The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust

DARIEN, CT EIN: 13-7187853

The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust is a private foundation established in 1999 and located in Darien, Connecticut. It has been tax-exempt since April 2000 and operates as a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation functions as a family foundation with a primary focus on grantmaking to charitable organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.5M

+3.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.2M

+33.7% YoY

Grant Count

+33.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$32K

+0.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $75K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The trust's stated purpose is to earn passive income solely to continue funding charitable purposes. Its grant-making focuses on:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Science and STEM Education
Historic Buildings Preservation

Grantmaking

The foundation is an active grantmaker, having distributed 51 grants in its most recent fiscal year (2025). Typical grant awards range from $150,000 to $500,000.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York, Connecticut, and California.

Grant Distribution by State

New York $4.4M (76%)

Massachusetts $581K (10%)

Tennessee $250K (4%)

Virginia $212K (4%)

California $130K (2%)

Connecticut $61K (1%)

New Jersey $55K (1%)

Pennsylvania $29K (0%)

+12 more states

States

Alaska California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Illinois Massachusetts Maine Montana New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Virginia Vermont Washington

Cities

AstoriaAustinBecketBedfordBedford HillsBoca RatonBostonBrentwoodBrewsterBridgeportBronxBrooklynCambridgeCharlottesvilleClevelandDenverDoralDuarteEast SandwichFar Rockaway

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Fiscal Year (2025):

Total Assets: $1,476,790
Total Revenues: $4,498,911
Total Expenses: $2,238,054
Total Giving: $2,180,334

Prior Year (2024):

Total Assets: $1,42M
Revenue: $2.84M
Expenses: $1.68M

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	$1,476,790	$1,424,544	$1,492,020
Revenue	$4,498,911	$2,836,220	$318,233
Expenses	$2,238,054	$1,680,463	$1,288,209
Qualifying Distributions	$2,184,664	$1,637,407	$1,273,638
Net Investment Income	$2,250,851	$1,249,208	$40,720
Distributable Amount	$74,795	$73,809	$109,295

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Grant Size Distribution

249 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Caron Foundation ($210,000), Packer Collegiate Institute ($166,666), Neighbors Link ($150,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
92nd Street Y New York, NY	General Use	$2,500
ALS One Whitman, WA	General Use	$1,000
American Friends of Shalva New York, NY	General Use	$3,600
American Museum of the Moving Image Astoria, NY	General Use	$50,000
Anchor House Trenton, NJ	General Use	$500
Back On My Feet Philadelphia, PA	General Use	$1,000
Bedford Historical Society Bedford, NY	General Use	$25,000
Bedford Playhouse Bedford, NY	General Use	$5,000
Beit Ruth Jericho, NY	General Use	$10,000
Black Theatre United New York, NY	General Use	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Strauss Zelnick	Trustee/Chairman	—	—
Wendy Belzberg	Trustee/President/Secy	—	—

Contact Information

Address: 685 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820
Telephone: 203-655-2200

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust fund?

The trust's stated purpose is to earn passive income solely to continue funding charitable purposes. Its grant-making focuses on: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Science and STEM Education • Historic Buildings Preservation

How do I apply for a grant from The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust?

The foundation is an active grantmaker, having distributed 51 grants in its most recent fiscal year (2025). Typical grant awards range from $150,000 to $500,000. Recent notable grants include: • Wesleyan University: $500,000 (General Use) • Packer Collegiate Institute: $166,666 (General Use) • Third Way Institute: $150,000 (General Use) • Covenant House (among other recipients) The foundation does not currently offer live grant opportunities.

Where does The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York, Connecticut, and California.

What size grants does The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust award?

In 2025, The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust awarded 68 grants totaling $2.2M — an average of about $32K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $75K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust's EIN?

The ZelnickBelzberg Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-7187853. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.