The Zierk Family Foundation
The Zierk Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. In its 2025 filing, it reported $3,175,000 in grants to 14 organizations, with the largest award supporting St. Mark’s School of Texas.
The Zierk Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Zierk Family Foundation gave $3.2M across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $227K), mostly in Texas. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,175,000
- +17.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $226,786
- +9.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $37,500
- Total assets
- $40,967,351
- -0.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (2 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (91% 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 The Zierk 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: 5373 Wenonah Dr, Dallas, TX 75209
Phone: (415) 362-5990
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Zierk Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Mark's School of Texas ($2.6M). Together the top 10 received $3.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 73 (48%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 5% to California, 3% to Colorado, and less than 1% to Hawaii, according to the reported state shares.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Zierk Family Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 13 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $75K; repeat grants $273K. How we count
Medians: $75K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 32% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 164% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2020) to $4.7M (2022). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $3.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Mark's School of Texas Dallas, TX | To Support the Children Education. | $2,600,000 |
| Hoover Institution Stanford, CA | To Support the University. | $100,000 |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center (Utsw) Dallas, TX | To support the the academic, research, and public service of utsw. | $100,000 |
| US Olympic Committe Colorado Springs, CO | For Fostering National and International Amateur Sports Competition | $100,000 |
| Monterey Peninsula Foundation Monterey, CA | To Support the Community. | $55,000 |
| United to Learn Dallas, TX | To Support the School and Community. | $50,000 |
| Teach for America Dallas Dallas, TX | Expanding Educational Opportunities Through Teaching in Underserved Communities | $50,000 |
| Christ the King Catholic Church (Dallas) Dallas, TX | To Support the Church. | $25,000 |
| North Texas Food Bank Plano, TX | To Support Hungry Children, Seniors, and Families. | $25,000 |
| Texas 2036 Dallas, TX | To Support the Resident and Business of Texans. | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Zierk Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $40,967,351 | $3,198,701 | $3,365,150 | $3,175,000 | 14 | $3,175,000 | $3,015,301 | $1,931,091 |
| 2024 | $41,133,800 | $4,761,807 | $2,715,483 | $2,697,500 | 13 | $2,697,500 | $4,750,324 | $1,942,942 |
| 2023 | $39,087,476 | $3,187,862 | $3,015,351 | $2,990,000 | 13 | $2,990,000 | $3,183,511 | $1,884,716 |
| 2022 | $38,914,965 | $987,742 | $4,759,101 | $4,685,000 | 13 | $4,685,000 | $975,641 | $1,930,253 |
| 2021 | $42,686,324 | $2,370,459 | $3,345,400 | $3,290,000 | 20 | $3,290,000 | $2,352,059 | $2,293,161 |
| 2020 | $43,681,265 | $323,620 | $1,832,724 | $1,650,000 | 24 | — | $308,020 | $2,203,195 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Zierk Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.9M 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for education, community organizations, a university, amateur sports, churches, and food assistance. These are descriptions of grantees’ work, not stated priorities of the foundation. For example, St. Mark’s School of Texas describes itself as an independent college-preparatory day school for boys in grades 1 through 12, aiming to provide a well-rounded physical, intellectual, and spiritual education. United to Learn describes its mission as transforming the relationship between school and community, while the North Texas Food Bank says it works to close the hunger gap in North Texas.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $3,175,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $2,600,000, with a median of $37,500. The largest award was $2,600,000 to St. Mark’s School of Texas for children’s education. Other notable grants included $100,000 each to the Hoover Institution, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and the U.S. Olympic Committee; $55,000 to Monterey Peninsula Foundation; and $50,000 each to United to Learn and Teach for America Dallas.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David K. Zierk as president and treasurer, and Dawn M. Zierk as vice president and secretary.
The Zierk Family Foundation is led by David K. Zierk, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David K. Zierk
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dawn M. Zierk
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 The Zierk Family Foundation
How much does The Zierk Family Foundation give each year?
The Zierk Family Foundation gave $3.2M across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.7M across 13 grants.
What is The Zierk Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Zierk Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $37,500, and its average grant was $226,786, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Zierk Family Foundation that year got $75K on average.
Where does The Zierk Family Foundation give grants?
The Zierk Family Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (8 grants).
Does The Zierk Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on The Zierk Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Zierk Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Zierk Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St Mark's School of Texas ($2,600,000), Hoover Institution ($100,000) and UT Southwestern Medical Center (Utsw) ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Zierk Family Foundation?
The Zierk Family Foundation reported $41.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Zierk Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for education, community organizations, a university, amateur sports, churches, and food assistance. These are descriptions of grantees’ work, not stated priorities of the foundation. For example, St. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Zierk 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 The Zierk Family Foundation's EIN?
The Zierk Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-2243181. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Zierk 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Zierk Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Zierk Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Zierk Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-zierk-family-foundation-morg_5f56d14b2ed2490c872471e12e73e505
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_462243181_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Zierk Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-zierk-family-foundation-morg_5f56d14b2ed2490c872471e12e73e505},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Zierk Family 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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