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.
Key facts about Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation
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.
- EIN
- 91-1200096
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $18,250
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- Average grant
- $760
- Median grant
- $750
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (7 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $229,926
- Primary geography
- Washington (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 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-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$230K
+5.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$18K
+5.8% YoY
Grant Count
24
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$760.417
+5.8% YoY
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.
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.
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.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Marcia Paulsell Zech Foundation?
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
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.
Grant Insights
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%).
Giving History
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 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $229,926 | $18,424 | $20,772 | $18,250 |
| 2024 | $217,053 | $17,149 | $19,413 | $17,250 |
| 2023 | $219,317 | $15,978 | $14,735 | $12,500 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $229,926 | $217,053 | $219,317 |
| Revenue | $18,424 | $17,149 | $15,978 |
| Expenses | $20,772 | $19,413 | $14,735 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $19,351 | $18,310 | $13,585 |
| Net Investment Income | $17,474 | $16,224 | $15,078 |
| Distributable Amount | $17,217 | $16,401 | $16,214 |
Data update history
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
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 3041 60Th Avenue Se, Mercer Island, WA 98040-2442
Phone: (206) 232-9838
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.
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