Business Executives for National Security
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
BENS APPLIES INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE AND BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES TO HELP ADDRESS OUR NATION'S PRESSING NATIONAL SECURITY CHALLENGES.
- Income
- $7.8 million
- Spending
- $8.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- 17.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 98%
- Employees
- 43
- Volunteers
- 3
- Highest pay
- $584,037, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 17.8 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 45% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2546 of 46 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $3.3 million spent. BUSINESS EXECUTIVES FOR NATIONAL SECURITY (BENS) TODAY DELIVERS ITS PROGRAMMATIC IMPACT THROUGH A CAMPAIGN MODEL THAT ALIGNS PRIVATE-SECTOR EXPERTISE AND INSIGHT WITH THE NATION'S MOST PRESSING SECURITY CHALLENGES. THROUGH THIS FORCE-MULTIPLIER APPROACH, BENS SUSTAINS INTEGRATED EFFORTS THAT COMBINE ROUNDTABLES, SITE VISITS, APPLIED PROJECTS, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, AND DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WITH SENIOR MILITARY LEADERS AND POLICYMAKERS BRINGING INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE THAT INFORMS DECISION-MAKING AND DELIVERS PRACTICAL, ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT STRENGTHEN NATIONAL RESILIENCE, INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY, AND DEFENSE READINESS AT SCALE.IN 2025, BENS CONCENTRATED ITS WORK ON THREE PRIORITY AREAS. THROUGH ITS HOMELAND RESILIENCE AND RESPONSE EFFORTS, BENS ADVANCED A WHOLE-OF-NATION APPROACH TO EMERGING THREATS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, SPACE, AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE DOMAINS WHERE THE PRIVATE SECTOR OPERATES FRONTLINE SYSTEMS. BENS, PARTICULARLY SUPPORTED THE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMISSION ON EMERGING BIOTECHNOLOGY, WHICH INFORMED LANDMARK LEGISLATION SUCH AS THE "INDEPENDENCE INVESTMENT FUND ACT AND THE "BIOMANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE ACT", WHILE PRODUCING ANALYSIS ON VULNERABILITIES IN PHARMACEUTICAL SUPPLY CHAINS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN ITS DOMESTIC PRODUCTION AND RESILIENCE.THROUGH ITS STRENGTHENING SUPPLY CHAINS EFFORTS, BENS ADDRESSED VULNERABILITIES IN CRITICAL PRODUCTION NETWORKS EXPOSED BY GEOPOLITICAL COMPETITION AND GLOBAL DISRUPTION. BENS WORKED WITH FEDERAL, STATE, AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO REINFORCE INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY, DIVERSIFY SOURCING, AND IMPROVE RESILIENCE. IN 2025, BENS PARTNERED WITH THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS IN ESTABLISHING THE STRATEGIC HUB FOR INNOVATION, EXCHANGE AND LEADERSHIP IN DEFENSE (SHIELD) INITIATIVE, A STATE-LEVEL EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN THE NATION'S DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE THROUGH REGIONAL INNOVATION, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. BENS VIEWS THIS MODEL AS REPLICABLE AND WILL WORK IN 2026 TO APPLY LESSONS LEARNED IN MASSACHUSETTS TO HELP OTHER STATES STRENGTHEN THE INDUSTRIAL FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICA'S SECURITY.LASTLY, THROUGH ITS MOBILIZING PRIVATE CAPITAL EFFORTS, BENS ADVANCED MARKET-BASED APPROACHES TO ADDRESS THE GAP BETWEEN NATIONAL SECURITY INVESTMENT NEEDS AND AVAILABLE GOVERNMENT FUNDING. BENS PUBLISHED "ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY 2.0," OUTLINING HOW MODERN CAPITAL MARKETS AND PUBLICPRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS CAN SUPPORT DEFENSE MODERNIZATION, AND LAUNCHED A "PRACTITIONER RECOMMENDATION SERIES" TO PROVIDE ACTIONABLE MECHANISMS TO UNLOCK PRIVATE INVESTMENT. BENS ALSO CONVENED LEADERS ACROSS FINANCE, INDUSTRY, AND GOVERNMENT THROUGH ITS "FINANCING THE NEXT ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY SERIES" TO IDENTIFY PRACTICAL PATHWAYS TO SCALE INVESTMENT IN DEFENSE TECHNOLOGIES, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY ESSENTIAL TO U.S. SECURITY.ACROSS THESE CAMPAIGNS, BENS SERVED AS A TRUSTED, NONPARTISAN CONVENER BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNITY, TRANSLATING PRIVATE-SECTOR EXPERIENCE INTO SOLUTIONS THAT STRENGTHEN THE NATION'S ABILITY TO COMPETE, DETER, AND RESPOND IN TODAY'S INCREASINGLY COMPLEX AND CONTESTED GLOBAL SECURITY ENVIRONMENT.
- $3.3 million spent. DEVELOPMENT AND MEMBERSHIP SERVICES: BY HOSTING EVENTS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH SECURITY LEADERS AND EXPERTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AS WELL AS ORGANIZING SELF-FINANCED VISITS TO REGIONAL FACILITIES CRITICAL TO NATIONAL SECURITY MISSIONS, BENS MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR PRIVATE SECTOR LEADERS TO GARNER FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES IMPACTING AMERICA'S SECURITY. IN 2025, BENS HOSTED MORE THAN 160 ENGAGEMENTS NATIONWIDE, ALONG WITH TWO FLAGSHIP EVENTS IN WASHINGTON, DC, AND NEW YORK CITY, WHERE 850 LEADERS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER TO HONOR EXTRAORDINARY AMERICANS WHO EXEMPLIFY THE 'WHOLE-OF-NATION' APPROACH TO SAFEGUARDING OUR COUNTRY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1983.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.