Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation
The Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation is a private foundation located in Mercer Island, Washington. Its 2025 filing reports 24 grants totaling $18,250, with 99% of grant dollars going to recipients in Washington and 1% to a recipient in Georgia.
Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation at a glance
In short: Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation gave $18K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $760.417), mostly in Washington. 29% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $18,250
- +5.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $760
- +5.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $750
- Total assets
- $229,926
- +5.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (7 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (99% 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 Marcia Paulsell Zech 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: 3041 60Th Avenue Se, Mercer Island, WA 98040-2442
Phone: (206) 232-9838
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ryther Child Center ($2K). Together the top 10 received $11K.
Grant Size Distribution
112 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 112 grants of 112 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington and 1% to a recipient in Georgia. This reflects the location of the reported recipients; the filing identifies the foundation as located in Mercer Island, Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 24 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $714; repeat grants $779. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $500 repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 30% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 112% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $13K (2023) to $18K (2025). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $18K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ryther Child Center Seattle, WA | Operating | $2,000 |
| Akin (Fomerly Childhaven) Seattle, WA | Operating | $1,000 |
| Cascade PBS Seattle, WA | Operating | $1,000 |
| Family Works Seattle, WA | Operating | $1,000 |
| Good Cheer Food Bank Langley, WA | Operating | $1,000 |
| KBTC-PBS Tacoma, WA | Operating | $1,000 |
| Medic One Foundation Bellevue, WA | Operating | $1,000 |
| New Beginnings Seattle, WA | Operating | $1,000 |
| Overlake Medical Center Foundation Bellevue, WA | Operating | $1,000 |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA | Operating | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Marcia Paulsell Zech 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $229,926 | $18,424 | $20,772 | $18,250 | 24 | $19,351 | $17,474 | $17,217 |
| 2024 | $217,053 | $17,149 | $19,413 | $17,250 | 24 | $18,310 | $16,224 | $16,401 |
| 2023 | $219,317 | $15,978 | $14,735 | $12,500 | 18 | $13,585 | $15,078 | $16,214 |
| 2022 | $218,074 | $17,910 | $16,980 | $14,000 | 22 | $15,684 | $16,660 | $17,920 |
| 2021 | $217,144 | $15,756 | $19,332 | $18,000 | 24 | — | $14,756 | $17,018 |
| 2020 | $220,720 | $15,217 | $18,690 | $18,000 | 24 | — | $15,217 | $15,830 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation reported a distributable amount of $17K 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 grantees include organizations whose stated missions address areas such as domestic violence services, older adult and disability support, youth and family services, food security, education, health, and public broadcasting. For example, New Beginnings says it empowers survivors and works to end domestic violence, while Food Lifeline says its mission is to feed people experiencing hunger and work to end hunger. These are grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 24 grants totaling $18,250. Grants ranged from $250 to $2,000, with a median grant of $750. The largest listed grant was $2,000 to Ryther Child Center for operating support. Grants of $1,000 for operating support went to Akin (formerly Childhaven), Cascade PBS, Family Works, Good Cheer Food Bank, KBTC-PBS, Medic One Foundation, New Beginnings, Overlake Medical Center Foundation, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Sound Generations, and Youth Eastside Services.
Other 2025 grants described here include $500 each to Mercer Island Youth & Family, LifeWire, Food Lifeline, and Mercer Island Schools Foundation, and $250 to the Arthritis Foundation Inc. The grantees’ descriptions identify work including youth and family services, domestic violence services, hunger relief, public-school education, and arthritis research and support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Marcia W Zech as president-trustee, Fred Paulsell III as secretary, and Michael Paulsell as assistant secretary.
Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation is led by Marcia W. Zech, President-Tr since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marcia W. Zech
President-Tr
President-Treasurer → President-Tr, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fred Paulsell III
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michael Paulsell
Assistant Se
Assistant Secretary → Assistant Se, 2025
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation
How much does Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation give each year?
Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation gave $18K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $17K across 24 grants.
What is Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation's typical grant size?
Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $750, and its average grant was $760, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation that year got $714 on average.
Where does Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation give grants?
Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (13 grants), Bellevue, WA (4 grants) and Mercer Island, WA (3 grants).
Does Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (24 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation's largest grantees?
Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ryther Child Center ($2,000), Akin (Fomerly Childhaven) ($1,000) and Cascade PBS ($1,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation?
Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation reported $230K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $19K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $17K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations whose stated missions address areas such as domestic violence services, older adult and disability support, youth and family services, food security, education, health, and public broadcasting. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Marcia Paulsell Zech 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 Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation's EIN?
Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1200096. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Marcia Paulsell Zech 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Other open foundation grants in Washington
Washington Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Washington
Puget Sound Energy Foundation
Wilmington, DE
The Puget Sound Energy Foundation funds nonprofits serving communities where PSE has a service or generation presence, primarily in Washington, across household needs, education and workforce pathways, climate resilience, and community safety. Grants vary widely; in 2024 they ranged from $13 to $100,000, with a $500 median, while its 2026 disaster-focused competitive program offers up to $15,000. It generally does not accept unsolicited requests, but eligible local nonprofits can apply through that competitive program.
Assets
$19.6M
Grants
451
Total Given
$1.2M
Aetna Foundation Inc
Hartford, CT
Aetna Foundation supported health and wellness, access to health care, and related community needs; its 2021 grants ranged from $5,000 to $1 million, with a median of $40,000, and went to organizations across multiple states, especially in D.C. and Connecticut. Its 2021 filing was marked final, so it appears to have ended or be winding down grantmaking; that filing said there were no restrictions on who could apply and pointed applicants to its website for application materials.
Assets
—
Grants
65
Total Given
$7.2M
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc
Princeton, NJ
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health access and stronger health systems, with a focus on adult and pediatric cancers, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation in the United States, Brazil, India, and ten Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2024, its median grant was about $134,000, though awards varied widely; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests, and advises prospective applicants to contact the Foundation about its process.
Assets
$83.3M
Grants
144
Total Given
$67.7M
Gates Foundation
Seattle, WA
The Gates Foundation funds work to reduce disease and poverty, improve health and gender equality in lower-income countries, and support education and economic mobility in the United States, especially Washington State; it works in more than 140 countries. Its 2024 grants had a median of $500,000, with awards ranging from $1 to $350.5 million. It generally does not accept unsolicited proposals, but periodically offers opportunities through published requests for proposals.
Assets
$78.7B
Grants
4,974
Total Given
$6.3B
M J Murdock Charitable Trust
Vancouver, WA
The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust funds nonprofit capacity-building and projects in arts and culture, civic and community services, education, health and environmental stewardship, and scientific research across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Its 2024 median grant was $87,000, with awards ranging from $4,000 to about $1.55 million. Eligible organizations can submit a Letter of Inquiry; full applications are by invitation.
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
797
Total Given
$116.6M
The Avista Foundation
Spokane, WA
The Avista Foundation supports 501(c)(3) nonprofits working in education, basic needs and poverty, and economic and cultural vitality. Its 2025 grants had a median of $1,000, though awards ranged from $20 to $350,000, and it serves communities in eastern Washington, northern Idaho, parts of southern Oregon, Sanders County, Montana, and Juneau, Alaska.
Assets
$10.6M
Grants
577
Total Given
$2.2M
More similar funders
More Funders in Washington
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Marcia Paulsell Zech 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.
Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?