The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation lists museums, cultural and performing arts, schools and hospitals, education and skills training, youth, senior and disability programmes, and environmental and wildlife protection among its areas of interest, so a US-based charity whose work sits in one of these areas is worth considering.
- Requests are usually modest: half of its 269 grants to organisations in the filing were $8,000 or less, and its stated range is $1,000 to $20,000, though one award of $30,000 went above that maximum, so the range is not a hard ceiling.
- Apply through the online Application Portal, creating an Organization Profile first, and time the request for the Spring round (requests received from May 11 to November 10) or the Fall round (requests received from November 11 to May 10).
- Keep the summary short and straightforward, and make a clear case for what sets your organisation apart and how a small sum could make a large difference.
- Do not apply if you are an individual, an organisation not based in the United States, or a business.
Overview
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation is a US private foundation based in Washington, DC.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation makes grants to IRS-qualified non-profit organisations located in the United States, including organisations whose programming takes place abroad and organisations in U.S. Territories. It aims to support organisations and programmes for which a relatively small amount of funding might make a large difference. Its stated areas of interest include museums, cultural and performing arts programmes, schools and hospitals, educational and skills-training programmes, and programmes for youth, seniors and people with disabilities, alongside environmental and wildlife protection activities. It also considers other community-based organisations and programmes. It funds both operating support and specific projects or activities, with no preference between these types of support and no geographical preference within the United States. It supports worthwhile activities where an organisation makes a compelling case.
Themes
- Museums
- Cultural and performing arts
- Schools and hospitals
- Education and skills training
- Youth, seniors, disability programmes
- Environmental and wildlife protection
Geographic Focus
United States.
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals
- Organizations that are not based in the United States
- Businesses (LLCs)
How to apply
Applicants use the online Application Portal to create and submit an application; new users first create an Organization Profile.
Deadlines:
- Requests received from May 11 through November 10 are considered for the Spring Award Round.
- Requests received from November 11 through May 10 are considered for the Fall Award Round.
Application success factors
- Grant size: In its TY2022 filing, half of its 269 grants to organisations were $8,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Applicants should make their summaries straightforward and concise.
- The foundation values what makes an organisation unique in relation to similar organisations, whether through its programming, population served or execution.
- Applicants should make their best case for worthwhile activities where a small amount of funding can have a large impact.
- Awarded organisations must submit a brief narrative report on how they used the funds within six months to one year.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 13%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 18%
- The largest single recipient received 1% of grant dollars to organisations.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 269 grants in tax year 2022 by size
Median $8,000 (tax year 2022)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Theatre Washington · General operating support$30,0002022 tax year
- The News Literacy Project · To provide essential underwriting to keep nlps signature offering, the checkology virtual classroom digital learning platform, free and available to educators and students during the 2022-23 school year.$25,0002022 tax year
- Center for Nonprofit Advancement · Upper georgia avenue main street covid-19 small business recovery$20,0002022 tax year
- Beaver Creek Wetlands Association · Wetlands restoration$20,0002022 tax year
- Sarasota Cuban Ballet School · General operating support$20,0002022 tax year
- Santa Monica Mountains Parklands Association · The monarch and milkweed project$20,0002022 tax year
- Colonial Williamsburg Foundation · Restoration of the powder magazine (phase one)$20,0002022 tax year
- Beats Rhymes and Life · Hip hop therapy mobile studio bus program$20,0002022 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- John H Hager — COO
- Sara S Surrey — Secretary / Treasurer
- Elizabeth Brown — Vice President
- Mary P Surrey — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,038,138 | $2,428,400 | $55,973,757 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $3,369,203 | $0 | $60,402,786 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,404,670 | $0 | $63,493,091 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (202) 337-3300
- info@mvdreyfusfoundation.org
- Washington, DC
- mvdreyfusfoundation.org
Applying to The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (202) 337-3300
- info@mvdreyfusfoundation.org
- Washington, DC
- mvdreyfusfoundation.org