Viragh Family Foundation
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.
Key facts about Viragh Family Foundation
- EIN
- 52-2284009
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,525,325
- Grants made (2024)
- 33
- Average grant
- $76,525
- Median grant
- $46,000
- Total assets
- $37,098,943
- Primary geography
- Missouri (47% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Viragh Family Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Viragh Family Foundation's 33 itemized 2024 grants were Missouri (47%), District of Columbia (16%) and California (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (8 grants), St Louis, MO (7 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants) and Takoma Park, MD (2 grants). 24% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
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
**
Ready to take the next step with Viragh Family Foundation?
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
Share of all 33 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
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
225 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include ACCESS Academies ($675,000), New Futures ($190,000 across 2 grants), Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School ($155,000 across 2 grants).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACCESS Academies St Louis, MO | Scholarships & Directors Support | $675,000 |
| Covenant House Missouri St Louis, MO | General Operating Support - Existing Programs & Operations | $130,000 |
| Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School Takoma Park, MD | Don Bosco Cristo Rey Athletic Program | $130,000 |
| St Louis Crisis Nursery St Louis, MO | Practitioner Salary Support | $120,000 |
| Operation Food Search St Louis, MO | Healthy Food, Healthy Community Renovation | $118,425 |
| Access Institute for Psychological San Francisco, CA | In-School Mental Health Program | $100,000 |
| Huckleberry Youth Programs San Francisco, CA | Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services | $100,000 |
| New Futures Washington, DC | Scholars Program | $100,000 |
| Washington Jesuit Academy Washington, DC | WJA Forward Campaign | $100,000 |
| New Futures Washington, DC | Scholars Program & 25th Anniversary Celebration | $90,000 |
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.
Does Viragh Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Viragh Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The Blackbaud Giving Fund
CHARLESTON SC, SC
Assets
$52.7M
Grants
1,860
Total Given
$41.4M
National Philanthropic Trust
JENKINTOWN, PA
Assets
$42.2B
Grants
18,583
Total Given
$5.1B
Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program
SOUTHEASTERN, PA
Assets
$22.2B
Grants
24,269
Total Given
$3.0B
Network for Good
WASHINGTON, DC
Assets
$96.2M
Grants
4,733
Total Given
$216.2M
The Pfizer Foundation Inc
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$255.3M
Grants
9,306
Total Given
$23.2M
Charities Aid Foundation America
ALEXANDRIA, VA
Assets
$485.8M
Grants
14,494
Total Given
$556.0M
Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Assets
$9.1B
Grants
19,253
Total Given
$1.2B
Jpmorgan Chase Foundation
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
10,334
Total Given
$202.5M
Edward Jones Foundation
ST LOUIS, MO
Assets
$138.9M
Grants
6,618
Total Given
$20.3M
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
SAINT LOUIS, MO
Assets
—
Grants
9,499
Total Given
$73.1M
The Cigna Group Foundation
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Assets
$127.2M
Grants
4,075
Total Given
$14.1M
Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund
ST PETERSBURG, FL
Assets
$2.4B
Grants
5,350
Total Given
$151.3M
More Funders in Maryland
Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.