Bender Scientific Fund

The Bender Scientific Fund is a grantmaking fund administered through The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region. The Community Foundation was created in 1968 and works to strengthen the community through philanthropy, charitable stewardship, donor services, grantmaking, and leadership addressing community needs. It manages more than 460 charitable funds and has awarded more than $100 million in grants since its creation. The Bender Scientific Fund was established specifically to support and promote discovery and development in medicine, science, and technology in the Capital Region. The fund supports research in medicine, biotechnology, and life sciences, as well as educational and information sciences projects related to medicine, biotechnology, and life sciences. It is especially interested in beginning research studies and educational projects that encourage continuing discovery and learning. Smaller nonprofit organizations and schools are encouraged to seek support for projects that promote further exploration of medicine, biotechnology, and life sciences by young people. These priorities encompass scientific research and educational activities designed to advance knowledge and engagement in the specified scientific and medical fields. Several restrictions and special considerations apply to funded activities. The Bender Scientific Fund will not support institutional overhead and will not fund conferences or meetings. Projects involving human subjects, vertebrate animals, hazardous materials, or recombinant DNA require special consideration. Funding is not routinely designated for salaries or per diems, although these costs may be considered when they are justified. Grants from the fund usually range from $1,000 to $12,500, and the grant period will not exceed one year. The available source material does not establish a required matching or cost-sharing contribution. Under the Community Foundation's general competitive grant requirements, eligible applicants must qualify as nonprofit organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or operate under the fiscal sponsorship of a qualifying nonprofit organization. Applicants generally must also be located within and serve residents of the ten-county Capital Region of New York State, consisting of Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Washington Counties, unless a particular fund states otherwise. Although the general guidelines identify research as generally ineligible for competitive grants, the Bender Scientific Fund expressly identifies research in medicine, biotechnology, and life sciences as an eligible funding priority, so the fund-specific provisions govern the scientific research supported through this opportunity. Applications and accompanying materials are submitted through the Community Foundation's online application portal. The Foundation states that links to grant applications are available through its grants webpage. For the Bender Scientific Fund, no pre-application questionnaire was required for the listed cycle. The formal application deadline was April 15, 2026. The source material does not provide the individual application questions, required uploads, evaluation scoring criteria, or an estimated amount of time needed to prepare an application. Applicants should ensure that their proposed work clearly addresses the fund's stated scientific or educational priorities and accounts for the special considerations applicable to regulated or potentially hazardous research activities. Final decisions for the listed Bender Scientific Fund cycle were scheduled for July 2026, although the Community Foundation notes that complex applications may require additional review time and that applicants will be kept informed of their proposal's progress. Because the April 15, 2026 application deadline has passed as of August 14, 2026, the listed cycle is closed. The provided materials do not explicitly establish that the opportunity recurs annually or provide a future application date, so no next cycle is inferred. General inquiries may be directed to info@cfgcr.org or 518-446-9638. The guidelines also identify Community Foundation grantmaking staff, but they do not designate a specific individual as the Bender Scientific Fund contact.

Align the proposed project directly with medicine, biotechnology, or life sciences. The fund is especially interested in beginning research studies and educational projects that promote continuing discovery and learning. Smaller nonprofits and schools should emphasize projects that encourage young people's further exploration of these fields. Do not request institutional overhead or funding for conferences or meetings. Clearly justify any requested salaries or per diems and account for special consideration if the project involves human subjects, vertebrate animals, hazardous materials, or recombinant DNA.