Zellis Family Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $2,785,115 (2024); $1,342,895 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available (no open application process)
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: $5,000 - $500,000
• Median Grant: ~$20,000
• Total Assets: $49.4 million (2024)
• Geographic Focus: Primarily Colorado and Illinois, with grants across 10+ states nationally
• Application Method: No public application process (invitation only / trustee discretion)

Contact Details

• Address: Two N Riverside Plaza, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60606
• EIN: 83-2650002
• Website: None identified
• Phone: Not publicly listed
• Email: Not publicly listed

Overview

The Zellis Family Foundation is a private, non-operating grantmaking foundation established in 2019 and based in Chicago, Illinois. It is classified as a 501(c)(3) organization under NTEE code T20 (Private Grantmaking Foundations) and has been tax-exempt since June 2019. The foundation is led by Jo Ann Zell, daughter of the late Chicago billionaire Sam Zell, who serves as President. Jo Ann Zell (also known professionally as Dr. JoAnn Zell Gillis) is a rheumatologist based at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, Colorado, which helps explain the foundation's strong geographic ties to Colorado despite its Chicago administrative address.

The foundation has grown rapidly since its founding: total assets have increased from approximately $5.5 million in 2019 to $49.4 million in 2024, and annual giving has risen substantially year on year. In 2024, the foundation distributed $2,785,115 across 19 grants. Key focus areas include education, health (with a notable emphasis on rheumatology-related causes), cultural and religious organizations (particularly Jewish causes), and human services. The foundation has no public website and does not operate an open grant application process.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not publicly name distinct grant programs or funding streams. Grants are awarded at trustee discretion. Based on Form 990 data, known recent grants include:

• University of Colorado Foundation: $500,000 (Education)
• JEWISHcolorado: $225,000 (Cultural/Religious)
• Rheumatology Research Foundation: $200,000 (Health/Medical Research)
• Northwestern University: $150,000 (Education)
• Jewish Family Service (JFS): Listed as a $100,000-level supporter (Human Services)
• Harold Grinspoon Foundation – PJ Library Program: Amount not specified (Cultural/Religious – Jewish)

Grant sizes documented range from $5,000 to $500,000, with a median grant of approximately $20,000.

Priority Areas

Based on Form 990 filings and publicly available recipient data, the foundation's giving appears to concentrate in the following areas:

• Education: University-level support, particularly institutions in Colorado and Illinois
• Health and Medical Research: Rheumatology research and related clinical/academic programs
• Jewish Causes and Cultural/Religious Organizations: Including Jewish community federations, family service organizations, and cultural programs
• Human Services and Social Services: Including food security, housing stability, and refugee support
• Philanthropy / Grantmaking Support: Re-granting to foundations and federated funds

Geographic giving is concentrated in:

1. Colorado (primary, reflecting the President's professional base)
2. Illinois (primary, reflecting the administrative domicile)
3. New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Georgia, and Washington D.C. (secondary)

What They Don't Fund

No formal exclusion criteria have been publicly stated. As a private family foundation with no open application process, the foundation has not published eligibility guidelines or categories of ineligible work. Based on giving patterns, the foundation does not appear to fund:

• Grassroots or small community organizations without an established institutional track record
• International work outside the United States
• Political or advocacy organizations

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by a board of unpaid officers and directors. All positions are voluntary with no compensation disclosed in filings. Key personnel identified from Form 990 filings include:

Name	Role
Jo Ann Zell	President
Michael Shiner	Vice President & Treasurer
Lucille McFarland	Vice President & Secretary
Philip Tinkler	Vice President
Joseph Miron	Vice President
Levi Gillis	Director
Naomi Gillis	Director

Jo Ann Zell is the daughter of the late Sam Zell, the Chicago-based real estate magnate and billionaire philanthropist. She is professionally known as Dr. JoAnn Zell Gillis and practices as an Associate Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus. Her academic and clinical background in rheumatology is directly reflected in the foundation's grants to the Rheumatology Research Foundation and the University of Colorado Foundation.

Levi Gillis and Naomi Gillis are listed as directors and appear to be family members (likely children or relatives of Jo Ann Zell Gillis). Levi Gillis has been identified through professional databases as affiliated with the Zell Family Office.

No public quotes from leadership about funding philosophy or strategic priorities have been identified.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Zellis Family Foundation has no publicly accessible website, no stated grant application portal, and no published eligibility or application guidelines. Grants appear to be awarded entirely at the discretion of the board, based on pre-existing relationships and the personal networks and interests of the founding family.

There is no evidence that the foundation accepts or reviews unsolicited grant applications from organizations it does not already know.

Getting on Their Radar

The following specific intelligence may be relevant to organisations seeking to connect with this funder:

• JoAnn Zell's professional base is the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, Colorado. Organizations operating within the University of Colorado health and academic ecosystem, or within the Denver/Colorado Jewish philanthropic community, are most likely to have proximity to the foundation's decision-makers.

• JEWISHcolorado (the Jewish Federation of Colorado, Denver) has received grants from the foundation. Organizations affiliated with JEWISHcolorado or participating in its community network may have a pathway to visibility with the Zellis Family Foundation through shared community connections.

• Levi Gillis is known to be affiliated with the Zell Family Office (zellfamilyoffice.com), which may serve as a point of connection for well-networked organisations with existing ties to the Zell family's broader philanthropic ecosystem.

• The foundation has funded the Harold Grinspoon Foundation's PJ Library Program, suggesting an interest in Jewish cultural education programs with national reach.

• Jewish Family Service lists the Zellis Family Foundation as a $100,000-level supporter, indicating that established Jewish social service organizations with a track record are within scope.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. No application cycle or review calendar has been identified.

