Funding search · EIN 363487811 · Chicago, IL

Zell Family Foundation

Name: Zell Family Foundation grants, 2022–2024
Creator: PaperOrbit
License: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-public-disclosure-and-availability-requirements

A private foundation (files IRS Form 990-PF). Most private foundations do not take unsolicited applications; the route in is usually a program officer.

206
grants reported: $222.2M
total given: 2022–2024
filing years: $150,000
median grant

Based on grants this organization reported to the IRS for tax years 2022–2024. This is what they filed, not a complete record of their giving, and recent years may be incomplete because filings lag.

What they fund

zell entrepreneurship education corpus institute business expendable freedom

Full IRS filings ↗How this is built Report an error

Funding pattern

What this funder pays for, at what size, and how to position adjacent work. Read from their filings, with every number checked against the record.

Top recipients

Repeat recipients are the strongest signal of whether a funder has an open door or quietly re-funds the same organizations.

University of Michigan13 grants · $83.3M
Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School2 grants · $25.0M
Northwestern University-Kellogg1 grant · $25.0M
Rochelle Zell Jewish High School4 grants · $20.5M
Chicago Symphony Orchestra6 grants · $14.0M
University of Chicago7 grants · $8.6M
Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Endowment Corp1 grant · $3.0M
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Inc (Fire)2 grants · $2.7M
American Friends of Reichman University (Fka-Idc)2 grants · $2.4M
Mayo Clinic3 grants · $2.3M

Giving over time

$26.9M

2022

$132.4M

2023

$62.9M

2024

Grant history

The 100 largest of 206 grants.

