The Dagmar Dolby Fund concentrates large, strategic gifts supporting scientific research—particularly neuroscience and Alzheimer's-related biomedical work—alongside investments in cultural institutions and legacy/Donor-Advised Fund vehicles. Grants are few but sizable, often designated for research programs, facility support, or broad operating/legacy use, and include repeated funding to institutional partners and legacy funds tied to the Dolby family.
Dagmar Dolby Fund’s recent giving is defined by very large, targeted grants to scientific research, especially neuroscience and Alzheimer’s-related biomedical work. The fund also supports museum and cultural institutions, but the research side is especially visible in its larger awards, including support for the Salk Institute for Biological Science for neurosciences faculty research in Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases and for the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation’s biomarker project. Its grant list also shows major support for legacy and donor-advised fund vehicles tied to the Dolby family, with grants to the Ray Dolby Legacy Fund and the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Fund of Marin Community Foundation. Those awards sit alongside institutional support for the Smithsonian Institution, reflecting a mix of research, cultural programming, and family legacy stewardship. Grants are typically substantial, and the fund tends to back established institutions and named research initiatives rather than many small awards.
In neuroscience and Alzheimer’s research, the fund gave $3,002,970 to Salk Institute for Biological Science for neurosciences faculty research in Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases. It also awarded $1,000,000 to Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation for the biomarker project, showing interest in research tools tied to neurological conditions. Beyond biomedical work, Dagmar Dolby Fund supported museum programming with $1,579,575 to Smithsonian Institution for development of new exhibitions and related programs. A separate $300,000 grant to Smithsonian Institution was directed to the National Museum of American History, indicating support for national cultural institutions and public-facing programming. The fund’s recent grants also include $4,000,000 to Ray Dolby Legacy Fund for the symposium fund project and the research teams project at the Cavendish Laboratory, linking scientific convenings with laboratory research teams.
Dagmar Dolby Fund makes large grants. The typical size in the file is $1,289,788 at the 25th percentile, $3,002,970 at the median, and $6,500,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows repeated support for some recipients across multiple years, including the Ray Dolby Legacy Fund in 2023 and 2025 and Smithsonian Institution in 2024 and 2025. The fund is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund itself, and it does not fund individuals or program-related investments.
$4M
$114.7M
$11.7M
$5.4M
Most grants fall between $1.3M and $6.5M, with a median of $3M.
25th Percentile
$1.3M
Median
$3M
75th Percentile
$6.5M
RHEA SUH
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Highly concentrated: a very small number of large grants make up the majority of giving. Mix of repeat multi-year or multi-grant relationships with major institutions and large allocations into family legacy/DAF vehicles rather than many small community grants.
Notable grantees: Ray Dolby Legacy Fund, Ray and Dagmar Dolby Fund of Marin Community Foundation (DAF), Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Smithsonian Institution, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
Grantmaking is concentrated in California, which accounts for 57% of grants to recipients in the file. The top state by grant count is CA, while all recorded grants in the recent list go to U.S. recipients. Specific recipient cities include La Jolla, Novato, New York, and Washington, DC. The distribution suggests a strong California orientation, with additional support reaching national institutions in the capital and New York.
The recent grants point to research institutions, museums, and legacy or donor-advised fund vehicles. Examples include the Salk Institute for Biological Science for Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative disease research, Smithsonian Institution for exhibitions and museum programming, and the Ray Dolby Legacy Fund for a symposium fund project and research teams project.
The grant-size distribution is high: the 25th percentile is $1,289,788, the median is $3,002,970, and the 75th percentile is $6,500,000. The recent list includes awards from $300,000 up to $13,342,250.
Yes. California is the top state by grant count, and 57% of grants go to recipients in CA. The recent list includes recipients in Novato and La Jolla, along with grants to Washington, DC and New York, NY.
Yes. The recent grants include repeated support for the Ray Dolby Legacy Fund in 2023 and 2025, and repeated support for Smithsonian Institution in 2024 and 2025. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships with selected institutions.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAY AND DAGMAR DOLBY FUND OF MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (DAF) | NOVATO, CA | $4,000,000 | 2026 | PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| RAY AND DAGMAR DOLBY FUND OF MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (DAF) | NOVATO, CA | $9,000,000 | 2025 | PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| RAY DOLBY LEGACY FUND | NOVATO, CA | $4,000,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE SYMPOSIUM FUND PROJECT AND THE RESEARCH TEAMS PROJECT AT THE CAVENDISH LABORATORY |
| SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE | LA JOLLA, CA | $3,002,970 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT SALK'S NEUROSCIENCES FACULTY RESEARCH IN ALZHEIMER'S AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES |
| SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION | WASHINGTON, DC | $300,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY |
| SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,579,575 | 2024 | DEVELOPMENT OF NEW EXHIBITIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS |
| ALZHEIMER'S DRUG DISCOVERY FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT ADDF'S BIOMARKER PROJECT |
| RAY DOLBY LEGACY FUND | NOVATO, CA | $13,342,250 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
TO SUPPORT THE SYMPOSIUM FUND PROJECT AND THE RESEARCH TEAMS PROJECT AT THE CAVENDISH LABORATORY
SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE
$3,002,970TO SUPPORT SALK'S NEUROSCIENCES FACULTY RESEARCH IN ALZHEIMER'S AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES
TO SUPPORT NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW EXHIBITIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS
RAY DOLBY LEGACY FUND
$13,342,250GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT