John and Ellen Zembrodt
John and Ellen Zembrodt is a private foundation based in Ft Wright, Kentucky. Its 2025 filing reports $90,000 in grants to 20 organizations.
John and Ellen Zembrodt at a glance
In short: John and Ellen Zembrodt gave $90K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Kentucky. 35% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $90,000
- +9.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,500
- +20.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,603,048
- +6.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (7 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (78% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to John and Ellen Zembrodt
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 34 August Ave, Ft Wright, KY 41011
Phone: (513) 550-0018
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John and Ellen Zembrodt funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St John Church ($25K). Together the top 10 received $68K.
Grant Size Distribution
93 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 93 grants of 93 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing allocates grant dollars by recipient state as follows: Kentucky, 78%; Ohio, 11%; Colorado, 6%; New York, 3%; and Florida, 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Is John and Ellen Zembrodt open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 20 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 128% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 89% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $27K (2020) to $90K (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $90K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St John Church Covington, KY | General Fund | $25,000 |
| St Augustine School Covington, KY | General Fund | $10,000 |
| FR Beiting Appalachian Mission Center Louisa, KY | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Our Lady of the Mountains School Paintsville, KY | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Xavier Mission Fund Littleton, CO | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Parental-Hope Cincinnati, OH | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Rose Garden Home Mission Covington, KY | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Barren Heights Retreat Ctr Louisville, KY | General Fund | $2,500 |
| Drews Puzzle Piece Ft Mitchell, KY | General Fund | $2,500 |
| Fire Foundation NKY Lakeside Park, KY | General Fund | $2,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,603,048 | $202,689 | $105,312 | $90,000 | 20 | $90,000 | $151,589 | $101,438 |
| 2024 | $1,505,671 | $211,168 | $95,323 | $82,000 | 22 | $82,000 | $149,577 | $92,960 |
| 2023 | $1,389,826 | $156,341 | $88,418 | $76,000 | 17 | $76,000 | $124,622 | $80,908 |
| 2022 | $1,321,903 | $94,051 | $44,697 | $39,500 | 15 | $39,500 | $50,072 | $89,172 |
| 2021 | $1,272,549 | $549,684 | $57,202 | $53,000 | 19 | $53,000 | $45,633 | $59,006 |
| 2020 | $780,067 | $43,927 | $29,824 | $26,500 | 10 | — | $10,880 | $43,633 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John and Ellen Zembrodt reported a distributable amount of $101K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations serving Catholic educators and apostolate workers, people seeking basic necessities in Northern Kentucky, and children and families. These are the grantees’ stated missions: Xavier Mission Fund says it provides supplemental income to support salaries for Catholic educators and Catholic apostolate workers; Be Concerned Inc. says it assists people in Northern Kentucky in obtaining basic necessities; and Diocesan Catholic Children’s Home says it provides compassionate care and quality services addressing the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of children and families.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 20 grants totaling $90,000. Individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest awards included $25,000 to St John Church in Covington, Kentucky, and $10,000 to St Augustine School in Covington, both for general funds. Other grants included $5,000 each to Fr Beiting Appalachian Mission Center, Our Lady of the Mountains School, Xavier Mission Fund, Parental-Hope, and Rose Garden Home Mission. Be Concerned Inc. received $2,000, and Diocesan Catholic Children’s Home received $1,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John A Zembrodt, Ellen Marie Zembrodt, and Nathan Zembrodt as trustees.
John and Ellen Zembrodt's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellen Marie Zembrodt
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John A. Zembrodt
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nathan Zembrodt
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Joseph A Zembrodt (2020–2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about John and Ellen Zembrodt
How much does John and Ellen Zembrodt give each year?
John and Ellen Zembrodt gave $90K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $82K across 22 grants.
What is John and Ellen Zembrodt's typical grant size?
John and Ellen Zembrodt's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,500, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John and Ellen Zembrodt that year got $7K on average.
Where does John and Ellen Zembrodt give grants?
John and Ellen Zembrodt gives mostly in Kentucky: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Ohio (11%) and Colorado (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Covington, KY (4 grants), Cincinnati, OH (3 grants), Louisville, KY (2 grants) and Ft Mitchell, KY (2 grants).
Does John and Ellen Zembrodt give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of John and Ellen Zembrodt's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John and Ellen Zembrodt's largest grantees?
John and Ellen Zembrodt's largest 2025 grantees include St John Church ($25,000), St Augustine School ($10,000) and FR Beiting Appalachian Mission Center ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John and Ellen Zembrodt?
John and Ellen Zembrodt reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $90K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $101K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does John and Ellen Zembrodt fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations serving Catholic educators and apostolate workers, people seeking basic necessities in Northern Kentucky, and children and families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John and Ellen Zembrodt?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John and Ellen Zembrodt's EIN?
John and Ellen Zembrodt's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0109820. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does John and Ellen Zembrodt accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
Live grants for the work John and Ellen Zembrodt funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John and Ellen Zembrodt funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-ellen-zembrodt-morg_ce10667f415741b0a5f9c61a006e11d2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_260109820_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John and Ellen Zembrodt funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-ellen-zembrodt-morg_ce10667f415741b0a5f9c61a006e11d2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from John and Ellen Zembrodt's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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