The Zegar Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation makes contributions only to organisations it has preselected and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered; a warm introduction is the realistic route.
- Its stated principal areas are basic science and medicine, higher education and economic opportunity, so a charity whose work sits well outside these may not fit.
- The filing shows grants mainly in New York, California and District of Columbia, but no geographic focus is stated, so this reflects where it has given rather than a rule about who may apply.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 277 grants to organisations fall between $30,000 and $500,000, with a median of $100,000, so a request near that size matches its typical pattern, though its largest grant of $3,500,000 shows that band is not a ceiling.
- Its grant dollars are also concentrated in organisations it has funded before, with 87% going to repeat grantees in its latest filing, so building a relationship matters more here than a one-off request.
Overview
The Zegar Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and web pages about the foundation (iee.ucsb.edu), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 12 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation’s stated principal grant-making areas span basic science and medicine, higher education and economic opportunity. It describes its purpose as improving the lives of others and enhancing communities and the world. Its grants reach varied charitable organisations, including universities, environmental and conservation bodies, civil-rights and immigration organisations, community-service charities and arts and cultural institutions. The filings also record general-purpose contributions alongside support identified for ocean and plastics work, research and civic initiatives. Contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations; unsolicited requests are not accepted.
Themes
- Basic science and medicine
- Higher education
- Economic opportunity
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York, California and District of Columbia.
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 87% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 277 grants to organisations were $100,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 2%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 5%
- The largest single recipient received 10% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to organisations The Zegar Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- <1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Australia).
- 38% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 105 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $125k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- RF Catalytic Capital · General purpose contribution$3,234,9752024 tax year
- Windward Fund · Global methane hub - enteric accelerator$1,905,0482024 tax year
- Nature Conservancy · General purpose contribution$1,699,9932024 tax year
- National Philanthropic Trust · General purpose contribution$1,664,5022024 tax year
- New York University · Genome center - to support research at genomics core$1,250,0002024 tax year
- Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · Oceans 5$1,000,9402024 tax year
- New York University · Genome center - to support research at the university center$833,7612024 tax year
- Environmental Defense Fund · General purpose contribution$750,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Lan Thi Pham — Chief Operating Officer
- Merryl Snow Zegar — Trustee / Managing Director
- Charles M Zegar — Trustee / Financial Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $23,381,901 | $20,016,440 | $250,901,339 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $24,054,683 | $20,489,483 | $291,362,395 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $31,274,809 | $27,043,087 | $347,613,314 | 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
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At a glance
Applying to The Zegar Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY
Applying to The Zegar Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY