Praxis Foundation (The)
Praxis Foundation (The) is a private foundation based in Charlottesville, Virginia. It makes grants to educational and other charitable organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Praxis Foundation (The) at a glance
In short: Praxis Foundation (The) gave $123K across 34 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), mostly in Virginia. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $123,052
- +82.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- +21.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,619
- +50.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $1,703,201
- +2.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (7 of 34, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (92% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Praxis Foundation (The)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Applications should be submitted by letter and include a description of the organization and the nature of the request. The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It states that grants are made to qualifying educational and other charitable organizations under Section 501(c)(3), with no other restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: James B Murray Jr
Mailing address: 427 Park Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: (434) 971-8080
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Praxis Foundation (The) funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund ($57K). Together the top 10 received $105K.
Grant Size Distribution
183 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 179 grants of 183 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went primarily to organizations in Virginia, which received 92% of the total. The filing also reports grants to recipients in Pennsylvania (4%), Washington, DC (2%), California (2%), and Florida (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Praxis Foundation (The) open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 34 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 68% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 149% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $67K (2023) to $278K (2020). In 2024 it made 34 grants totaling $123K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund Charlottesville, VA | General Purpose of Donee | $56,502 |
| Boys & Girls Club of James River Scottsville, VA | General Purpose of Donee | $10,337 |
| Charlottesville Free Clinic Charlottesville, VA | General Purpose of Donee | $10,205 |
| Charlottesville Area Community Foundation Emily Couric Leadership Forum Charlottesville, VA | General Purpose of Donee | $9,550 |
| No Kid Hungry Philadelphia, PA | General Purpose of Donee | $5,000 |
| Madison House Charlottesville, VA | General Purpose of Donee | $3,000 |
| Northern Piedmont Community Foundation Warrenton, VA | General Purpose of Donee | $3,000 |
| Virginia Public Access Project Richmond, VA | General Purpose of Donee | $3,000 |
| National Ms Society Washington, DC | General Purpose of Donee | $2,400 |
| Women's Initiative Charlottesville, VA | General Purpose of Donee | $2,008 |
Ready to take the next step with Praxis Foundation (The)?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,703,201 | $121,034 | $153,628 | $123,052 | 34 | $130,102 | $97,560 | $87,390 |
| 2023 | $1,670,432 | $76,501 | $97,096 | $67,481 | 28 | $74,342 | $55,384 | $82,399 |
| 2022 | $1,699,777 | $316,206 | $201,629 | $156,827 | 42 | $164,554 | $290,375 | $84,934 |
| 2021 | $1,575,200 | $246,957 | $174,794 | $115,550 | 41 | $118,103 | $462,202 | $96,740 |
| 2020 | $1,230,802 | $1,036,969 | $299,728 | $278,330 | 38 | — | $137,697 | $65,374 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Praxis Foundation (The) reported a distributable amount of $87K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation does not state a mission in the information provided. Its 2024 grants include organizations working in areas such as community health, student volunteering, civic information, entrepreneurship, reentry support, and the arts. These are grantees’ stated missions, not stated focus areas of the foundation. For example, the Charlottesville Free Clinic describes its work as providing health services at no cost to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured people; Madison House says it coordinates University of Virginia student volunteers; and the Virginia Public Access Project says it makes information about Virginia politics and government accessible and nonpartisan.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $123,052. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $56,502, with a median of $1,000. The largest awards included $56,502 to Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund, $10,337 to Boys & Girls Club of James River, $10,205 to Charlottesville Free Clinic, and $9,550 to Charlottesville Area Community Foundation Emily Couric Leadership Forum. All four recipients are in Virginia.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James B. Murray Jr. as President/Director; Bruce R. Murray as Secretary/Director; Meghan R. Murray and J. Brady Murray III as Directors; and Kristen Billies as Treasurer.
Praxis Foundation (The) is led by James B. Murray Jr., President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James B. Murray Jr.
President & Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bruce R. Murray
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J. Brady Murray III
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Meghan R. Murray
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristen Billies
Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Laura Fields (2022–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Christina Laycock (2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Donna A. Rogers (2020) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Praxis Foundation (The)
How much does Praxis Foundation (The) give each year?
Praxis Foundation (The) gave $123K across 34 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $67K across 28 grants.
What is Praxis Foundation (The)'s typical grant size?
Praxis Foundation (The)'s median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,619, across 34 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Praxis Foundation (The) that year got $2K on average.
Where does Praxis Foundation (The) give grants?
Praxis Foundation (The) gives mostly in Virginia: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Charlottesville, VA (20 grants), Scottsville, VA (2 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does Praxis Foundation (The) give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Praxis Foundation (The)'s 2024 grants with a stated purpose (34 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Praxis Foundation (The)'s largest grantees?
Praxis Foundation (The)'s largest 2024 grantees include Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund ($56,502), Boys & Girls Club of James River ($10,337) and Charlottesville Free Clinic ($10,205), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Praxis Foundation (The)?
Praxis Foundation (The) reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $130K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $87K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Praxis Foundation (The) fund?
The foundation does not state a mission in the information provided. Its 2024 grants include organizations working in areas such as community health, student volunteering, civic information, entrepreneurship, reentry support, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Praxis Foundation (The)?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Praxis Foundation (The)'s EIN?
Praxis Foundation (The)'s EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1830546. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Praxis Foundation (The) accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Praxis Foundation (The) funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/praxis-foundation-the-morg_763d91efef8b4072b5bba7a4418dffcc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_541830546_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Praxis Foundation (The) funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/praxis-foundation-the-morg_763d91efef8b4072b5bba7a4418dffcc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Praxis Foundation (The)'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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