Zell Family Foundation
The Zell Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1986 by billionaire real estate investor Sam Zell and his wife Helen. Based in Chicago, Illinois, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN 36-3487811. The foundation is known for making transformational gifts to institutions with which the family has long-standing relationships, particularly in the Greater Chicago area.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$119.6M
-56.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$65.0M
-51.9% YoY
Grant Count
54
-22.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.2M
-37.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is giving primarily for:
- Arts and culture
- Education
- Medicine and cancer research
- Recreation
- Youth development
- Human service organizations
- Jewish causes
Grantmaking
The foundation made 39 grants in 2024 totaling approximately $65.65 million.
Grant Range
** $100,000 to $50,000,000
Invitation Only
** The foundation does not maintain a public website and does not accept unsolicited grant requests. Grantmaking is by invitation only with no public application process.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation focuses primarily on the Greater Chicago area (approximately 60% of grants), with national grants to select institutions.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2024:
- Total Assets: $119,612,467
- Total Revenues: $44,105,930
- Total Expenses: $69,305,511
- Total Grants, Contributions, etc.: $37,467,060
- Investment Income and Dividends: $5,477,989
- Number of Employees: 0
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $144.2 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $119,612,467 | $275,114,353 | $244,754,492 |
| Revenue | $44,105,930 | $158,353,230 | $8,732,513 |
| Expenses | $69,305,511 | $69,938,728 | $18,009,496 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $63,498,230 | $133,201,437 | $26,942,223 |
| Net Investment Income | $6,109,476 | $4,930,835 | $9,128,509 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,428,510 | $5,601,795 | $5,994,078 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Current Leadership:
- Helen Zell – President and Executive Director (widow of Sam Zell)
- Kellie Zell – Vice President
- Matthew Zell – Vice President
- JoAnn Zell – Vice President
Helen Zell serves on the boards of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, Steppenwolf Theatre, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. She was the first female board chair of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (2015-2020).
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| HELEN H ZELL | PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KELLIE ZELL | VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MATTHEW M ZELL | VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOANN L ZELL | VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PHILIP TINKLER | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| LUCILLE MCFARLAND | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| JOSEPH MIRON | SECRETARY/ VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL SHINER | TREASURER/VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Following Sam Zell's death in May 2023, the foundation received a substantial $159 million infusion from his estate, dramatically increasing its grantmaking capacity. This inheritance transformed the foundation's annual giving from an average of $22 million to $133 million in fiscal year 2023.
$600 million given to worthy causes and accelerating: the next generation\Recent major grants announced include:
$60 million to the University of Michigan
$50 million to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association
$10 million to The Ounce of Prevention Fund
Zell Family Foundation Donates $10 Million to The Ounce of Prevention Fund$12.7 million grant (led by Matthew Zell Family Foundation) to Savanna Institute in June 2023
The Zell Family Foundation gives $50 million to the CSOARelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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