Joy Foundation
Joy Foundation is a private foundation based in Aspen, Colorado. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with the largest grants designated for general support.
Joy Foundation at a glance
In short: Joy Foundation gave $674K across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $37K), mostly in New York. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $674,000
- +22.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- +80.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $37,444
- -32.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $8,109,380
- -1.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (3 of 18, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (61% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Joy Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 335 Glen Eagles Drive, Aspen, CO 81611-3303
Phone: (970) 544-0151
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Joy Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Inernational Rescue Committee ($257K). Together the top 10 received $651K.
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 65 grants of 87 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Aspen, Colorado. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to New York (61%), Minnesota (15%), and Washington, DC (13%). Other reported shares were Maryland (4%) and Colorado (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Joy Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 18 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $45K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 44% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 166% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $502K (2022) to $821K (2020). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $674K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Inernational Rescue Committee New York, NY | General Support | $257,200 |
| American Academy in Berlin New York, NY | General Support | $150,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | General Support | $100,000 |
| Aspen Institute Washington, DC | General Support | $75,000 |
| Natural Resources Defense Council Hagerstown, MD | General Support | $22,100 |
| Chabad Jewish Community Center Aspen Aspen, CO | General Support | $16,000 |
| Pitzer College Claremont, CA | General Support | $10,400 |
| Oceana Washington, DC | General Support | $10,200 |
| Fairvote Silver Spring, MD | General Support | $5,000 |
| Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs Calabasas, CA | General Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Joy Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,109,380 | $552,493 | $802,215 | $674,000 | 18 | $674,000 | $442,325 | $406,205 |
| 2023 | $8,211,647 | $252,102 | $695,094 | $552,000 | 10 | $552,000 | $170,794 | $399,694 |
| 2022 | $8,109,331 | $95,558 | $666,177 | $501,940 | 21 | $501,940 | $96,563 | $415,425 |
| 2021 | $9,099,032 | $2,655,069 | $662,610 | $543,680 | 21 | $543,680 | $2,631,998 | $381,666 |
| 2020 | $7,799,071 | $560,890 | $890,210 | $821,250 | 17 | — | $502,791 | $350,005 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $406K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including international affairs, education, environmental and social matters, elections, and cultural and religious programming. These are examples of grantees’ work, not stated foundation priorities. For example, the American Academy in Berlin describes its work as an institute for advanced work in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and public policy, with goals that include building ties between Germany and the United States. FairVote describes itself as a nonpartisan organization that researches and advances voting reforms.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $674,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $257,200, with a median of $5,000. The largest awards included $257,200 to the International Rescue Committee, $150,000 to the American Academy in Berlin, $100,000 to Mayo Clinic, and $75,000 to the Aspen Institute; each was listed for general support. Other listed grants included $22,100 to the Natural Resources Defense Council and $16,000 to Chabad Jewish Community Center Aspen, also for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Leah Joy Zell as president, Jenny Wanger as vice president/secretary, and Elise Wanger Zell as vice president/treasurer.
Joy Foundation is led by Leah Joy Zell, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Leah Joy Zell
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elise Wanger Zell
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jenny Wanger
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Joy Foundation
How much does Joy Foundation give each year?
Joy Foundation gave $674K across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $552K across 10 grants.
What is Joy Foundation's typical grant size?
Joy Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $37,444, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Joy Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Joy Foundation give grants?
Joy Foundation gives mostly in New York: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Minnesota (15%) and District of Columbia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does Joy Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Joy Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Joy Foundation's largest grantees?
Joy Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Inernational Rescue Committee ($257,200), American Academy in Berlin ($150,000) and Mayo Clinic ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Joy Foundation?
Joy Foundation reported $8.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $674K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $406K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Joy Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including international affairs, education, environmental and social matters, elections, and cultural and religious programming. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Joy Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Joy Foundation's EIN?
Joy Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4410533. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Joy Foundation 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 October 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 November 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 16, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Joy Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Joy Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/joy-foundation-morg_7913d4ea7f2e4122a4d82a07bac289af
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364410533_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Joy Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/joy-foundation-morg_7913d4ea7f2e4122a4d82a07bac289af},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Joy Foundation'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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