The Viragh Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 2000 and based in Bethesda, Maryland. The foundation was created by the siblings of Skip Viragh, founder of Rydex Investments, following his death from pancreatic cancer in 2003. Operating as a family-run foundation without employees, the organization maintains a lean structure with all board members serving without compensation.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$37.1M
+5.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.5M
-48.8% YoY
Grant Count
33
-28.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$77K
-28.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Viragh Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on giving primarily for education, health, and children, youth and social services. The foundation supports economically disadvantaged and low-income individuals with particular emphasis on:
- Education
- Health and diseases/conditions
- Human services and family services
- Child welfare
- Shelter and residential care
- Housing services
- Homelessness
Recent grant history indicates approximately 43% of giving supports social and human services, approximately 23% supports education, and approximately 18% supports health.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Applicants must contact the foundation directly to inquire about the application process. There are no published deadlines. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis for most grants.
Grant Range
$85,000–$675,000
Review Cycle
. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis for most grants.
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation has a national scope, distributing grants across the United States. Primary funding areas include California, Missouri, District of Columbia, and other major U.S. cities including San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving (Most Recent Filing - 2024):
- Total assets: $37,098,943
- Total giving: $2,525,325
- Total revenues: $1,905,864
- Total expenses: $3,294,084
Operational Efficiency: Approximately 91.4% of expenses go directly to charitable disbursements.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $37,098,943 | $35,348,484 | $37,030,119 |
| Revenue | $1,905,864 | $2,901,377 | $2,946,016 |
| Expenses | $3,294,084 | $5,661,347 | $4,711,130 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,010,340 | $5,362,765 | $4,283,267 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,565,844 | $2,637,105 | $2,750,935 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,799,516 | $1,778,776 | $2,154,788 |
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
216 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include ACCESS Academies ($675,000), Covenant House Missouri ($130,000), Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School ($130,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACCESS Academies St Louis, MO | Scholarships & Directors Support | $675,000 |
| Access Institute for Psychological San Francisco, CA | In-School Mental Health Program | $100,000 |
| City Kids to Wilderness Project Inc Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $42,000 |
| Covenant House Missouri St Louis, MO | General Operating Support - Existing Programs & Operations | $130,000 |
| Crittenton Services of Greater Wash Silver Spring, MD | Program Support | $85,000 |
| Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School Takoma Park, MD | Don Bosco Cristo Rey Athletic Program | $130,000 |
| Dream Builders Foundation Brentwood, TN | The Dreambuilders Fund | $75,000 |
| Edgewood Center for Children and Fa San Francisco, CA | Edgewood Institute | $10,000 |
| Huckleberry Youth Programs San Francisco, CA | Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services | $100,000 |
| La Casa de las Madres San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board Members & Officers:
- Mark S. Viragh, President
- Katherine A. Viragh, Vice President
- Andrew J. Viragh, Vice President
- Roger E. Young, Treasurer
- Lynette M. Palmer, Secretary
- Daniel P. Johnson, Director
- Jean M. Dahl, Director
- Paula Virag Williams, Director
- Robert J. Virag, Director
Donors:
- Albert P. Virag
- Robert J. Virag
- Mark S. Virag
- Katherine Virag
- Jean M. Dahl
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark S Viragh | President | 5 | — |
| Katherine A Viragh | Vice President | 1 | — |
| Jean M Dahl | Director | 1 | — |
| Amanda Viragh | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Andrew J Viragh | Vice President | 5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In 2024, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network received a transformational $25 million gift from the Viragh Family Foundation to accelerate research and advance progress for pancreatic cancer. This major gift reflects the foundation's commitment to medical research related to the disease that claimed Skip Viragh's life.
PANCREATIC CANCER ACTION NETWORK RECEIVES TRANSFORMATIONAL $25 MILLION GIFTSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Viragh Family Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission centers on giving primarily for education, health, and children, youth and social services. The foundation supports economically disadvantaged and low-income individuals with particular emphasis on: • Education • Health and diseases/conditions • Human services and family services • Child welfare • Shelter and residential care • Housing services • Homelessness Recent grant history indicates approximately 43% of giving supports social and human services, approximately 23%…
How do I apply for a grant from Viragh Family Foundation?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant range: $85,000–$675,000 • Annual giving: $2.5–$5 million • Number of grants: 33–59 grants annually **Recent Grants (2024):** • ACCESS Academies: $675,000 (Scholarships & Directors Support) • Covenant House Missouri: $130,000 (General Operating Support) • St Louis Crisis Nursery: $120,000 (Practitioner Salary Support) • Jeremiah Program: $325,000 • Ready Readers: $255,000 • Vivint Health: $294,916 **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept …
Where does Viragh Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation has a national scope, distributing grants across the United States. Primary funding areas include California, Missouri, District of Columbia, and other major U.S. cities including San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C.
What size grants does Viragh Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Viragh Family Foundation awarded 33 grants totaling $2.5M — an average of about $77K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Viragh Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Viragh Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Viragh Family Foundation's EIN?
Viragh Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2284009. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Viragh Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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