Success Rates

Not applicable. There is no open application process, so no comparative success rate data exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable. Grants appear to be awarded on the basis of trustee relationships and discretion rather than through a competitive application cycle.

Application Success Factors

Because this foundation does not operate a public grant program, the following observations are drawn from giving patterns rather than published guidance:

• Alignment with JoAnn Zell's professional identity is strongly predictive of funding. The two largest documented grants - $500,000 to the University of Colorado Foundation and $200,000 to the Rheumatology Research Foundation - both align with her role as a rheumatologist at the University of Colorado. Organizations with a legitimate connection to her professional world are most likely to succeed.

• Jewish institutional identity appears to be a core giving pillar. Multiple grants have gone to Jewish community organizations (JEWISHcolorado, Jewish Family Service, PJ Library). Organizations rooted in Jewish philanthropic networks, particularly in Colorado and Illinois, are well positioned.

• Large, established institutions receive the largest grants. The foundation's biggest known grants are to universities and established national foundations, not small nonprofits. Organizations with substantial institutional credibility and track records are better placed.

• General operating support is the primary grant type. The foundation primarily provides unrestricted "general support" rather than project-specific grants. This suggests flexibility in how grant funds may be used once awarded.

• Colorado-based organizations are disproportionately well represented in the foundation's grantmaking portfolio, despite the Chicago administrative address. Proximity to the funder's real professional and personal base is a practical advantage.

• The foundation funds across a wide grant range ($5,000–$500,000), with a median of approximately $20,000. Smaller organisations should not assume they are too small; however, larger transformative grants appear reserved for institutional relationships with direct family ties.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The Zellis Family Foundation is a rapidly growing private family foundation with no public application process. Cold outreach is unlikely to be effective without a pre-existing relationship or warm introduction.

• The foundation is closely tied to the Zell family legacy in Chicago and to Dr. JoAnn Zell Gillis's professional life in Colorado rheumatology and Jewish philanthropy. These two networks are the primary pathways to a relationship with this funder.

• Colorado-based organisations, particularly those connected to the University of Colorado, the Jewish community of Colorado, or the rheumatology/medical research field, are most likely to be within scope.

• The foundation gives general operating support grants ranging from $5,000 to $500,000. The median grant is approximately $20,000, but major institutional partners have received $200,000–$500,000.

• No formal application process, deadlines, or eligibility criteria exist. The most productive strategy is relationship-building through the Colorado Jewish philanthropic community, the University of Colorado network, or the broader Zell family office ecosystem.

• The foundation's total assets have grown from $5.5M (2019) to $49.4M (2024), indicating significant philanthropic capacity and an increasing grant budget over time.

• Jewish organisations, medical/health research bodies, and educational institutions are the three clearest areas of alignment with the foundation's documented giving history.

References

1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer – Zellis Family Foundation URL: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/832650002 Accessed: February 2026 Source for: EIN confirmation, officer names, financial trajectory (2019–2024), filing dates, total assets ($49.4M), charitable disbursements ($2,785,115 in 2024)

2. Cause IQ – Zellis Family Foundation Profile URL: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/zellis-family-foundation,832650002/ Accessed: February 2026 Source for: Financial data (2023: $10,488,111 revenue, $3,329,513 expenses, $37,068,915 assets), sample grant recipients (University of Colorado Foundation $500,000; JEWISHcolorado $225,000; Rheumatology Research Foundation $200,000; Northwestern University $150,000), grantmaking approach (general support)

3. Grant Bay – Zellis Family Foundation Form 990 Data URL: https://grantbay.org/form-990/832650002 Accessed: February 2026 Source for: Total grants count (34 grants, $1,807,895), grant range ($5,000–$500,000), median grant (~$20,000), geographic focus (primarily Colorado, 10 states), 73% new grantees statistic, 626% funding growth over 3 years, physical address (Two N Riverside Plaza 600, Chicago IL 60606)

4. Instrumentl – Zellis Family Foundation 990 Report URL: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/zellis-family-foundation Accessed: February 2026 Source for: Total assets ($49,445,947), total giving ($2,749,139), key leadership names (JoAnn Zell, Levi Gillis, Lucille McFarland), annual grant award counts by year (2019–2024), geographic giving states (Colorado, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, D.C., Georgia), NTEE focus areas (Education, Philanthropy, Human Services)

5. Charity Navigator – Zellis Family Foundation Profile URL: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/832650002 Accessed: February 2026 Source for: Registered address confirmation (2 N Riverside Plz Ste 600, Chicago IL 60606-2627), IRS ruling year (2019), foundation status (private non-operating foundation), 501(c)(3) status confirmation

6. Jewish Family Service (JFS) – Supporters Page URL: https://www.jewishfamilyservice.org/supporters Accessed: February 2026 Source for: Confirmation of Zellis Family Foundation as a $100,000-level supporter of Jewish Family Service

7. US News Doctors – Dr. JoAnn L. Zell (Gillis) URL: https://health.usnews.com/doctors/joann-zell-437244 Accessed: February 2026 Source for: JoAnn Zell's professional identity as a rheumatologist in Denver, CO

8. University of Colorado School of Medicine – Faculty Profile URL: https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/6161 Accessed: February 2026 Source for: JoAnn Zell's academic affiliation as Associate Professor at CU Anschutz Medical Campus

9. ZoomInfo – Levi Gillis URL: https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Levi-Gillis/9265086353 Accessed: February 2026 Source for: Levi Gillis's affiliation with Zell Family Office (zellfamilyoffice.com)

10. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer – Full Filing (2021) URL: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/832650002/202101339349103605/full Accessed: February 2026 Source for: Early filing year data and officer listing cross-reference