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Zoom Foundation

Annual Giving
$63.2M
Grant Range
$100K - $50.0M

Zoom Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $63,196,700 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $1.4 billion (2024)
  • Grant Range: $100,000 - $1,000,000+
  • Geographic Focus: National (with emphasis on Connecticut and Fairfield County)
  • Application Method: Invitation only - does not accept unsolicited proposals

Contact Details

Overview

The Zoom Foundation was established in 2001 by Stephen Mandel Jr., founder of hedge fund Lone Pine Capital, and his wife Susan Zadek Mandel. The foundation has grown to become one of Connecticut's largest foundations with $1.4 billion in assets and approximately $63 million in annual grantmaking. Operating as a private family foundation, it describes itself as "established to effect social change through philanthropy." The foundation prioritizes "innovative change efforts that have high potential for sustainable impact" across three core areas: education, environment, and democracy. The Mandels maintain a "no-press policy" and conduct most giving confidentially, with 99.9% of grants flowing through the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, making it challenging to track ultimate grant recipients. Despite this opacity, the foundation is known for major investments in nationally recognized organizations combined with support for local Connecticut institutions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through trustee-discretion grantmaking without formal public grant programs. Known grant amounts include:

  • Major National Partnerships: $50 million+ (e.g., Blue Meridian Partners general partner pledge over five years)
  • Significant Institutional Support: $1-25 million (e.g., $25 million Teach for America endowment contribution in 2011)
  • Program Support: $100,000 - $1,000,000+ (typical range based on tax filings)
  • Local Community Grants: Variable amounts to Connecticut organizations

Application Method: Invitation only. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Priority Areas

Education

  • Public school education equity
  • Charter school innovation and development
  • Transformative and sustainable change efforts at school, community, and system levels
  • Dropout prevention and college access programs
  • Education policy and reform initiatives

Environment

  • Science-based environmental policy
  • Climate change mitigation and reversal strategies
  • Public awareness efforts that accelerate local and national climate strategies
  • Biodiversity conservation

Democracy

  • Free and fair elections
  • Political institution resilience and responsiveness
  • Campaign finance reform
  • Democratic participation and civic engagement

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not provide specific exclusion lists, but given their focus areas and invitation-only model, they do not fund:

  • Unsolicited proposals from any organization
  • Organizations outside their three core priority areas

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

  • Stephen Mandel Jr. (Co-Founder and Co-Trustee): Hedge fund manager who founded Lone Pine Capital in 1997. Has served on the boards of Teach for America and Environmental Defense Fund. Mandel has stated: "If you can manage a classroom and inspire kids, it's going to be a hard thing for you to do, but it's just unbelievable preparation for anything you're going to do in life."
  • Susan Zadek Mandel (Co-Founder and Co-Trustee): Co-leads the foundation with Stephen. Has served on the Environmental Defense Fund board.

As of recent filings, Stephen and Susan Mandel are the sole board members. The foundation's former executive director, Meghan Lowney, departed after nearly a decade. Recent IRS filings list no employees, indicating a lean operational structure with grantmaking decisions made directly by the trustees.

The foundation maintains a strict "no-press policy" and has declined media interview requests, preferring to operate confidentially.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Zoom Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states: "The ZOOM Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant inquiries or proposals from nonprofits."

The foundation operates through a proactive funding model, where trustees identify and select charitable organizations for support. Grants are made to "preselected charitable organizations" chosen by Stephen and Susan Mandel based on their strategic priorities and research.

Nearly all grants (99.9%) flow through the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, a donor-advised fund arrangement that provides additional privacy to grantmaking decisions.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public application process exists. The foundation makes grantmaking decisions on its own timeline based on trustee discretion.

Application Success Factors

Since the Zoom Foundation operates exclusively through trustee-selected partnerships, success in receiving funding depends on:

Strategic Alignment with Foundation Priorities

  • Organizations must work in education equity, environmental/climate action, or democracy strengthening
  • The foundation seeks "exceptional leaders who use a practical, entrepreneurial approach to innovation and change"
  • Preference for "innovative change efforts that have high potential for sustainable impact"

Known Grantee Characteristics Based on documented grants, the foundation supports:

  • Nationally Recognized Organizations: Major investments in organizations like Teach for America ($25 million endowment contribution), Blue Meridian Partners ($50 million+ pledge), Environmental Defense Fund (highest donor tier), Harlem Children's Zone ($1 million+), Success Academy ($250,000+)

  • Charter School Networks: Stephen Mandel has stated that "a large part of the innovation happening in pre-K-12 education is happening through charter networks around the country that have been quite innovative in their approaches"

  • Policy and Systems Change: The foundation funded research on climate change preparedness (Columbia report on state flooding preparedness, 2015) and supports Campaign Legal Center for democracy work

  • Local Connecticut Organizations: Multi-million dollar support to Fairfield County Community Foundation, Bridgeport public schools, ConnCAN, and local Greenwich institutions (library, hospital, land trust)

Board Connections Both Stephen and Susan Mandel serve or have served on boards of organizations they fund (Environmental Defense Fund), suggesting personal trustee involvement with organizations is a factor in grantmaking.

Controversial History The foundation was involved in a Bridgeport, Connecticut school board fight in the early 2010s, which may have contributed to their current press-averse stance and preference for confidential grantmaking.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Direct Application Possible: The foundation does not accept proposals, making traditional grant writing ineffective. Organizations cannot apply for funding.

  • Trustee-Driven Strategy: Stephen and Susan Mandel personally identify and select grantees based on their strategic vision and research. Funding decisions are made at the trustee level.

  • Focus on Scale and Innovation: Known grantees include nationally recognized organizations working on systems-level change. The foundation seeks "high potential for sustainable impact" and "entrepreneurial approaches."

  • Connecticut Connection Matters: Despite national giving, the foundation maintains strong local ties with multi-million dollar investments in Fairfield County and Greenwich organizations.

  • Long-Term Partnerships Over One-Time Grants: Major commitments like the $50 million Blue Meridian pledge and $25 million Teach for America endowment suggest preference for sustained partnerships with proven organizations.

  • Extreme Privacy: The foundation's use of donor-advised funds and no-press policy indicates a preference for operating outside public scrutiny. Organizations should not expect public recognition of grants.

  • Network Through Board Connections: Both Mandels have served on boards of funded organizations (Environmental Defense Fund, Teach for America), suggesting that board-level relationships and institutional reputation in the three focus areas may be factors in trustee awareness.

References

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