Zell Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity should not send a cold proposal; the realistic route in is through an existing relationship or an invitation.
- Its recorded giving is varied institutional support, mostly described as general support, across universities, schools, arts and cultural organisations, education charities, a children's hospital, and civil liberties and expression bodies, so a charity working in those fields may fit.
- No geographic focus is stated, so location is not a stated test.
- Its typical grants fall between $10,000 and $1,350,000, and half of its 210 grants to organisations were $150,000 or less, so a request near that median is a reasonable size rather than a ceiling.
- Most of its grant dollars in the filing went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so a first gift is likely to depend on a relationship; the filings give no deadlines, so there is no timing to plan around.
Overview
Zell Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Chicago, IL.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 12 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation's recorded grants mainly provide general support to a varied group of charitable institutions. Recipients include universities and other higher-education institutions, schools, arts and cultural organisations, education-focused charities, a children's hospital, and organisations working in civil liberties and expression. The filed purposes also identify support for writers' programmes, entrepreneurship studies, Jewish education, graduate student support and research. The purposes most often use the general-support description, alongside a range of designated institutional commitments. The records therefore show a varied pattern of institutional giving, rather than a single stated funding field or a published eligibility framework.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Illinois and Michigan.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 57% 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 210 grants to organisations were $150,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
5 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 37% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 57% of grant dollars went to organisations Zell Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 3% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 54 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $156k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Northwestern University–Kellogg · General support$25,000,0002024 tax year
- Rochelle Zell Jewish High School · General support$10,000,0002024 tax year
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra · General support$8,300,0002024 tax year
- Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Endowment · General support$3,000,0002024 tax year
- University of Chicago · General support$2,000,0002024 tax year
- Zell Entrepreneurship Foundation · Entrepreneurship education - out of corpus$2,000,0002024 tax year
- Mayo Clinic · General support$1,500,0002024 tax year
- Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression · General support$1,350,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Michael Shiner — Treasurer / Vice President
- Joseph Miron — Secretary / Vice President
- Lucille Mcfarland — Vice President
- Philip Tinkler — Vice President
- Joann L Zell — Vice President & Director
- Matthew M Zell — Vice President & Director
- Kellie Zell — Vice President & Director
- Helen H Zell — President & Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $18,009,496 | $26,879,604 | $244,754,492 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $69,938,728 | $133,136,307 | $275,114,353 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $69,305,511 | $62,988,248 | $119,612,467 | 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 Zell Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Chicago, IL
Applying to Zell Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Chicago, IL