Zee Foundation
Zee Foundation is a private foundation based in Long Beach, California. Established in 1993, the organization operates as a 501(c)(3) entity and functions primarily as a grantmaking foundation. The foundation maintains a preselected grantmaking approach, meaning it does not accept unsolicited grant applications.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$24.0M
-2.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.1M
+4.9% YoY
Grant Count
20
+17.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$53K
-10.9% YoY
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving priorities focus primarily on:
- Education
- Health
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
Grantmaking
The foundation operates on a preselected-only basis, indicating it makes contributions exclusively to organizations it has identified in advance. The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals.
Grant Range
$1,000 to $250,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California and Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total assets: $23,952,795
- Total giving: $1,067,200
- Asset ranking: Top 10% of foundations nationally (Rank #7,212 of 159,550)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $23,952,795 | $24,430,728 | $20,133,491 |
| Revenue | $3,049,460 | $332,110 | $2,298,348 |
| Expenses | $1,493,635 | $1,461,723 | $1,574,838 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,081,122 | $1,034,913 | $1,149,470 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,636,947 | — | $950,680 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,172,743 | $1,043,354 | $1,051,938 |
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Whittier College ($250,000), Education Foundation of Xiamen ($218,700), Intl Society Orthomolecular Medici ($100,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| INTL SOCIETY ORTHOMOLECULAR MEDICI | ISOM PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM | $100,000 |
| LB POLY HS BOYS VOLLEYBALL LAKEWOOD, CA | SUPPORT LONG BEACH POLYS MUSIC PROGRAM | $2,000 |
| ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER CULTURAL CTR SAN FRANCISCO, CA | BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH THE ARTS | $1,000 |
| BOYS GIRLS CLUB OF LONG BEACH LONG BEACH, CA | AFTER SCHOOL CARE AND SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH | $2,000 |
| CLASSICAL KUSC FM 915 LOS ANGELES, CA | SUPPORT CLASSICAL MUSIC PUBLIC RADIO | $3,000 |
| FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WILMI WILMINGTON, CA | CHURCH CHARITABLE DONATION | $1,000 |
| WORLD MISSION INC COMSTOCK PARK, MI | BIBLE MINISTRY REACHING OUT TO THE WORLD | $2,000 |
| HERALD CANCER ASSOCIATION SAN GABRIEL, CA | CANCER PATIENT SERVICES AND PREVENTION AWARENESS | $1,000 |
| PALOS VERDES PENINSULA LAND CONSERV PALOS VERDES PENINSULA, CA | LAND PRESERVATION FOR ECOLOGICAL PURPOSES | $1,000 |
| WHITTIER COLLEGE WHITTIER, CA | SUPPORT INTEX FELLOWSHIP & WHITTIER WORKS PROGRAM | $250,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board and key personnel include:
- Tien P Zee — President
- George Yen — Secretary/CFO
- Jinly Zee — Director
- Jinsen Zee — Director
All listed individuals serve on a voluntary basis with no reported compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIEN P ZEE | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| GEORGE YEN | SECRETARYCFO | 1 | — |
| JINLY ZEE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JINSEN ZEE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 4001 Via Oro Ave Ste 210 Long Beach, CA 90810-1400
Phone: 310-549-5400
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Zee Foundation fund?
The foundation's giving priorities focus primarily on: • Education • Health • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services
How do I apply for a grant from Zee Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Total giving: $1,067,200 (most recent filing) • Number of grants: 20 grants reported • Median grant amount: $20,000 • Grant range: $1,000 to $250,000 • Typical awards: $1,000–$1,000,000 **Application Process:** The foundation operates on a preselected-only basis, indicating it makes contributions exclusively to organizations it has identified in advance. The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals. **Staffing:** The foundation operates with limited staffing,…
Where does Zee Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California and Michigan.
What size grants does Zee Foundation award?
In 2024, Zee Foundation awarded 20 grants totaling $1.1M — an average of about $53K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Zee Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Zee Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Zee Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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