The Zolla Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 2001 and based in Santa Monica, California. It is a family foundation that provides grants primarily in education and the arts, with a particular focus on scholarship programs for students pursuing higher education.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.6M
-0.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$490K
-23.6% YoY
Grant Count
18
+20.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$27K
-36.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Zolla Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $381K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving focuses primarily on:
- Education — including college scholarships and college preparation and admission support
- The Arts
- Scholarship Programs — particularly the "PAC Team Scholarship Program" which provides scholarships to employees and dependents of employees of Packaging Advantage Corp., as well as scholarship awards to students from Los Angeles, California pursuing higher education
- College Preparation and Admission Support — assistance for inner-city high school students through programs like the Bright Prospect Scholar Program
Grantmaking
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations and students in California, with some grantmaking activity in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $4,588,401
- Total Revenues: $554,592
- Total Expenses: $582,265
- Number of Employees: 0
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $4,620,000
- Total Revenues: $651,000
- Total Expenses: $743,000
As of 2021:
- Total Assets: $3,979,876
- Total Revenues: $577,893
- Total Expenses: $589,418
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,588,401 | $4,616,074 | $4,707,750 |
| Revenue | $554,592 | $651,311 | $1,330,891 |
| Expenses | $582,265 | $742,987 | $724,250 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $498,327 | $641,000 | $627,976 |
| Net Investment Income | $460,727 | $264,673 | $1,204,190 |
| Distributable Amount | $381,270 | $345,163 | $334,362 |
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
94 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Bucknell University ($90,000), Determined to Succeed (dts) ($77,000), Determined to Succeed (dts) ($60,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AIRPORT MARINA COUNSELING SERVICE (AMCS) LOS ANGELES, CA | TO PROVIDE SALARY SUPPORT FOR THE SUPERVISORS AND PSYCHIATRIST IN THE AT-RISK KIDS PROGRAM | $18,000 |
| BRIGHT PROSPECT (BRIGPROS) POMONA, CA | TO SUPPORT THE BRIGHT PROSPECT SCHOLAR PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE STIPEND | $15,000 |
| BRIGHT PROSPECT (BRIGPROS) POMONA, CA | TO SUPPORT THE BRIGHT PROSPECT SCHOLAR PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE STIPEND | $28,000 |
| BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY LEWISBURG, PA | TO SUPPORT BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY | $90,000 |
| CHILDREN HOSPITAL OF LOS ANGELES (CHLA) LOS ANGELES, CA | TO SUPPORT CAREERS AND HELP MENTORING PROGRAM (CHAT) | $5,000 |
| COALITION FOR CLEAN AIR (COALITION) LOS ANGELES, CA | TO SUPPORT THE COALITION FOR CLEAN AIR | $15,000 |
| DETERMINED TO SUCCEED (DTS) SANTA MONICA, CA | ASSIST IN THE COLLEGE PREPARATION AND ADMISSION PROCESS FOR DTS INNER-CITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. | $60,000 |
| DETERMINED TO SUCCEED (DTS) SANTA MONICA, CA | ASSIST IN THE COLLEGE PREPARATION AND ADMISSION PROCESS FOR DTS INNER-CITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. | $77,000 |
| FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE (FRAN&MAR) LANCASTER, PA | TO SUPPORT FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE | $50,000 |
| HAPPY TRAILS FOR KIDS (HAPPY) SANTA MONICA, CA | TO SEND FOSTER CHILDREN TO SUMMER CAMP | $18,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Joseph Hurwich — Director and Chief Financial Officer (as of 2023)
Susan Zolla — President (as of 2021)
The foundation is the family foundation of late Southern California construction company owner and real estate developer Edward M. Zolla III and his wife, Susan Zolla.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN ZOLLA | DIRECTOR & PRESIDENT | 8 | — |
| ALISSA ZOLLA BARTLE | DIRECTOR & VICE PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| MIRIAM ZOLLA NEANDROSS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOSEPH HURWICH | DIRECTOR & CFO | 1 | — |
| ERIK NEANDROSS | DIRECTOR & SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| PETER BARTLE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Zolla Family Foundation fund?
The foundation's giving focuses primarily on: • **Education** — including college scholarships and college preparation and admission support • **The Arts** • **Scholarship Programs** — particularly the "PAC Team Scholarship Program" which provides scholarships to employees and dependents of employees of Packaging Advantage Corp., as well as scholarship awards to students from Los Angeles, California pursuing higher education • **College Preparation and Admission Support** — assistance for inner…
How do I apply for a grant from Zolla Family Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 21 grants in 2024 • Typical award range: $6–$342,500 **Recent Grants (2024):** • Bucknell University: $90,000 • Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation: $20,000 • Happy Trails For Kids: $18,000 **Total Annual Giving:** $490,000 (2024)
Where does Zolla Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations and students in California, with some grantmaking activity in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
What size grants does Zolla Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Zolla Family Foundation awarded 18 grants totaling $490K — an average of about $27K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Zolla Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Zolla Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $381K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Zolla Family Foundation's EIN?
Zolla Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2365200. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
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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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