The Zeelander Foundation
The Zeelander Foundation is a private foundation based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 filing reports 37 grants totaling $61,039 to charitable organizations.
The Zeelander Foundation at a glance
In short: The Zeelander Foundation gave $61K across 37 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 51% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $61,039
- +97.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 37
- +42.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,650
- +38.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,032
- Total assets
- $305,183
- -2.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 51% first-time grantees (19 of 37, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (65% 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 The Zeelander Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists Susan B. Zeelander as the contact and requests a letter describing the project to be funded, a budget, and five years of prior tax returns. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- September 30 each year.
- Deadline
- September 30 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Susan B Zeelander
Mailing address: 1608 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 643-7197
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Zeelander Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was WXPN ($7K). Together the top 10 received $35K.
Grant Size Distribution
125 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 125 grants of 125 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 65% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, followed by California (8%), New York (6%), Washington, DC (5%), and New Jersey (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Zeelander Foundation open to new grantees?
51%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 19 of 37 grantees (51%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 43% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 487% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 192% 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 $10K (2021) to $61K (2024). In 2024 it made 37 grants totaling $61K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| WXPN Philadelphia, PA | Organizationacharitable Purpose | $6,500 |
| TJU Jefferson Foundation Philadelphia, PA | Organizationscharitable Purpose | $5,000 |
| Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel Philadelphia, PA | Organizationscharitable Purpose | $4,615 |
| BZBI Sustaining Maint Philadelphia, PA | Organizationscharitable Purpose | $3,935 |
| Upenn Philadelphia, PA | Organizationscharitable Purpose | $3,000 |
| WPRB Princeton, NJ | Organizationscharitable Purpose | $2,552 |
| Education Law Center PA Philadelphia, PA | Organizationscharitable Purpose | $2,500 |
| Education Law Center Philadelphia, PA | Organizationscharitable Purpose | $2,500 |
| Planned Parenthood Action Fund New York, NY | Organizationscharitable Purpose | $2,033 |
| Public Justice Foundation Washington, DC | Organizationcharitable Purposecharitable Purpose | $2,033 |
Ready to take the next step with The Zeelander Foundation?
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 | $305,183 | $14,874 | $92,600 | $61,039 | 37 | $61,039 | $12,901 | $31,783 |
| 2023 | $311,793 | $18,879 | $62,332 | $30,951 | 26 | $30,951 | $33,311 | $30,326 |
| 2022 | $232,502 | $7,900 | $56,037 | $25,204 | 25 | $25,204 | $27,733 | $30,114 |
| 2021 | $274,859 | $121,613 | $34,463 | $10,400 | 14 | $10,400 | $100,454 | $26,993 |
| 2020 | $152,482 | $31,911 | $48,822 | $18,855 | 23 | — | $4,239 | $27,142 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Zeelander Foundation reported a distributable amount of $32K 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
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grantees include Education Law Center–PA, whose mission is to ensure access to quality public education for all children in Pennsylvania, and Public Justice Foundation, which describes its work as addressing threats to justice through litigation, communications, and partnerships. Scribe Video Center says it provides video and film production education and manages a nonprofit community radio station. Friends of United Hatzalah says it raises and provides funding for organizations delivering medical and trauma-related first-responder services. Jewish Relief Agency and Philabundance describe work addressing hunger and community needs; Alley Cat Allies says its mission is to protect and improve cats’ lives.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 37 grants totaling $61,039. Grant amounts ranged from $98 to $6,500, with a median of $1,032. Larger reported grants included $6,500 to WXPN, $5,000 to TJU Jefferson Foundation, $4,615 to Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel, $3,935 to BZBI Sustaining Maint, and $3,000 to UPenn. Other recipients included Education Law Center–PA and Education Law Center, each at $2,500; Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Public Justice Foundation, each at $2,033; and University of Southern California and Lenfest Institute, each at $2,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Susan B. Zeelander as president and Julie Lederman, Jeffrey Zeelander, and Elliot Zeelander as vice presidents.
The Zeelander Foundation is led by Susan B. Zeelander, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Susan B. Zeelander
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elliot Zeelander
Vice President
V. President → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Zeelander Esq.
Vice President
V. President → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Lederman
Vice President
V. President → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 The Zeelander Foundation
How much does The Zeelander Foundation give each year?
The Zeelander Foundation gave $61K across 37 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $31K across 26 grants.
What is The Zeelander Foundation's typical grant size?
The Zeelander Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,032, and its average grant was $1,650, across 37 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Zeelander Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Zeelander Foundation give grants?
The Zeelander Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (8%) and New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (19 grants), New York, NY (3 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does The Zeelander Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on The Zeelander Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Organizationscharitable Purpose" (30 grants) and "Organizationcharitable Purpose" (4 grants).
Who are The Zeelander Foundation's largest grantees?
The Zeelander Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include WXPN ($6,500), TJU Jefferson Foundation ($5,000) and Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel ($4,615), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Zeelander Foundation?
The Zeelander Foundation reported $305K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $61K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $32K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Zeelander Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Zeelander Foundation?
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Zeelander Foundation's EIN?
The Zeelander Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2866230. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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). The Zeelander Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-zeelander-foundation-morg_b2766c8d6bbf4d56b9e54d2613c2098a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_232866230_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Zeelander Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-zeelander-foundation-morg_b2766c8d6bbf4d56b9e54d2613c2098a},
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 The Zeelander 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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