William Zell Family Foundation
William Zell Family Foundation is a private foundation, based in Washington, DC. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. In 2025, it awarded 4 grants totaling $144K. Net investment income was $44K.
William Zell Family Foundation at a glance
In short: William Zell Family Foundation gave $144K across 4 grants in 2025 (avg $36K), mostly in District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $143,741
- +310.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 4
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $35,935
- +310.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $16,500
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (90% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who William Zell Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 4 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was US Holcaust Museum ($110K). Together the top 4 received $144K.
Grant Size Distribution
20 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 19 grants of 20 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 4 itemized grants.
Cities
How William Zell Family Foundation gives
- Giving grew 1612% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 471% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $6K (2020) to $144K (2025). In 2025 it made 4 grants totaling $144K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| US Holcaust Museum Washington, DC | Charitable | $110,000 |
| Living Links Washington, DC | Charitable | $18,000 |
| Syracuse School of Education Syracuse, NY | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Sixth & I Washington, DC | Charitable | $741 |
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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 | — | $46,891 | $149,722 | $143,741 | 4 | $143,741 | $44,430 | — |
| 2024 | $102,831 | $16,490 | $38,974 | $35,000 | 4 | $35,000 | $14,066 | $7,425 |
| 2023 | $125,315 | $5,891 | $12,524 | $7,183 | 4 | $7,183 | $3,593 | $7,098 |
| 2022 | $131,948 | $6,819 | $10,823 | $8,398 | 5 | $8,398 | $4,574 | $7,183 |
| 2021 | $135,952 | $16,718 | $10,314 | $6,201 | 3 | $6,201 | $12,950 | $8,398 |
| 2020 | $129,548 | $28,751 | $9,871 | $6,000 | 3 | — | $24,984 | $6,842 |
| 2019 | $110,668 | $14,593 | $13,901 | $10,000 | 7 | — | $10,865 | $7,376 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
William Zell Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeffrey M. Zell
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Samuel Zell
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Helen Zell (2019–2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 William Zell Family Foundation
How much does William Zell Family Foundation give each year?
William Zell Family Foundation gave $144K across 4 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $35K across 4 grants.
What is William Zell Family Foundation's typical grant size?
William Zell Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $16,500, and its average grant was $35,935, across 4 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does William Zell Family Foundation give grants?
William Zell Family Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does William Zell Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 4 grants with a stated purpose on William Zell Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (4 grants).
What is William Zell Family Foundation's EIN?
William Zell Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2362759. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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