$35.0M
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2023
Helen zell writers fund
$30.0M
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2023
The samuel zell and robert h. Lurie institute for entrepreneurial studies
$25.0M
Northwestern University-Kellogg · Evanston, IL · 2024
General support
$24.0M
Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School · Chicago, IL · 2023
Zell family fund for jewish education
$10.0M
Rochelle Zell Jewish High School · Deerfield, IL · 2024
General support
$10.0M
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2023
Zell founders expendable fund at zli
$9.5M
Rochelle Zell Jewish High School · Deerfield, IL · 2023
To eliminate debt and strengthen endowment
$8.3M
Chicago Symphony Orchestra · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$4.1M
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2023
Helen zell expendable fund for graduate student support
$4.0M
University of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support - center for freedom of expression
$3.0M
Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Endowment Corp · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$2.0M
University of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$2.0M
Zell Entrepreneurship Foundation · Chicago, IL · 2024
Entrepreneurship education - out of corpus
$2.0M
University of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2023
Zell freedom of expression series
$2.0M
Zell Entrepreneurship Foundation · Chicago, IL · 2023
Entrepreneurship education - out of corpus
$2.0M
Zell Entrepreneurship Foundation · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$1.5M
Mayo Clinic · Rochester, MN · 2024
General support
$1.4M
American Friends of Reichman University (Fka-Idc) · New York, NY · 2023
2015 pledge to support and endow the zell entrepreneurship program
$1.4M
Interdisciplinary Center Herzliyaamerican Friends of Idc · New York, NY · 2022
General support
$1.4M
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Inc (Fire) · Philadelphia, PA · 2024
General support
$1.4M
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Inc (Fire) · Philadelphia, PA · 2023
General support
$1.4M
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Inc (Aka Fire) · Philadelphia, PA · 2022
General support
$1.3M
Chicago Symphony Orchestra · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$1.3M
Chicago Symphony Orchestra · Chicago, IL · 2023
2023 season gift
$1.3M
Chicago Symphony Orchestra · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$1.3M
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2024
General support
$1.3M
Lincoln Park Conservancy · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$1.0M
American Friends of Reichman University (Fka-Idc) · New York, NY · 2024
General support
$1.0M
Chicago Public Education Fund · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$1.0M
Start Early · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$1.0M
Birthright Israel Foundation · New York, NY · 2023
General support
$1.0M
Chicago Symphony Orchestra · Chicago, IL · 2023
Sempre always campaign
$1.0M
Start Early · Chicago, IL · 2023
Ounce of prevention
$1.0M
Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$1.0M
Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Sempre Always Campaign) · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$1.0M
Start Early (Fka Ounce of Prevention) · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$800,000
Chicago Symphony Orchestra · Chicago, IL · 2023
Cello gift
$750,000
Teach for America · New York, NY · 2023
General support
$750,000
Teach for America · New York, NY · 2022
General support
$730,000
Steppenwolf Theatre Company · Chicago, IL · 2023
Lead productions sponsor, new play development, & 2023 gala
$700,000
Museum of Contemporary Art · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$700,000
University of Michigan-Ross Zell Lurie Institute · Ann Arbor, MI · 2023
Zell entrepreneurship and law program fund
$700,000
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2022
General support - ross school of business (sz/rl institute)
$650,000
University of Michigan Law · Ann Arbor, MI · 2022
General support - entrepreneurship clinic
$600,000
Imentor Incorporated · New York, NY · 2022
General support
$600,000
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2022
General support - zell graduate fellows
$550,000
Jewish United Fund · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$550,000
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2022
General support - post-mfa writing fellowship
$500,000
Steppenwolf Theatre Company · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$500,000
University of Colorado Foundation-Pkd Research · Greeley, CO · 2024
General support
$500,000
Chicago Public Education Fund · Chicago, IL · 2023
General support
$500,000
Museum of Contemporary Art · Chicago, IL · 2023
General support
$500,000
Rochelle Zell Jewish High School · Deerfield, IL · 2023
To eliminate debt and strengthen endowment
$500,000
Steppenwolf Theatre Company · Chicago, IL · 2023
2023/24 season support
$500,000
University of Colorado Foundation-Pkd Research · Greeley, CO · 2023
Pkd research fund
$500,000
Chicago Public Education (Fund V) · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$500,000
Museum of Contemporary Art · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$500,000
Rochelle Zell Jewish High School · Deerfield, IL · 2022
General support
$500,000
Steppenwolf Theater Company · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$415,000
Chiarts Foundation · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$415,000
Chiarts Foundation · Chicago, IL · 2023
Creative writing program
$415,000
Chaiarts Foundation · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$400,000
Mayo Clinic · Rochester, MN · 2023
General support
$400,000
Mayo Clinic · Rochester, MN · 2022
General support
$375,000
University of Colorado Foundation · Denver, CO · 2022
General support - pkd research fund
$350,000
Lyric Opera · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$350,000
Imentor · New York, NY · 2023
General support
$350,000
Lyric Opera · Chicago, IL · 2023
Fiddler on the roof & champion
$325,000
Imentor · New York, NY · 2024
General support
$325,000
Imentor · New York, NY · 2023
General support
$250,000
Birthright Israel Foundation · New York, NY · 2024
General support
$250,000
Teach for All · New York, NY · 2024
General support
$250,000
Birthright Israel Foundation · New York, NY · 2023
General support
$250,000
Teach for All · New York, NY · 2023
General support
$250,000
Birthright Israel Foundation · New York, NY · 2022
General support
$250,000
Lyric Opera of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$250,000
Teach for All · New York, NY · 2022
General support
$250,000
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2022
General support - hz writer's program
$225,000
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2024
General support
$200,000
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation · New York, NY · 2024
General support
$200,000
Merit School of Music · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$200,000
US Holocaust Memorial Museum · Washington, DC · 2024
General support
$200,000
A Better Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2023
General support
$200,000
University of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2023
Speaker series
$200,000
University of Michigan-Hz Writer'S Program · Ann Arbor, MI · 2023
To hire a visiting professor in poetry for one academic year
$200,000
US Holocaust Memorial Museum · Washington, DC · 2023
General support
$200,000
A Better Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support
$200,000
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum · Washington, DC · 2022
General support
$200,000
University of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2022
General support - institute of politics speaker series
$200,000
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2022
General support - ross school of business (sz/rl institute)
$200,000
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2022
General support - ross school of business (zell founders fund)
$183,000
University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI · 2022
General support - mfa hz expendable fund
$175,000
Hold On To Your Music · Los Angeles, CA · 2023
General support
$175,000
Hold On To Your Music · Los Angeles, CA · 2022
General support
$165,000
Young Chicago Authors · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$165,000
Young Chicago Authors · Chicago, IL · 2023
General support
$160,000
The Point Magazine · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$160,000
The Point Magazine · Chicago, IL · 2023
General support
$152,533
University of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2024
General support
$150,000
Cello Bello · Boston, MA · 2024
General support

View all 206 grants →

Grants already paid are the record; PaperOrbit reads your paper and finds the funders whose record matches it — then explains why.

Search funders like this one

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, Part XV, as filed by the foundation. These are grants already paid — a record of what this funder backs, not an open call.