Zieff Family Fund Inc
Zieff Family Fund Inc is a private foundation based in Fairfield, Connecticut. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including education, arts, health, and community-service organizations.
Zieff Family Fund Inc at a glance
In short: Zieff Family Fund Inc gave $34K across 39 grants in 2025 (avg $875.974), mostly in Connecticut. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $34,163
- -16.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 39
- -4.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $876
- -11.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $300
- Total assets
- $489,286
- +93.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (11 of 39, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (84% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Zieff Family Fund Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1265 Fairfield Beach Road, Fairfield, CT 06824
Phone: (203) 209-1100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Zieff Family Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fairfield University ($14K). Together the top 10 received $27K.
Grant Size Distribution
201 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 201 grants of 201 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut, 8% to Pennsylvania, and 3% to New York. Smaller shares went to recipients in Texas and Minnesota, at 1% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Zieff Family Fund Inc open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 39 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $427; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $250 first-time, $300 repeat.
- 54% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 68% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 88% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $20K (2022) to $41K (2024). In 2025 it made 39 grants totaling $34K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield University Fairfield, CT | Unrestricted | $13,940 |
| Greater BPT Symphony Bridgeport, CT | Unrestricted | $5,400 |
| Shu Discovery Center Bridgeort, CT | Unrestricted | $2,100 |
| Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County Bridgeort, CT | Unrestricted | $1,800 |
| Bridgeport Hospital Foundation Bridgeort, CT | Unrestricted | $1,025 |
| Aaaa Scholarship Foundation Monroe, CT | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| Or Hadash Fairfield, CT | Unrestricted | $650 |
| Action Against Hunger USA New York, NY | Unrestricted | $500 |
| American Stroke Assn Dallas, TX | Unrestricted | $500 |
| Jewish Family Services of Lehigh Valley Allentown, PA | Unrestricted | $500 |
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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 | $489,286 | $270,748 | $34,726 | $34,163 | 39 | $34,213 | $270,185 | $38,780 |
| 2024 | $253,264 | $26,553 | $41,118 | $40,681 | 41 | $40,731 | $26,116 | $41,423 |
| 2023 | $267,829 | $25,071 | $28,487 | $27,348 | 53 | $27,448 | $23,932 | $38,179 |
| 2022 | $271,245 | $191,504 | $21,291 | $20,370 | 39 | $20,420 | $72,948 | $32,261 |
| 2021 | $101,032 | $5,645 | $36,927 | $36,252 | 29 | $36,255 | $5,001 | $10,835 |
| 2020 | $132,314 | $6,226 | $25,477 | $24,163 | 40 | — | $5,712 | $10,550 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Zieff Family Fund Inc reported a distributable amount of $39K 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 mission statement for the fund itself is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Fairfield University describes its work as providing secondary, undergraduate, and graduate education; Greater BPT Symphony and SHU Discovery Center also received grants. Other recipients include Bridgeport Hospital Foundation, which says it supports Bridgeport Hospital and the Yale New Haven Health System, and Action Against Hunger USA, whose stated mission includes preventing, detecting, and treating undernutrition.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 39 grants totaling $34,163. Grant amounts ranged from $25 to $13,940, with a median of $300. Its largest reported grants included $13,940 to Fairfield University, $5,400 to Greater BPT Symphony, $2,100 to SHU Discovery Center, and $1,800 to Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County. Each was listed as unrestricted.
Other 2025 recipients included Bridgeport Hospital Foundation ($1,025), AAAA Scholarship Foundation ($1,000), and Or Hadash ($650). Among smaller grants, Turning Point of Lehigh Valley, Allentown Rescue Mission, and Parkland Cares Food Pantry each received $300. The grantee descriptions identify their work as addressing domestic and intimate partner abuse, supporting men in crisis, and serving people affected by hunger, respectively.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David M Zieff as president; Deborah Zieff as vice president and treasurer; and Karen Ehsani and Sarah Morse as co-secretaries.
Zieff Family Fund Inc is led by David M. Zieff, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David M. Zieff
President
President & Treasurer → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Zieff
Vice President & Treasurer
Secretary → Vice President & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen Ehsani
Co Secretary
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Morse
Co Secretary
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
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 Zieff Family Fund Inc
How much does Zieff Family Fund Inc give each year?
Zieff Family Fund Inc gave $34K across 39 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $41K across 41 grants.
What is Zieff Family Fund Inc's typical grant size?
Zieff Family Fund Inc's median grant in 2025 was $300, and its average grant was $876, across 39 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Zieff Family Fund Inc that year got $427 on average.
Where does Zieff Family Fund Inc give grants?
Zieff Family Fund Inc gives mostly in Connecticut: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fairfield, CT (7 grants), Bridgeort, CT (6 grants), Allentown, PA (4 grants) and New York, NY (4 grants).
Does Zieff Family Fund Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Zieff Family Fund Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (39 of 39) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Zieff Family Fund Inc's largest grantees?
Zieff Family Fund Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Fairfield University ($13,940), Greater BPT Symphony ($5,400) and Shu Discovery Center ($2,100), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Zieff Family Fund Inc?
Zieff Family Fund Inc reported $489K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $34K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $39K (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 Zieff Family Fund Inc fund?
No mission statement for the fund itself is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Fairfield University describes its work as providing secondary, undergraduate, and graduate education; Greater BPT Symphony and SHU Discovery Center also received grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Zieff Family Fund Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Zieff Family Fund Inc's EIN?
Zieff Family Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6050400. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Zieff Family Fund Inc 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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