The Pedersen Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Tysons, Virginia. Established in 2016 following the 2022 sale of ManTech International—a strategic defense and cybersecurity company founded by George and Marilyn Pedersen in 1968—the foundation operates as a highly selective, invitation-only funder. The foundation is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization and is classified as a private grantmaking foundation.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$1.6M
-76.3% YoY
Grant Count
24
+380.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$68K
-95.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Pedersen Foundation is dedicated to supporting the nation's founding principles and those that serve and protect it, supporting efforts to harness the potential of neuroaesthetics, and furthering the health, wellbeing, and resiliency of Americans. The foundation strives to achieve measurable impact and focuses on innovative, compassionate, and courageous initiatives.
The foundation's primary focus areas are:
- Veterans & Military-Connected Families: Supporting veterans and military-connected families
- Neuroaesthetics & Brain Health Research: Advancing neuroaesthetics and brain health research
- National Security: Supporting efforts related to national security
- Health for Americans: Furthering the health and wellbeing of Americans
The foundation's core values include compassion, innovation, impact, patriotism, and courage. The foundation intends to work in partnership with grantees, lead with empathy, seek new solutions to longstanding problems, deploy resources in a targeted way, and act courageously in alignment with its values.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
s**: Grants have ranged from $5,000 to $5,000,000, with typical awards between $100,000 and $1,400,000. The median grant amount is approximately $101,873 to $750,000 depending on the year.
Invitation Only
**: The Pedersen Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in Tennessee, Maryland, and Virginia, which account for 64% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across multiple states including California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, Tennessee, and Virginia, with emphasis on the Washington DC metro area.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total Assets: $229.7 million to $238.9 million
- Total Revenue: $11.9 million to $12.8 million
- Total Expenses: $7.4 million
- Total Liabilities: $0
- Giving Rate: 3.0% of assets
Historical Asset Growth: Total assets have grown from $1 million in 2014 to approximately $238.9 million in 2024.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Marilyn Pedersen - President/Director
- George Pedersen - Director (passed away in May 2023 at age 87)
- James A. Hourihan, Esq. - Secretary/Director
- Jennifer A. Pedersen - Director
- Margaret A. Pedersen - Director
- Christine A. Lancaster - Director
- Eric Lancaster - Director
- Mike Putnam - Secretary
- Kara Hourihan - Executive Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARILYN PEDERSEN | PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JAMES A HOURIHAN ESQ | SECRETARY/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHRISTINE A LANCASTER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JENNIFER A PEDERSEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARGARET A PEDERSEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MIKE PUTNAM | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| ERIC LANCASTER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
George and Marilyn Pedersen became among the largest benefactors in Johns Hopkins Medicine history through their transformative support for brain science research. The foundation has supported the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, demonstrating its commitment to veteran-focused initiatives.
Pedersen Family Foundation - Grant Information & Application DetailsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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