John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation

Grantmaker Madison, WI EIN: 39-1524362

The John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation is a private foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin. Its 2025 filing lists grants to organizations supporting Christian ministries and missions, research and education, historical preservation, youth symphonic music, health, and community programs.

Key facts about John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation

In short: John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation gave $44K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Wisconsin. 43% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990 filing.

EIN
39-1524362
Latest 990 filing
Form 990 filing, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$44,350
Grants made (2025)
21
Average grant
$2,112
Median grant
$1,000
New grantees (estimate)
43% first-time grantees (9 of 21, 2025)
Primary geography
Wisconsin (93% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 filing · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$44K

-19.9% YoY

Grant Count

21

+31.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2K

-39.0% YoY

Is John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation open to new grantees?

43%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 9 of 21 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $1K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.

  • 43% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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 included support for Christian ministry services and worldwide mission work, research and education, a capital campaign, symphonic concerts, health, and community programs.

Among its grantees, Time of Grace Ministry says its mission is to point people to Jesus. The University of Wisconsin Foundation says it advances the objectives of the University of Wisconsin–Madison by encouraging alumni, donors, and friends to support and engage with the university. The Wisconsin Historical Foundation says it advances the Wisconsin Historical Society’s mission to connect people to the past through collecting, preserving, and sharing stories. Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras describes itself as a supporting organization of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra, Inc.

Grantmaking

The foundation made 21 grants totaling $44,350 in 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $12,500, with a median of $1,000. Notable grants included $12,500 to Time of Grace in Milwaukee for Christian ministry services; $5,500 to the University of Wisconsin Foundation for research and educational programs; $5,000 each to the Wisconsin Historical Foundation for a capital campaign and Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras for high-quality symphonic concerts; and $2,500 to Siebert Lutheran Foundation to support organizational growth in the Lutheran community.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin, 5% to recipients in Minnesota, and 2% to recipients in North Carolina.

Grant Distribution by State

3states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.

Cities

MadisonMilwaukeeWaukeshaBrookfieldSister BaySturgeon BayBaileys HarborMiddletonCedarburgEphraimSwartz CreekWaunakeeAshevilleDeforestLodiMinneapolisPrior LakeWest St Paul

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$20K$40K$60K$80K17 grants2019 21 grants2022 17 grants2023 16 grants2024 21 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $44K (2025) to $69K (2023). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $44K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Time of Grace: $13KTime of Grace$13KUniversity of Wisconsin Foundation: $6KUniversity of WisconsinFoundation$6KWisconsin Historical Foundation: $5KWisconsin HistoricalFoundation$5KWisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras: $5KWisconsin Youth SymphonyOrchestras$5KSiebert Lutheran Foundation: $3KSiebert Lutheran Foundation$3KWisconsin Lutheran Chapel: $2KWisconsin Lutheran Chapel$2KChrist Lutheran Church: $2KChrist Lutheran Church$2KWisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod: $2KWisconsin Evangelical LutheranSynod$2KWELS Kingdom Workers: $1KWELS Kingdom Workers$1KAccess Community Health Center: $1KAccess Community Health Center$1K

The largest 2025 recipient was Time of Grace ($13K). Together the top 10 received $38K.

Grant Size Distribution

92 grants across all recorded years

92<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 92 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Time of Grace Milwaukee, WISupport of Christian Ministry Services$12,500
University of Wisconsin Foundation Madison, WISupport for various research and educational progr$5,500
Wisconsin Historical Foundation Madison, WISupport of Capital Campaign$5,000
Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras Madison, WISupport for the production of high quality symphonic concerts$5,000
Siebert Lutheran Foundation Milwaukee, WISupport for the growth of organizations in the Lut$2,500
Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel Madison, WISupport for Christian Campus Ministry services$2,000
Christ Lutheran Church Baileys Harbor, WISupport for Christian Ministry Services$1,500
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Waukesha, WISupport for worldwide mission work$1,500
WELS Kingdom Workers Waukesha, WISupport for worldwide mission work$1,000
Access Community Health Center Madison, WISupport for improving the health and lives of its$1,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Grant total Number of grants
2025 $44,350 21
2024 $55,350 16
2023 $68,500 17

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists John C Zimdars Jr and Peggy Zimdars as trustees.

John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • John C Zimdars Jr.

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Peggy Zimdars

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 5568, Madison, WI 53705-0568
Phone: (608) 231-2700

Frequently asked questions about John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation

How much does John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation give each year?

John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation gave $44K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2024 it gave $55K across 16 grants.

What is John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation's typical grant size?

John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,112, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation that year got $3K on average.

Where does John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation give grants?

John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing went to recipients there. The next largest state was Minnesota (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (8 grants), Milwaukee, WI (3 grants) and Waukesha, WI (2 grants).

Does John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 filing were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support for community programs" (4 grants) and "Support of Christian Ministry Services" (3 grants).

Who are John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation's largest grantees?

John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Time of Grace ($12,500), University of Wisconsin Foundation ($5,500) and Wisconsin Historical Foundation ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

What does John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for Christian ministry services and worldwide mission work, research and education, a capital campaign, symphonic concerts, health, and community programs. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions 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 Peggy Zimdars Foundation's EIN?

John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1524362. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does John and Peggy Zimdars Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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