Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf
Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf is a private foundation based in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It made 18 grants totaling $65,750 in filing year 2025, supporting charitable organizations including a fire department foundation, South Bend-area institutions, and organizations providing pregnancy care and community services.
Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf at a glance
In short: Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf gave $66K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Indiana. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $65,750
- +14.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,653
- +14.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $1,638,481
- +10.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (9 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (52% 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 Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 136 Birdsong Way, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Phone: (772) 231-7069
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation ($16K). Together the top 10 received $62K.
Grant Size Distribution
102 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 102 grants of 102 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Indiana (52%), California (25%), Florida (17%), Missouri (2%), and Ohio (2%). The largest listed grant was to a California organization; several substantial grants went to organizations in South Bend, Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 18 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $58K (2024) to $71K (2023). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $66K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Palisades Fire Relief Effort | $16,250 |
| Indian River Hospital Foundation Vero Beach, FL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Beacon Health South Bend, IN | Nursing Education | $7,500 |
| Studebaker National Museum South Bend, IN | General Support | $7,500 |
| Bethel University Miskawaka, IN | Scholarship Grant | $5,000 |
| Congregation of the Holy Cross Notre Dame, IN | General Support | $5,000 |
| South Bend Symphony Orchestra South Bend, IN | Annual Fund | $4,500 |
| Corvilla South Bend, IN | General Support | $3,000 |
| PBS Michiana South Bend, IN | General Support | $1,500 |
| Women's Care Center of IRC Vero Beach, FL | General Support | $1,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf?
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 | $1,638,481 | $243,013 | $80,841 | $65,750 | 18 | $74,197 | $237,454 | $79,879 |
| 2024 | $1,482,348 | $134,400 | $83,066 | $57,683 | 18 | $71,917 | $124,351 | $78,939 |
| 2023 | $1,431,014 | $97,006 | $88,221 | $70,500 | 12 | $78,614 | $88,699 | $71,248 |
| 2022 | $1,422,229 | $132,678 | $89,645 | $66,500 | 32 | $77,876 | $124,121 | $74,839 |
| 2021 | $1,379,196 | $154,033 | $84,336 | $62,500 | 22 | — | $144,146 | $82,715 |
| 2020 | $1,309,499 | $59,432 | $77,873 | $59,100 | 21 | — | $50,841 | $71,544 |
| 2019 | $1,327,440 | $79,754 | $80,971 | $63,500 | 30 | — | $74,105 | $71,119 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf reported a distributable amount of $80K 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 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation says it provides equipment, training, and public outreach programs for the city’s fire department. The Studebaker National Museum says it supports a historical museum focused on Studebaker vehicles and related archives and artifacts. The South Bend Symphony Orchestra says it connects people with orchestral music, while Corvilla describes providing homes, day services, and employment services.
Other 2025 recipients include Bethel University, which describes itself as an accredited evangelical Christian university; Women’s Care Center of IRC, which says it provides counseling and pregnancy care; and World Central Kitchen, which says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $65,750. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $16,250, with a median grant of $1,500.
Largest reported grants included $16,250 to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation for the Palisades fire relief effort; $10,000 to Indian River Hospital Foundation for general support; $7,500 each to Beacon Health for nursing education and the Studebaker National Museum for general support; and $5,000 each to Bethel University for a scholarship grant and the Congregation of the Holy Cross for general support. Other reported grants included $4,500 to the South Bend Symphony Orchestra for its annual fund, $3,000 to Corvilla for general support, and $1,500 each to PBS Michiana and Women’s Care Center of IRC for general support. The foundation also gave $500 to World Central Kitchen and $500 to Reach Out Lakota.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert L Zielsdorf as president; Elizabeth D Alexander and Frances J Zielsdorf as vice presidents and directors; and Kristen Z Schwartz, Margaret M Zielsdorf, Matthew J Zielsdorf, and Robert F Zielsdorf as vice presidents.
Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf is led by Robert F. Zielsdorf, President & Vice President since 2025 (on filings since 2019); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert F. Zielsdorf
President & Vice President
Vice President, President, Director & Secretary → President & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth D. Alexander
Vice President & Director
Vice President → Vice President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frances J. Zielsdorf
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristen Z. Schwartz
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret M. Zielsdorf
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew J. Zielsdorf
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf
How much does Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf give each year?
Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf gave $66K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $58K across 18 grants.
What is Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf's typical grant size?
Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $3,653, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf that year got $4K on average.
Where does Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf give grants?
Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf gives mostly in Indiana: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (25%) and Florida (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were South Bend, IN (6 grants), Vero Beach, FL (2 grants) and Kansas City, MO (2 grants).
Does Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf give general operating support?
Yes: 72% of Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf's largest grantees?
Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf's largest 2025 grantees include Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation ($16,250), Indian River Hospital Foundation ($10,000) and Beacon Health ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf?
Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $74K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $80K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation says it provides equipment, training, and public outreach programs for the city’s fire department. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf's EIN?
Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3604223. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 21, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 5, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 14, 2024)
Live grants for the work Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-l-and-frances-j-zielsdorf-morg_47bbd5923834414ba4d4542d8e783b1e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263604223_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert L \& Frances J Zielsdorf funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-l-and-frances-j-zielsdorf-morg_47bbd5923834414ba4d4542d8e783b1e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Robert L & Frances J Zielsdorf'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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