The ZAC Foundation for Children's Safety
The ZAC Foundation for Children's Safety is a private independent foundation established in 2008 and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut. The organization is dedicated to preventing child drowning and improving water safety through advocacy, education, and community programming. The foundation was established by Karen and Brian Cohn in honor of their 6-year-old son, Zachary Archer Cohn, who died in a pool drain entrapment in their backyard swimming pool.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$20.6M
+13.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$207K
+234.1% YoY
Grant Count
8
+14.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$26K
+192.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The ZAC Foundation was established to prepare children and families for a lifetime of water safety. The organization works to strengthen pool safety legislation and funds advocacy, education, and effective programming surrounding water safety.
Primary program areas include:
- Advocacy and Public Awareness: Activities and programs to raise awareness and educate the public on pool-related safety
- ZAC Camps: Programs that teach children about the importance of water and open water safety through swimming lessons, classroom exercises, and engagement with first responders, serving children ages 5-9
- Book Publication: Development and publication of children's books addressing water safety, including pool drainage safety, distributed at no cost to ZAC Camp participants
The foundation is committed to addressing inequities in water safety and drowning prevention. According to the organization, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause for children ages 1-14. The foundation emphasizes that Black children have four times the risk of drowning compared to white children, and works to provide water safety education and swim lessons to children in at-risk communities nationwide.
Grantmaking
The foundation has provided water safety programming through ZAC Camps to more than 20,000 children ages 5-9 in at-risk communities nationwide.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation operates nationally, with a particular emphasis on at-risk communities across the United States. The organization has expanded its reach through partnerships including:
- Boys & Girls Clubs in 25 cities (as of 2014 partnership announcement)
- California Water Safety Coalition partnership with the Ben Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Foundation to address water safety statewide
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $20.6 million
- Total revenue: $3.69 million
- Total expenses: $1.31 million
- Total liabilities: $0
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total assets: $18.2 million
- Total revenues: $548,847
- Total expenses: $1.05 million
Program Expenses (2023):
- Advocacy and Public Awareness: $124,460
- ZAC Camps: $123,343
- Book Publication: $10,164
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $20,608,120 | $18,214,666 | $18,710,955 |
| Revenue | $3,690,106 | $548,847 | $-11,424,419 |
| Expenses | $1,306,763 | $1,051,085 | $2,008,534 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,127,816 | $918,357 | $1,813,430 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,525,059 | $429,468 | — |
| Distributable Amount | $1,219,893 | $1,057,203 | $916,973 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
76 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
- Karen Cohn: President, Director, Secretary (35 hours/week, unpaid)
- Brian Cohn: Director, Vice President (10 hours/week, unpaid)
- Megan Ferraro: Executive Director (40 hours/week, $175,000 compensation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Cohn | Dir, VP | 10 | — |
| Karen Cohn | Pres, Dir, Sec | 35 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has maintained active partnerships and advocacy efforts:
ABC 3 Features The ZAC Foundation's Advocacy in Major Pool RecallPartnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to provide water safety instruction to thousands of children across the country
Partnership with the Ben Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Foundation to create the California Water Safety Coalition (announced November 2021)
The ZAC Foundation Partners With The Ben Carlson Memorial And ScholarshipPartnership with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Pool Safely Campaign
The ZAC Foundation and CPSC Pool Safely Campaign Announce Partnership - TheCollaboration with TIME for Kids on water safety initiatives
Advocacy work featured in media coverage regarding pool safety recalls (2025)
The foundation works with community partners on regional drowning prevention action plans with the goal of reducing drowning rates and informing community-specific water safety strategies.
The ZAC Foundation Partners With The Ben Carlson Memorial And ScholarshipSubject 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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