105196786RR0001 — 0210
Registered — North york, ON — Private Foundation
Scores: Legitimacy 100/100 · Effectiveness 49/100
Financials: Revenue $157,744 · Expenditures $285,742
The Benjamin Foundation is a North York-based grantmaking foundation with multiple critical red flags: it is technically insolvent with negative reserves, its outflows exceed revenue by over 11 times, and it has directed funds to revoked charities and through circular flow patterns. While its 43-year registration history and grants to recognized hospitals and universities suggest a legitimate donor-advised vehicle, the 2023 financial picture — a 67% revenue collapse, $285K in expenditures against only $158K in revenue, and a massive unregistered outflow — raises serious questions about governance and sustainability.
Our Verdict: This foundation's latest filing reveals deficit spending that pushed it into technical insolvency, a sharp revenue cliff, and grants flowing to revoked entities and through circular pathways — patterns that warrant serious scrutiny. Donors considering contributing should request detailed explanations from the foundation's directors about the 2023 financial deterioration and the nature of its unregistered disbursements before giving.