Mizel Family Foundation
Mizel Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Thousand Oaks, California. Its 2024 filing states that its mission is to assist individuals with physical disabilities; its 2025 filing reports 14 grants totaling $307,000.
Mizel Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Mizel Family Foundation gave $307K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $307,000
- -35.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- -6.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $21,929
- -31.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $10,837,464
- +4.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (44% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Mizel Family 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: 1050 W Potrero Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91361
Phone: (805) 402-7701
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mizel Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was US Olympic and Paralympic Foundation ($75K). Together the top 10 received $288K.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 45 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that 44% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 24% to Colorado, 11% to New York, and 2% to Delaware. It lists 15% under “?” without identifying a recipient state.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Mizel Family Foundation gives
- 36% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 284% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 130% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $80K (2022) to $479K (2024). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $307K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| US Olympic and Paralympic Foundation Colorado Springs, CO | Support of Charitable Purpose | $75,000 |
| Museums Association | Support of Charitable Purpose | $45,000 |
| NYU New York, NY | Support of Charitable Purpose | $35,000 |
| The UCLA Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Support of Charitable Purpose | $25,000 |
| Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission Los Angeles, CA | Support of Charitable Purpose | $25,000 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, CA | Support of Charitable Purpose | $25,000 |
| USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Los Angeles, CA | Support of Charitable Purpose | $20,000 |
| The Downtown Women's Center Los Angeles, CA | Support of Charitable Purpose | $20,000 |
| Newbury Park High School Newbury Park, CA | Support of Charitable Purpose | $10,000 |
| The B Foundation Wilmington, DE | Support of Charitable Purpose | $7,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $10,837,464 | $953,736 | $512,213 | $307,000 | 14 | $719,880 | $876,601 | $554,658 |
| 2024 | $10,424,797 | $917,249 | $526,530 | $478,500 | 15 | $505,785 | $896,504 | $490,781 |
| 2023 | $10,034,615 | $476,197 | $480,005 | $465,500 | 14 | $472,842 | $465,378 | $512,965 |
| 2022 | $9,985,949 | $10,073,425 | $87,476 | $80,000 | 2 | $86,118 | $67,067 | $489,991 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mizel Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $555K 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
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that its mission is to assist individuals with physical disabilities. It describes an investment in production of KAIA, a film about a girl with Down syndrome, as furthering that mission. The filing characterizes the investment as a program-related investment under IRC Section 4944(c) and the related Treasury regulations.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $307,000. Grant amounts ranged from $4,500 to $75,000, with a median of $20,000. The largest listed grants included $75,000 to the US Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, $45,000 to Museums Association, and $35,000 to NYU. Other listed grants included $25,000 each to The UCLA Foundation, Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, and Museum of Contemporary Art; and $20,000 each to USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and The Downtown Women’s Center. The listed grant purposes were “support of charitable purpose.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Zelene Fowler as president and director, and Michael Fowler as secretary, treasurer, and director.
Mizel Family Foundation is led by Zelene Fowler, President & Director on every filing since 2022; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Zelene Fowler
President & Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Fowler
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "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 Mizel Family Foundation
How much does Mizel Family Foundation give each year?
Mizel Family Foundation gave $307K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $479K across 15 grants.
What is Mizel Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Mizel Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $21,929, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Mizel Family Foundation give grants?
Mizel Family Foundation's top state is California, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Colorado (24%) and New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (6 grants).
Who are Mizel Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Mizel Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include US Olympic and Paralympic Foundation ($75,000), Museums Association ($45,000) and NYU ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mizel Family Foundation?
Mizel Family Foundation reported $10.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $720K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $555K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mizel Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that its mission is to assist individuals with physical disabilities. It describes an investment in production of *KAIA*, a film about a girl with Down syndrome, as furthering that mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mizel Family 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 Mizel Family Foundation's EIN?
Mizel Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-3486374. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does Mizel 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
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