.0M
Net assets
$90.5M
Salaries & benefits
$30.5M
34% of expenses
Board members
23
23 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $86,826,890▲13.6% | $89,498,931▲7.5% | $90,524,784▲0.3% | $151,545,349▲0.2% | 990 |
| 2022 | $76,428,687▲4.6% | $83,228,772▲6.5% | $90,252,628▼1.8% | $151,307,079▼0.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $73,080,983▼12.2% | $78,144,328▲17.4% | $91,908,024▼11.8% | $152,748,783▼7.4% | 990 |
| 2020 | $83,242,782▲13.0% | $66,568,816▼1.3% | $104,182,430▲26.5% | $164,960,346▲10.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $73,695,365▲2.4% | $67,477,092▲2.8% | $82,337,342▲7.4% | $148,830,349▲7.6% | 990 |
| 2018 | $71,997,341▲11.4% | $65,634,904▲1.6% | $76,658,892▲8.9% | $138,321,023▲5.7% | 990 |
| 2017 | $64,618,129▲4.4% | $64,586,877▲8.6% | $70,406,308▼0.9% | $130,923,368▲21.9% | 990 |
| 2016 | $61,905,372▼0.7% | $59,458,676▲6.1% | $71,062,356▲7.5% | $107,370,752▲2.8% | 990 |
| 2015 | $62,314,564▲12.0% | $56,024,284▲4.9% | $66,123,614▲5.9% | $104,475,044▲3.4% | 990 |
| 2014 | $55,614,675▲25.0% | $53,387,625▲4.0% | $62,449,031▲0.6% | $101,036,890▲3.7% | 990 |
| 2013 | $44,477,119 | $51,338,172▲2.4% | $62,056,843▼18.6% | $97,385,216▼13.4% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $50,140,242▲8.6% | $76,239,707▲3.2% | $112,490,842▼0.3% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $46,183,169▲6.6% | $73,867,507▲10.5% | $112,862,258▲8.5% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $43,305,049▲7.3% | $66,853,822▲9.6% | $104,061,566▲4.6% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $40,373,186 | $60,976,768 | $99,438,738 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Laura Walker — $534,678 (0.60% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Walker | President | 40 | $534,678 |
| Maurice Hall | Provost | 40 | $241,862 |
| Keith Michel | Vp of Strategy | 40 | $232,261 |
| Jose Antonio N Cabasco | Vp For Enrollment | 40 | $229,619 |
| Alfredo Medina | Vp of Dei | 40 | $186,013 |
| Jeffrey Perkins | Vp of Marketing | 40 | $173,152 |
| Shelton Walker | Chief of Staff/vp Strategy (term 03/24) | 40 | $170,623 |
| Mark Wunderlich | Director of Mfa In Writing | 40 | $158,204 |
| Lorraine Atwood | Treasurer/svp of Finance | 40 | $126,431 |
| Alan Kornberg | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Alisha Shrestha | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Barbara Ushkow Deane | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
| Catherine Stimpson | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Charlene Solow Schwartz | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Daniel B Rowland | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Deborah Borda | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Ellen Beskind Safir | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Florence Gill | Trustee | 1 | — |
| George Davison | Trustee | 1 | — |
| James Simon | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Aramark Corporation | Food Service Provider | $4,405,583 |
| Hrh Management LLC | Property Management/rent | $503,997 |
| Pentagram Design Inc | Design Services | $274,791 |
| Cliftonlarsonallen LLP | Consulting | $250,832 |
| Galusha & Sons LLC | Contractor Services | $248,256 |
Grants received · $11.1M total
92 grants to Bennington College totaling $11.1M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resources Legacy Fund | Land or marine conservation, climate change, and/or environmental equity and justice | 2024 | $590,000 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Education | 2024 | $557,500 |
| Dechomai Foundation Inc | Unrestricted | 2024 | $252,324 |
| Maine Community Foundation Inc | Education | 2024 | $133,000 |
| Bny Mellon Charitable Gift Fund | To further the organization's exempt purpose | 2024 | $62,500 |
| American Gift Fund | Operations | 2024 | $50,000 |
| The New York Community Trust | For program support. | 2024 | $30,000 |
| Jewish Communal Fund | In furtherance of grantee's tax-exempt purpose | 2024 | $15,430 |
| Paypal Charitable Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $10,004 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $5,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Education | 2023 | $447,777 |
| California Community Foundation | Education | 2023 | $150,000 |
| Resources Legacy Fund | Land or marine conservation, climate change, and/or environ. equity and justice. | 2023 | $145,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $134,050 |
| Maine Community Foundation Inc | Universities | 2023 | $100,000 |
Grants made · $10K in FY2015
1 grant totaling $10K in FY2015. All grants made by Bennington College →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Paran Recreations Inc | Youth organization and activities | $10,000 |
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Compare Bennington College
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bennington College a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Bennington College is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 03-0179414, based in Bennington, Vermont. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Bennington College's EIN?
- Bennington College's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 03-0179414.
- How much revenue does Bennington College report?
- Bennington College reported $86,826,890 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Bennington College's spending goes to programs?
- Bennington College spends about 87% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Bennington College have?
- CharityIndex grades Bennington College A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Bennington College's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Bennington College's latest Form 990 is $534,678, paid to Laura Walker (President).
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Data for Bennington College (EIN 03-0179414) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.