The Dai Vernon Foundation began as the Dai Vernon Fund, established via a bequest received from the estate of the renowned Close-up Magician Dai Vernon, after his death in 1992. The original purpose was to fund a cash grant presented to the AMA’s Close-up Award winner each year. In time, as donations were received from others, the Fund’s activities expanded to include funding the education of promising young magicians, as well as cash grants given to aid magicians in extreme circumstances.
In recent years, the Fund was formally incorporated into the Dai Vernon Foundation, Inc, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to continue to expand our educational and charitable activities.