Matthew Zell Family Foundation
The Matthew Zell Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 giving included grants for sustainability, cultural and religious purposes, and health, as well as program-related investments described as supporting environmental preservation and conservation, health, education, and community welfare.
Matthew Zell Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Matthew Zell Family Foundation gave $1.7M across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $77K), top state Virginia. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,700,000
- -28.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- +22.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $77,273
- -41.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $49,602,566
- +36.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (5 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (29% 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 Matthew Zell Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Two N Riverside Plaza 600, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 466-3967
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Matthew Zell Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Nature Conservancy ($500K). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 61 grants of 80 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia (29%), California (22%), Wisconsin (15%), Missouri (15%), and Illinois (12%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Matthew Zell Family Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 22 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $82K; repeat grants $76K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 68% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 554% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 208% 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 $260K (2021) to $2.4M (2023). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $1.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | Sustainability | $500,000 |
| Imagine H2O Inc San Fransisco, CA | Sustainability | $325,000 |
| Powell Gardens Inc Kingsville, MO | Sustainability | $250,000 |
| Savanna Institute Madison, WI | Sustainability | $200,000 |
| Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Inc Chicago, IL | Cultural and Religious | $118,000 |
| National Ramah Commission Inc New York, NY | Cultural and Religious | $60,000 |
| Blue Forest Finance Inc Sacramento, CA | Sustainability | $50,000 |
| Medicine Fish Corp Gresham, WI | Sustainability | $50,000 |
| The Aspen Institute Inc Washington, DC | Sustainability | $50,000 |
| National Kidney Foundation of Illinois Chicago, IL | Health | $20,000 |
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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 | $49,602,566 | $15,451,021 | $1,092,033 | $1,700,000 | 22 | $3,575,579 | $9,269,196 | $1,716,674 |
| 2023 | $36,238,740 | $10,508,387 | $3,809,207 | $2,360,522 | 18 | $2,483,127 | $2,108,602 | $1,668,129 |
| 2022 | $26,581,128 | $9,611,861 | $1,159,131 | $402,500 | 16 | $402,802 | $1,636,430 | $904,901 |
| 2021 | $18,829,523 | $10,258,221 | $475,285 | $260,000 | 14 | $294,240 | $10,159,736 | $487,446 |
| 2020 | $8,730,077 | $3,544,546 | $296,688 | $267,171 | 10 | — | $3,299,404 | $307,802 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Matthew Zell Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes program-related investments intended to advance environmental preservation and conservation, promote health, support education and research, provide relief to people in need, and address community deterioration. It also describes a loan investment supporting forest restoration, wildfire risk reduction, watershed protection, and habitat improvement in the Western United States.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. The Nature Conservancy describes its mission as conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Imagine H2O says it supports water innovators and startups working on global water challenges. Savanna Institute describes work with farmers and scientists to support agroforestry in the Midwest. Other supported organizations include Powell Gardens, which operates a botanical garden and promotes research and education; National Ramah Commission, which supports the Ramah camping movement’s religious and educational pillars; and Blue Forest Finance, a conservation finance organization focused on forests, watersheds, ecosystems, and communities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $1,700,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $500,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest grants included $500,000 to The Nature Conservancy, $325,000 to Imagine H2O, $250,000 to Powell Gardens, and $200,000 to Savanna Institute. Other grants included $118,000 to Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, $60,000 to National Ramah Commission, and $50,000 each to Blue Forest Finance, Medicine Fish, and The Aspen Institute.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Matthew Zell Family Foundation is led by Matthew Zell, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 8 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Matthew Zell
President
Special Director & President → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Zell
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rina Zell
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Raphael Zell
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Miron
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lucille McFarland
Vice President & Secretary
Secretary → Vice President & Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Philip Tinkler
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Shiner
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: James Bunegar (2020–2021) — Vice President & Treasurer
- Former: Rachel Zell (2021) — Director
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 Matthew Zell Family Foundation
How much does Matthew Zell Family Foundation give each year?
Matthew Zell Family Foundation gave $1.7M across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.4M across 18 grants.
What is Matthew Zell Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Matthew Zell Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $77,273, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Matthew Zell Family Foundation that year got $82K on average.
Where does Matthew Zell Family Foundation give grants?
Matthew Zell Family Foundation's top state is Virginia, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (22%) and Wisconsin (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Matthew Zell Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Matthew Zell Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Cultural and Religious" (10 grants), "Sustainability" (7 grants) and "Education" (3 grants).
Who are Matthew Zell Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Matthew Zell Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Nature Conservancy ($500,000), Imagine H2O Inc ($325,000) and Powell Gardens Inc ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Matthew Zell Family Foundation?
Matthew Zell Family Foundation reported $49.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Matthew Zell Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes program-related investments intended to advance environmental preservation and conservation, promote health, support education and research, provide relief to people in need, and address community deterioration. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Matthew Zell Family Foundation?
The foundation 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 Matthew Zell Family Foundation's EIN?
Matthew Zell Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-2650859. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Matthew Zell Family 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Matthew Zell Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/matthew-zell-family-foundation-morg_b734d43c8fa04bbf895153f4c039e95b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_832650859_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Matthew Zell Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/matthew-zell-family-foundation-morg_b734d43c8fa04bbf895153f4c039e95b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Matthew Zell Family 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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