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Zell Family Foundation

EIN: 36-3487811 • Chicago, IL
Total Assets
$119.6M
Foundation endowment scale
Annual Giving
$63M
Annual capital distribution
Typical Grant
$160,000
Most grants: $50K – $700K
Application Status
Invitation Only
Rolling review

About Zell Family Foundation Grantmaking

Zell Family Foundation is an institutional grantmaking foundation headquartered in Chicago, IL (EIN: 36-3487811). According to verified IRS Form 990-PF filings, the foundation maintains $119.6M in total assets and distributed $63M across 140 grants. Its typical award size is $160,000, with the middle 50% of awards falling between $50K and $700K. Its primary funding focus includes Education & Literacy (61%), Arts, Culture & Humanities (30%), Health Care & Medical Research (4%), with the highest concentration of grants awarded in IL (83%) and NY (6%).

Top Funded Causes% Capital
Education & Literacy61%
$29.1M deployed32 awards
Arts, Culture & Humanities30%
$14.3M deployed28 awards
Health Care & Medical Research4%
$1.9M deployed3 awards
Recreation & Sports3%
$1.3M deployed2 awards
Youth Development2%
$925K deployed2 awards
Top Recipient States% Dollars
IL State Recipients83%
$74.4M funded89 grants
NY State Recipients6%
$5.7M funded18 grants
MI State Recipients5%
$4.8M funded11 grants
PA State Recipients3%
$2.7M funded2 grants
MN State Recipients2%
$1.9M funded2 grants
Grant Size DistributionAward Scale
Major Grants ($100K+)58%
81 large institutional grants
Mid-Sized ($25K–$100K)27%
38 standard program grants
Micro & Small (<$25K)15%
21 grassroots micro-awards
Application Guidelines & DeadlinesPublic Filing Data
Application Policy
Invitation Only / Preselected Grantees
Submission Deadlines

Quarterly review cycles. Applications accepted continuously.

Geographic Focus & Restrictions

Priority given to organizations registered and operating in IL or regional districts.

Program Officer & Direct Contacts

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Recent Grant AwardsShowing 5 of 140 verified awards
Recipient OrganizationLocationTax YearAward AmountGrant Purpose
Northwestern University-kelloggEvanston, IL2024$25,000,000General support
Rochelle Zell Jewish High SchoolDeerfield, IL2024$10,000,000General support
Chicago Symphony OrchestraChicago, IL2024$8,300,000General support
Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Endowment CorpChicago, IL2024$3,000,000General support
University of ChicagoChicago, IL2024$2,000,000General support
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Frequently Asked Questions about Zell Family Foundation

Does Zell Family Foundation accept unsolicited grant proposals?

Zell Family Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and primarily funds preselected organizations. Direct unsolicited applications are not currently reviewed.

What is the typical grant size from Zell Family Foundation?

The median grant size from Zell Family Foundation is $160,000, with the middle 50% of awards ranging between $50K and $700K.

What causes does Zell Family Foundation fund?

Over recent Form 990-PF filings, Zell Family Foundation's primary funding areas have been Education & Literacy, Arts, Culture & Humanities, Health Care & Medical Research.

How do I contact Zell Family Foundation about a grant?

Zell Family Foundation is headquartered in Chicago, IL. Verified NPO Grant subscribers can access direct program officer telephone extensions, primary office numbers, and detailed submission guidelines.