Ben & Jerry’s Foundation to Close Amid Governance Fight with Parent Company
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation will shut down at year’s end after its corporate parent Magnum/Unilever cut funding and evicted staff following an independent audit flagging governance and conflicts-of-interest concerns. The foundation, which yearly grants about $600,000 to Vermont groups and has supported social‑justice causes for 40 years, is part of an ongoing SDNY lawsuit over whether the parent had authority to reshape governance and withhold funding. Magnum alleges the trustees ignored audit findings, while advocates say the move jeopardizes the foundation’s mission and the communities it serves, with no endowment and reliance on annual funding complicating the path forward.