Karlgaard Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Great Falls, VA EIN: 31-1810538

KARLGAARD FAMILY FOUNDATION is a private foundation based in Great Falls, Virginia. Its 2025 grants supported scholarships, teaching awards, professorships, nursing scholarships, research, and community purposes at educational institutions, foundations, a health foundation, a science organization, and a library.

Key facts about Karlgaard Family Foundation

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.

EIN
31-1810538
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$2,387,522
Grants made (2025)
17
Average grant
$140,442
Median grant
$25,000
New grantees (estimate)
6% first-time grantees (1 of 16, 2025)
Total assets
$33,793,756
Primary geography
Wisconsin (69% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$33.8M

+2.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.4M

+5.8% YoY

Grant Count

17

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$140K

+5.8% YoY

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.

Is Karlgaard Family Foundation open to new grantees?

6%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 1 of 16 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. 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.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement is provided. The foundation’s listed grants show support for scholarships and other educational purposes, nursing scholarships, artificial kidney research, observatories, and a community center.

Some grantees describe their own work as serving broader community purposes. Viroqua Area Foundation says it encourages charitable enterprise in and around the Viroqua area and supports efforts to improve local quality of life. Educate Fairfax 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.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 69% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin, 16% to recipients in the District of Columbia, 13% to recipients in Virginia, and 1% each to recipients in California and Iowa.

Grant Distribution by State

9states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.

Cities

Eau ClaireWashingtonFalls ChurchSan FranciscoViroquaBlacksburgCliftonIthacaKatyBooneBristowRice LakeSpartaWestbyAustinManhattan BeachOlneyPaintsvilleStevenson

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M11 grants2019 11 grants2020 8 grants2021 8 grants2022 13 grants2023 17 grants2024 17 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $914K (2019) to $2.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $2.4M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Foundation: $1.5MUniversity of Wisconsin EauClaire Foundation$1.5MGeorge Washington University: $340KGeorge Washington University$340KInova Health Foundation: $250KInova Health Foundation$250KViroqua Area Foundation: $120KViroqua Area Foundation$120KVirginia Tech Foundation: $35KVirginia Tech Foundation$35KEducate Fairfax: $30KEducate Fairfax$30KRice Lake Area Scholarship Foundation: $30KRice Lake Area ScholarshipFoundation$30KCarnegie Science: $25KCarnegie Science$25KUniversity of Wisconsin Barron County Campus: $25KUniversity of Wisconsin BarronCounty Campus$25KUniversity of California San Francisco Foundation: $25KUniversity of California SanFrancisco Foundation$25K

The largest 2025 recipient was University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Foundation ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.

Grant Size Distribution

63 grants across all recorded years

46<$50K$50–100K2$100–250K10$250–500K1$500K–1M4$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 46 grants of 63 (73%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Foundation Eau Claire, WIScholarships, Teaching Awards, General Use$1,455,000
George Washington University Washington, DCScholarships, Professorship$340,000
Inova Health Foundation Falls Church, VANursing Scholarships$250,000
Viroqua Area Foundation Viroqua, WIScholarships for Viroqua Students$120,000
Virginia Tech Foundation Blacksburg, VAScholarships in Honor of Fred Lutze$35,000
Educate Fairfax Falls Church, VAScholarship to Fairfax Students$30,000
Rice Lake Area Scholarship Foundation Rice Lake, WIScholarships for Rice Lake Students$30,000
Carnegie Science Washington, DCObservatories in Honor of Al Nashman$25,000
University of Wisconsin Barron County Campus Eau Claire, WITom Ritzinger Scholarship Fund$25,000
University of California San Francisco Foundation San Francisco, CAArtificial Kidney Research$25,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants Grant count
2025 $33,793,756 $6,303,625 $2,756,669 $2,387,522 17
2024 $32,831,642 $15,646,704 $2,266,317 $2,256,853 17
2023 $21,096,570 $1,698,332 $1,846,336 $1,839,244 13
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$5M$10M$15M$20M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$33,793,756$32,831,642$21,096,570
Revenue$6,303,625$15,646,704$1,698,332
Expenses$2,756,669$2,266,317$1,846,336
Qualifying Distributions$2,390,475$2,259,910$1,841,581
Net Investment Income$2,899,894$13,104,932$278,553
Distributable Amount$2,535,489$2,091,917$1,833,062

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 20, 2020)
  2. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 1, 2026)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024

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.

Contact

Mailing address: 5 Clarks Branch Rd, Great Falls, VA 22066
Phone: (703) 272-8473

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), Falls Church, VA (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. 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?

No mission statement is provided. The foundation’s listed grants show support for scholarships and other educational purposes, nursing scholarships, artificial kidney research, observatories, and a community center. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Karlgaard Family Foundation?

The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. 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 September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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