Bernau Family Foundation Incorporated
The Bernau Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation dedicated to promoting long-term improvements in individual lives and fostering positive leadership. It focuses on funding organizations that provide sustainable solutions rather than temporary fixes, emphasizing values such as substance-free living, civic responsibility, and the importance of education for gainful employment. The foundation supports various causes, including youth programs, educational initiatives, and community services, with a particular interest in at-risk youth and scholarship opportunities for students of immigrants. While it primarily operates in Virginia, it also extends its support to organizations in other states, reflecting a broader commitment to impactful community development.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A small-to-midsize nonprofit with program-level funding needs in education or youth development that aligns with the foundation’s stated values and operates in one of the foundation’s favored communities or states.
Good Fit
- • Program or project requests focused on youth development, scholarships, or education.
- • Program budgets in the typical $5K–$25K range.
- • Clear local impact in Virginia or in one of the other states the foundation has funded.
- • Alignment with the foundation’s stated values (substance-free living, civic responsibility, education, and faith-based recovery).
Geography
The foundation funded organizations across nine states in the latest year, with roughly one-third of dollars staying in Virginia and the remainder distributed across other states, indicating a multi-state footprint despite a Virginia concentration.
Recipient Variety
Eighteen distinct recipients were funded in the latest year and many of those recur across years (13 repeat grantees), showing a broad set of independent grantees rather than a tiny closed circle.
New Applicants
Direct application instructions exist (a required letter-of-inquiry emailed to the provided address) and five new recipients appeared in the latest year, so unfamiliar applicants have a clear procedural entry and have been successful in gaining funding.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
