Zee Foundation
Zee Foundation is a private foundation based in Long Beach, California. Its 2024 grants supported organizations and programs involving education, health services, homelessness, and other activities, including projects in California and overseas.
Zee Foundation at a glance
In short: Zee Foundation gave $1.1M across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $53K), mostly in California. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,067,200
- +4.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- +17.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $53,360
- -10.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $19,900
- Total assets
- $23,952,795
- -2.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (6 of 20, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (51% 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 Zee Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4001 Via Oro Ste 210, Long Beach, CA 90810
Phone: (310) 549-5400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Zee Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Whittier College ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 97 (73%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 51% of grant dollars went to recipients in California. The filing’s state breakdown also lists 48% under “?” and 0% for Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Zee Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 20 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $42K; repeat grants $58K. How we count
Medians: $40K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $857K (2021) to $1.1M (2022). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Whittier College Whittier, CA | Support Intex Fellowship & Whittier Works Program | $250,000 |
| Education Foundation of Xiamen | Laboratory Construction STEM Learning and Arts | $218,700 |
| Intl Society Orthomolecular Medici | Isom Professional Education Program | $100,000 |
| Tong JUE Temple of Taicang | Renovation of Huiquan Library in Temple | $100,000 |
| Long Beach Rescue Mission Long Beach, CA | Housing and Meals for the Homeless | $100,000 |
| Give 2 Asia Oakland, CA | Chinese Studies Prog at American School in Japan | $70,000 |
| Tiacan Fuqiao Middle School | Smart Classrooms and Artificial Intelligence | $68,700 |
| Providence Little Company of Mary San Pedro, CA | Women and Childrens Health Services Campaign | $55,000 |
| Water of Life Community Church Fontana, CA | To Support Homelessness in Fontana | $50,000 |
| Suzhou Education Development Fndn | Encourage Excellence in Teaching and Learning | $29,800 |
Ready to take the next step with Zee 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 | $23,952,795 | $3,049,460 | $1,493,635 | $1,067,200 | 20 | $1,081,122 | $2,636,947 | $1,172,743 |
| 2023 | $24,430,728 | $332,110 | $1,461,723 | $1,017,542 | 17 | $1,034,913 | — | $1,043,354 |
| 2022 | $20,133,491 | $2,298,348 | $1,574,838 | $1,138,300 | 13 | $1,149,470 | $950,680 | $1,051,938 |
| 2021 | $17,059,940 | $3,905,727 | $1,249,382 | $857,406 | 25 | $867,106 | $2,237,558 | $1,121,448 |
| 2020 | $14,622,013 | $482,172 | $1,168,567 | $889,500 | 22 | — | $212,321 | $879,823 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Zee Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for STEM learning, classroom projects, educational programs, health services, homelessness services, and a classical music public radio station.
Among its grantees, Long Beach Rescue Mission describes its mission as providing temporary housing, clothing, counseling, food, and financial assistance for homeless individuals. Providence Little Company of Mary describes its mission as serving all, especially people who are poor and vulnerable.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 20 grants totaling $1,067,200. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $250,000, with a median of $19,900.
Notable 2024 grants included $250,000 to Whittier College for the INTEX Fellowship and Whittier Works program; $218,700 to Education Foundation of Xiamen for laboratory construction, STEM learning, and arts; $100,000 each to the International Society of Orthomolecular Medicine for its professional education program, Tong Jue Temple of Taicang for a library renovation, and Long Beach Rescue Mission for housing and meals for the homeless; and $70,000 to Give 2 Asia for a Chinese studies program at an American school in Japan.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Tien P Zee as president, George Yen as secretary/CFO, and Jinly Zee and Jinsen Zee as directors.
Zee Foundation is led by Tien P. Zee, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Tien P. Zee
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jinly Zee
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jinsen Zee
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George Yen
Secretarycfo
Secretarycfo → Secretary & CFO, 2022
Secretary & CFO → Secretarycfo, 2024
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 Zee Foundation
How much does Zee Foundation give each year?
Zee Foundation gave $1.1M across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.0M across 17 grants.
What is Zee Foundation's typical grant size?
Zee Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $19,900, and its average grant was $53,360, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Zee Foundation that year got $42K on average.
Where does Zee Foundation give grants?
Zee Foundation gives mostly in California: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Long Beach, CA (2 grants) and Fontana, CA (2 grants).
Does Zee Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Zee Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Zee Foundation's largest grantees?
Zee Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Whittier College ($250,000), Education Foundation of Xiamen ($218,700) and Intl Society Orthomolecular Medici ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Zee Foundation?
Zee Foundation reported $24.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Zee Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for STEM learning, classroom projects, educational programs, health services, homelessness services, and a classical music public radio station. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Zee Foundation?
The foundation 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 Zee Foundation's EIN?
Zee Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0592374. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Zee 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
(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). Zee Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/zee-foundation-morg_d12c456f604a456fad4fea336fe97655
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330592374_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Zee Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/zee-foundation-morg_d12c456f604a456fad4fea336fe97655},
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 Zee 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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