Liz Bankowski and the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation will suspend operations by the end of the year unless they win a legal battle over funding.

Liz Bankowski, president of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, announced that the philanthropic arm of the iconic ice cream brand will shut down on December 31, 2026, unless it wins a high-stakes legal challenge. The decision follows a move by the parent company, The Magnum Ice Cream Company, to cut funding and evict the foundation's staff from its corporate offices. The foundation, which has operated for 40 years, manages approximately $6 million annually, including $600,000 in grants for Vermont-based organizations. While the foundation leaders argue that the corporation is overreaching and ignoring the brand's progressive mission, the administration of the parent company maintains that the shutdown is due to the foundation's failure to address governance issues identified in an independent audit. The dispute is currently being litigated in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The foundation remains committed to the legal fight to restore its funding and independence from the multi-billion-dollar corporation.

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