The Benwood Foundation is a charitable foundation created in 1944 by
George Hunter in honor of his uncle,
Benjamin Thomas who pioneered the
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
bottling
Bottling lines are production lines that fill a liquid product, often a beverage, into bottles on a large scale. Many prepared foods are also bottled, such as sauces, syrups, marinades, oils and vinegars.
Bottling lines usually include label ap ...
industry and founded the
Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc., headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the United States.
The company makes, sells and distributes Coca-Cola products along with other beverages, distributing to ...
. George Hunter was the heir of Benjamin Thomas, and much of the wealth related to the Coca-Cola Bottling Company passed on to the Foundation. As of 2004 The Benwood Foundation distributes between $4 and $5 million annually in grants and donations.
History
Upon George Hunter's death in 1950, 70 percent of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company stock went to the Foundation. This led to a
probate
In common law jurisdictions, probate is the judicial process whereby a will is "proved" in a court of law and accepted as a valid public document that is the true last testament of the deceased; or whereby, in the absence of a legal will, the e ...
law precedent-setting lawsuit when family members sued regarding the tax status of the donation. A 1952 court ruling stated that the Foundation did not have to pay death duties, which became the responsibility of the residuary estate. The ruling was upheld on appeal.
Focus
The Foundation's grantmaking focus is on Public Education, Arts & Culture, the Environment, and Neighborhood & Community Development.
See also
*
Benjamin Thomas
*
George Hunter
External links
The Benwood Foundation Website
References
{{reflist
Foundations based in the United States
Organizations established in 1944
Organizations based in Tennessee
Coca-Cola