The Matthew Zell Family Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Chicago, Illinois, located at 2 N Riverside Plaza, Suite 600. Established in June 2019, it operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to philanthropic giving across multiple focus areas.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$49.6M
+36.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.7M
-28.0% YoY
Grant Count
22
+22.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$77K
-41.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's grantmaking priorities include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Regenerative agriculture and sustainable farming practices
- Entrepreneurship
Grantmaking
The foundation operates on a preselected grantee model, typically selecting recipients rather than accepting unsolicited proposals.
Grant Range
of $10,000 and a maximum grant of $1.5 million
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- Illinois
- Missouri
- Wisconsin
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $36.2 million
- Total Revenue: $10.5 million
- Total Investments: $31.8 million
- Total Liabilities: $1.85 million
- Total Contributions: $9.7 million
The foundation has experienced exceptional growth over its five-year history since establishment.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $49,602,566 | $36,238,740 | $26,581,128 |
| Revenue | $15,451,021 | $10,508,387 | $9,611,861 |
| Expenses | $1,092,033 | $3,809,207 | $1,159,131 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,575,579 | $2,483,127 | $402,802 |
| Net Investment Income | $9,269,196 | $2,108,602 | $1,636,430 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,716,674 | $1,668,129 | $904,901 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation's leadership structure includes:
- Matthew Zell — President
- Philip Tinkler — Vice President
- Joseph Miron — Vice President
- Lucille McFarland — Vice President & Secretary
- Michael Shiner — Vice President & Treasurer
- Aaron Zell — Director
- Rina Zell — Director
- Raphael Zell — Director
All board members serve one hour per week with no compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
No officer/director data available.
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Matthew Zell Family Foundation provided major investment support to the Savanna Institute's Tree Crop Improvement Program, designed to boost Midwestern farm profitability and sustainability.
The Savanna Institute launches Tree Crop Improvement Program to ...The foundation made a generous contribution to the Midwest Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Powell Gardens.
Midwest Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Powell Gardens Receives GenerousThe Zell Family Foundation created a landmark endowment for Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management Entrepreneurial Fellows Program.
Zell Family Foundation Creates Landmark Endowment for Kellogg\u2019s Entrepreneurial\Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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