Karlgaard Family Foundation
The Karlgaard Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Great Falls, Virginia. In its 2025 filing, it reported 17 grants totaling $2,387,522, including support for scholarships, teaching awards, professorships, nursing scholarships, and artificial kidney research.
Karlgaard Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Karlgaard Family Foundation gave $2.4M across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $140K), mostly in Wisconsin. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,387,522
- +5.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $140,442
- +5.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $33,793,756
- +2.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (1 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (69% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Karlgaard Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5 Clarks Branch Rd, Great Falls, VA 22066
Phone: (703) 272-8473
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Karlgaard Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Foundation ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($30,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 46 grants of 63 (73%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Wisconsin (69%), followed by the District of Columbia (16%), Virginia (13%), California (1%), and Iowa (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Karlgaard Family Foundation open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 16 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $157K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 94% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 42% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 94% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $914K (2019) to $2.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $2.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Foundation Eau Claire, WI | Scholarships, Teaching Awards, General Use | $1,455,000 |
| George Washington University Washington, DC | Scholarships, Professorship | $340,000 |
| Inova Health Foundation Falls Church, VA | Nursing Scholarships | $250,000 |
| Viroqua Area Foundation Viroqua, WI | Scholarships for Viroqua Students | $120,000 |
| Virginia Tech Foundation Blacksburg, VA | Scholarships in Honor of Fred Lutze | $35,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $30,000 |
| Rice Lake Area Scholarship Foundation Rice Lake, WI | Scholarships for Rice Lake Students | $30,000 |
| Carnegie Science Washington, DC | Observatories in Honor of Al Nashman | $25,000 |
| University of Wisconsin Barron County Campus Eau Claire, WI | Tom Ritzinger Scholarship Fund | $25,000 |
| University of California San Francisco Foundation San Francisco, CA | Artificial Kidney Research | $25,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,793,756 | $6,303,625 | $2,756,669 | $2,387,522 | 17 | $2,390,475 | $2,899,894 | $2,535,489 |
| 2024 | $32,831,642 | $15,646,704 | $2,266,317 | $2,256,853 | 17 | $2,259,910 | $13,104,932 | $2,091,917 |
| 2023 | $21,096,570 | $1,698,332 | $1,846,336 | $1,839,244 | 13 | $1,841,581 | $278,553 | $1,833,062 |
| 2022 | $22,099,056 | $1,068,598 | $1,738,997 | $1,686,530 | 8 | $1,689,440 | $213,185 | $1,754,865 |
| 2021 | $23,403,259 | $6,162,847 | $1,811,334 | $1,652,258 | 8 | $1,654,611 | $3,109,622 | $1,786,468 |
| 2020 | $20,831,861 | $13,801,707 | $1,395,940 | $1,330,313 | 11 | — | $10,296,457 | $1,186,219 |
| 2019 | $10,683,395 | $2,733,938 | $922,842 | $914,116 | 11 | — | $1,534,140 | $892,087 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Karlgaard Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.5M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for educational institutions and scholarship programs, as well as health-related research.
Grantees describe their own work in varied terms. The University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Foundation says its primary mission is stewardship of private funds for the university and contributing to academic excellence. The Viroqua Area Foundation says it promotes charitable enterprise and quality of life in and around Viroqua. Virginia Tech Foundation says it manages Virginia Tech’s endowment to advance the university’s mission and strategic priorities. An individual recipient says it works to invest in educational excellence and prepare students for the future. Cloverleaf Equine Center says it provides equine-assisted services to people with disabilities, youth from marginalized communities, recovering military personnel, and others in need.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $2,387,522. Grant amounts ranged from $107 to $1,455,000, with a median grant of $25,000. The largest grants included $1,455,000 to the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Foundation for scholarships, teaching awards, and general use; $340,000 to George Washington University for scholarships and a professorship; and $250,000 to Inova Health Foundation for nursing scholarships. Other notable grants included $120,000 to Viroqua Area Foundation for scholarships for Viroqua students and $35,000 to Virginia Tech Foundation for scholarships in honor of Fred Lutze.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David C Karlgaard as president and treasurer, Marilyn E Karlgaard as vice president and secretary, Joanna V Karlgaard as assistant vice president, and Christopher D Karlgaard as assistant vice president.
Karlgaard Family Foundation is led by David C. Karlgaard, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David C. Karlgaard
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher D. Karlgaard
Assistant Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joanna V. Karlgaard
Assistant Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn E. Karlgaard
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Karlgaard Family Foundation
How much does Karlgaard Family Foundation give each year?
Karlgaard Family Foundation gave $2.4M across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.3M across 17 grants.
What is Karlgaard Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Karlgaard Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $140,442, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Karlgaard Family Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Karlgaard Family Foundation give grants?
Karlgaard Family Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (16%) and Virginia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants), Eau Claire, WI (2 grants) and Viroqua, WI (2 grants).
Does Karlgaard Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Karlgaard Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Karlgaard Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Karlgaard Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Foundation ($1,455,000), George Washington University ($340,000) and Inova Health Foundation ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($30,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Karlgaard Family Foundation?
Karlgaard Family Foundation reported $33.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Karlgaard Family Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for educational institutions and scholarship programs, as well as health-related research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Karlgaard Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Karlgaard Family Foundation's EIN?
Karlgaard Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1810538. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Karlgaard Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 20, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Karlgaard Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Karlgaard Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Karlgaard Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/karlgaard-family-foundation-morg_b238864124f84992bbf1bde8b2d77da2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311810538_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Karlgaard Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/karlgaard-family-foundation-morg_b238864124f84992bbf1bde8b2d77da2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Karlgaard Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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