Leifur Eiriksson Foundation
The Leifur Eiríksson Foundation is a private foundation based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Established in 2001, it funds graduate-level scholarly exchanges between the United States and Iceland, supporting U.S. scholars studying or conducting research in Iceland and Icelandic scholars doing so in the United States.
Leifur Eiriksson Foundation at a glance
In short: Leifur Eiriksson Foundation gave $261K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $24K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $260,657
- +6.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $23,696
- +6.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $8,446,383
- +6.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (18% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Leifur Eiriksson Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Apply through the fellowship program’s application process. Applicants must submit the application separately from supporting documents.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists November 20, 2026, for applications and December 4, 2026, for supporting documents.
- Deadline
- The website lists November 20, 2026, for applications and December 4, 2026, for supporting documents.
- Contact
Application contact: Karen E Torgersen
Mailing address: 1209 Redbud Road, Blacksburg, VA 24060
Phone: (434) 981-2061
Website: https://www.leifureirikssonfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Leifur Eiriksson Foundation
Who Leifur Eiriksson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 55 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fellowship program supports exchanges between the United States and Iceland. In the 2025 filing, 54% of grant dollars are attributed to an unspecified recipient state; the listed shares for other recipient states are California, 18%; Illinois, 10%; Connecticut, 10%; and Wisconsin, 9%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Leifur Eiriksson Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $237K (2023) to $261K (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $261K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 11 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $260,657 |
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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 | $8,446,383 | $337,173 | $380,236 | $260,657 | 11 | $354,609 | $318,051 | $390,596 |
| 2024 | $7,921,547 | $338,023 | $383,833 | $245,050 | 11 | $340,273 | $308,968 | $381,201 |
| 2023 | $7,750,217 | $308,848 | $366,431 | $237,240 | 11 | $331,668 | $279,389 | $379,001 |
| 2022 | $7,952,379 | $304,406 | $351,805 | $242,500 | 11 | $314,620 | $279,213 | $417,091 |
| 2021 | $8,676,029 | $284,046 | $306,351 | $255,000 | 11 | — | $271,258 | $356,382 |
| 2020 | $6,184,706 | $269,502 | $354,134 | $250,000 | 10 | — | $257,033 | $286,398 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Leifur Eiriksson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $391K 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 foundation states that its mission is exclusively charitable, literary, educational, and scientific. Its purpose is to provide recognition and financial assistance for scholarly study and research through graduate student exchanges between Iceland and the United States.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $260,657. Grants ranged from $19,600 to $25,000, with a median of $25,000. The 2025 filing lists all 11 recipients as individuals and identifies each grant’s purpose as a scholarship.
The fellowship program offers one-year awards of up to $25,000 for project costs, including travel to and from the study or research site. The foundation’s website says awards are intended to defray, but not exceed, attendance, research, and study costs. Applicants must be admitted to a graduate program at an accredited institution in the United States or Iceland, have a well-defined project requiring an exchange to the host country, demonstrate English proficiency, and have completed an undergraduate degree by the start of the exchange. Applicants are asked to provide official academic transcripts and three letters of reference. Applications may be submitted online or by mail; applicants submitting online must mail a signature page.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kristrun Heimisdottir, Susan G. Harris, Margo E. Eppard, Jennifer N. Grayburn, Ragnhildur Helgadottir, and James E. Ryan as trustees. Harris is listed as secretary, Eppard as treasurer, and Grayburn as chair.
Leifur Eiriksson Foundation is led by Jennifer N. Grayburn, Trustee & Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2023); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer N. Grayburn
Trustee & Chair
Trustee → Trustee & Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristrun Heimisdottir
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan G. Harris
Trustee & Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James E. Ryan
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ragnhildur Helgadottir
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Margo E. Eppard
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: John T. Casteen III (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Kristin Ingolfsdottir (2020–2024) — Chair & Trustee
- Former: Nancy Marie Brown (2020–2024) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Leifur Eiriksson Foundation
How much does Leifur Eiriksson Foundation give each year?
Leifur Eiriksson Foundation gave $261K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $245K across 11 grants.
What is Leifur Eiriksson Foundation's typical grant size?
Leifur Eiriksson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $23,696, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Leifur Eiriksson Foundation give grants?
Leifur Eiriksson Foundation's top state is California, with 18% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (10%) and Connecticut (10%).
Does Leifur Eiriksson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Leifur Eiriksson Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (11 grants).
How large is Leifur Eiriksson Foundation?
Leifur Eiriksson Foundation reported $8.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $355K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $391K (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 Leifur Eiriksson Foundation fund?
The foundation states that its mission is exclusively charitable, literary, educational, and scientific. Its purpose is to provide recognition and financial assistance for scholarly study and research through graduate student exchanges between Iceland and the United States. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Leifur Eiriksson Foundation?
Apply through the fellowship program’s application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Leifur Eiriksson Foundation's EIN?
Leifur Eiriksson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-2056415. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 24, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Leifur Eiriksson Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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