About The Bender Foundation
Meeting The Needs of Today. Paving The Way for The Future.
Overview
The Bender Foundation, Inc. is a family foundation serving the greater Washington, DC region. Our giving reflects the values instilled by our founders — Jack & Dorothy Bender (z”l) and Howard & Sondra Bender (z”l) — and passed down through the generations of the Bender family. These values established a living legacy where we strive to be more than funders. We are engaged community members, thought partners, and advocates for the organizations and causes we believe in.
Our Core Values
Jewish Values
Our work is guided by principles such as tzedakah (charitable giving), tikkun olam (repairing the world), and a deep commitment to justice, dignity, and community.
Community Responsibility
We believe in supporting the wellbeing of the communities we are a part of, with a focus on equity, compassion, and shared responsibility.
Geographic Focus
The Bender Foundation, Inc. is proudly rooted in the greater Washington, DC region. While our values extend globally, our primary commitment is to the local communities that surround us, where our founders built their business and raised their family.
In recognition of the history and legacy of the family and the shared identity with the Jewish people, the foundation also supports a limited number of organizations providing programs in Israel.
Giving Philosophy
We believe that thoughtful philanthropy is guided by values, sustained by relationships, and measured by impact. We value both long-term partnerships that allow sustained investment in a mission and responsive giving that addresses evolving community needs within the scope of our focus. We prioritize investing in healthy minds, strong bodies, and excellent education in our community.
We also aspire to bring more to the table than a check. Foundation members are active community leaders who serve on boards, participate in fundraising, volunteer their time, and collaborate with other foundations and organizations to see critical work through from start to finish.
Areas of Priority
Health
We believe in nurturing the well-being, resilience, and potential of children and the families who care for them. We do this by supporting organizations working to improve physical and mental health outcomes for individuals and families, with attention to those who face barriers to care — whether economic, geographic, or otherwise.
Education
Education is a powerful tool for change. We fund initiatives that expand access and promote opportunity and advancement — from early childhood through young adulthood. We are particularly drawn to programs that incorporate wraparound supports that help students thrive inside and outside of the classroom.
Jewish Identity & Community
As a family whose values are rooted in Jewish faith and tradition, we are committed to supporting organizations that strengthen the Jewish community — culturally, spiritually, and physically.
Legacy & Vision
Long before the Bender Foundation existed, Jack and Dorothy Bender were simply known as generous people. They gave personally and quietly — paying for the weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs of those who couldn’t afford them and showing up for neighbors in need. This was not foundation work — it was the expression of a family’s values, lived out in the community day by day.
Jack Bender was a pillar in the community. Some would know him for the work of his successful business, Blake Construction, and some would know him for his philanthropy. However, those who knew him best knew that these weren’t separate endeavors – they were just two aspects of his engagement in the community. Physical landmarks across the greater capital region and community programs alike can trace their origin back to Jack’s work ethic and generosity.
Beyond being a leader in Washington DC civil society, Jack also cherished his belonging to the Jewish community. Determined to serve as a lifeline for Jewish families displaced in the aftermath of World War II, Jack became part of a group of Jewish builders who helped them settle and find homes in the region.
Following his hard-earned success, Jack and his wife, Dorothy, established the Bender Foundation, Inc. in 1958 to give that generosity a more lasting structure. They believed that giving back was more important than accumulating wealth for themselves, and the Foundation became the vehicle through which their commitment to the Jewish community and the broader Washington region would grow, formalize, and endure across generations.
When Jack passed away in 1966, he left the business to his sons and his money to the foundation — a deliberate act that said everything about his priorities. In the decades since, the foundation has evolved from those informal early gifts into a purposeful philanthropic institution guided by the values Jack set in motion.
Like his parents, Howard Bender proved to be dedicated to improving the lives of his neighbors through high-quality service in business and generosity. And like his father, Howard knew that one of the most consequential decisions he could make was to involve his wife, Sondra, in the work of the foundation. Howard brought his business acumen and intuition to the Foundation and Sondra brought heart and a spirit of community service. Together, they provided the inspiration and funding for innovative community programs and enabled a new generation of leaders to rise.
Howard & Sondra were capable and worthy successors to Jack & Dorothy. They too were committed to honoring the dignity of the Jewish people and combating antisemitism. Howard had experienced hatred in his own life, and as soon as he was able to confront it on a large scale, he did. The clearest manifestation of this is the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, which Howard built. This was a project that married his ability as a businessman and his commitment to the Jewish community. Sondra profoundly shared this commitment and was known for saying, “If we don’t stand up for the Jews, who will?” Sondra served as President of the Foundation in 1978 until 1995, when she transitioned to Chairwoman of the Board until her passing in 2012.
Howard and Sondra also sought to honor Jack’s championing of education. Having never finished high school himself, Jack nonetheless believed in the power of learning to shape a life and community. He wanted to provide opportunities to future generations to accomplish even more than he did. That belief has carried forward across generations, spanning the full arc of learning: from early childhood programs such as the Bender-Dosik Parenting Center at the JCC, to environmental and experiential education for school-aged youth to higher education partnerships with American University. The foundation supports education as a practical and deeply personal commitment: that access to learning changes lives, and that the community is stronger when more people have it.
In 1995, Howard & Sondra passed leadership of the foundation to their daughter, Julie Bender Silver, and Sondra became Board Chair. Building upon her passion and years of experience in community leadership, Julie set about evolving the highly engaged yet informal operation into a more modern, intentional organization with a clear sense of mission and purpose. She began documenting the family’s vision and legacy, and teaching the next generation the values passed down by her grandparents and parents. She also prioritized service as a family, involving her siblings in the work of the Foundation, who continue to serve on the board today alongside their children,
For 31 years, Julie Bender Silver served as President of the foundation, overseeing the annual distribution of approximately $8 million. Today, Julie continues to serve as Chairwoman of the board, after her son, Jason Belinkie, assumed the Presidency of the Foundation.
Now in its fourth generation of family involvement and leadership, the Bender Foundation continues to be a living expression of the values of Jack & Dorothy Bender (z”l) and Howard & Sondra Bender (z”l). We honor their legacy not by preserving the past, but by continuing their work — responding to the needs of our time with the same generosity, humility, and purpose that guided them. We are guided by their spirit and will never forget the path that they forged and the opportunities they have given us as a family.
We envision a community — and a world — in which every person can thrive and have access to health, education, and opportunity.
Our Legacy in Photos
