The ZOE Foundation
The ZOE Foundation is a private foundation based in Northampton, Massachusetts. It supports organizations working in four stated areas: environmental protection; aid to economically disadvantaged people and reduction of violence; advancement of cultural institutions; and animal rights and welfare.
The ZOE Foundation at a glance
In short: The ZOE Foundation gave $443K across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Massachusetts. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $443,000
- +24.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 40
- +29.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,075
- -3.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $1,297,973
- -18.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (9 of 40, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (91% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The ZOE Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It requests a grant proposal with a budget and narrative of grant goals, a copy of the most recently filed Form 990, and an MA PC. The filing lists restrictions for 501(c)(3) organizations located primarily in Hampshire, Franklin, and “Hamden” counties, Massachusetts, with grants focused on the four areas described above.
- Review Cycle
- December 31.
- Deadline
- December 31.
- Contact
Application contact: Silas Kopf
Mailing address: 20 Stearns St, Northampton, MA 01060
Phone: (413) 586-6126
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The ZOE Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Food Bank of Western Massachusetts ($80K). Together the top 10 received $265K.
Grant Size Distribution
159 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 153 grants of 159 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s filing restricts awards to 501(c)(3) organizations located primarily in Hampshire, Franklin, and “Hamden” counties, Massachusetts. In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts; the remainder went to recipients in the District of Columbia (4%), Vermont (3%), and Pennsylvania (2%), with Connecticut listed at 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The ZOE Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 40 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 55% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 664% 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 $232K (2020) to $443K (2025). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $443K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Hatfield, MA | Program Support | $80,000 |
| Northampton Survival Center Northampton, MA | Program Services | $50,000 |
| New England Public Media Springfield, MA | Program Support | $35,000 |
| Safe Passage Northampton, MA | Program Support | $16,000 |
| Tapestry Health Florence, MA | Program Support | $15,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Program Support | $15,000 |
| Dakin Humane Shelter Leverett, MA | Program Support | $15,000 |
| Manna Soup Kitchen Northampton, MA | Program Support | $14,000 |
| TJ O'Connor Animal Adoption Center Springfield, MA | Program Support | $13,000 |
| Center for Self-Reliance Northampton, MA | Program Support | $12,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The ZOE 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 | $1,297,973 | $257,639 | $453,632 | $443,000 | 40 | $443,000 | $247,007 | $66,707 |
| 2024 | $1,599,847 | $131,389 | $357,321 | $355,000 | 31 | $355,000 | $129,068 | $84,859 |
| 2023 | $1,818,367 | $67,760 | $334,269 | $330,000 | 33 | $330,000 | $63,491 | $90,832 |
| 2022 | $1,924,725 | $67,667 | $296,122 | $285,000 | 27 | $285,000 | $60,706 | $100,500 |
| 2021 | $2,528,643 | $303,041 | $296,322 | $290,000 | 28 | $290,000 | $148,270 | $116,506 |
| 2020 | $2,265,172 | $79,591 | $241,467 | $232,000 | 27 | — | $70,294 | $104,579 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The ZOE Foundation reported a distributable amount of $67K 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 separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its stated grant areas are environmental protection; aid to economically disadvantaged people and reduction of violence; advancement of cultural institutions; and animal rights and welfare.
Its grantees describe a range of work. For example, the Northampton Survival Center says it provides emergency food and referrals in Hampshire County, while Safe Passage says it supports survivors and families affected by domestic violence. New England Public Media describes its work as enriching lives in western Massachusetts through programming that nurtures community, civility, and curiosity. Other 2025 grantees describe work in areas including community music, immigrant and refugee education, language instruction, and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 40 grants totaling $443,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $80,000, with a median of $6,000. Recent totals were $355,000 across 31 grants in 2024 and $330,000 across 33 grants in 2023.
The largest 2025 grants included $80,000 to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, $50,000 to the Northampton Survival Center, $35,000 to New England Public Media, $16,000 to Safe Passage, and $15,000 each to Tapestry Health, World Central Kitchen, and Dakin Humane Shelter. The listed purposes were program support or program services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Silas W Kopf as trustee and Linda M Kopf and Sasha Kopf as members of the grant committee.
The ZOE Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Silas W. Kopf
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Linda M. Kopf
Grant Committee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sasha Kopf
Grant Committee
On filings since 2020
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 ZOE Foundation
How much does The ZOE Foundation give each year?
The ZOE Foundation gave $443K across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $355K across 31 grants.
What is The ZOE Foundation's typical grant size?
The ZOE Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,000, and its average grant was $11,075, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The ZOE Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does The ZOE Foundation give grants?
The ZOE Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Northampton, MA (7 grants), Springfield, MA (6 grants), Easthampton, MA (5 grants) and Florence, MA (2 grants).
Does The ZOE Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 40 grants with a stated purpose on The ZOE Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (36 grants) and "Program Services" (4 grants).
Who are The ZOE Foundation's largest grantees?
The ZOE Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Food Bank of Western Massachusetts ($80,000), Northampton Survival Center ($50,000) and New England Public Media ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The ZOE Foundation?
The ZOE Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $443K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $67K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The ZOE Foundation fund?
No separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its stated grant areas are environmental protection; aid to economically disadvantaged people and reduction of violence; advancement of cultural institutions; and animal rights and welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The ZOE Foundation?
The foundation’s filing says it 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 ZOE Foundation's EIN?
The ZOE Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-7552474. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 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 June 26, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The ZOE Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-zoe-foundation-morg_b2d272a2b21740ad8f6c7c8711eb0071
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_207552474_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The ZOE Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-zoe-foundation-morg_b2d272a2b21740ad8f6c7c8711eb0071},
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 ZOE 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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