The ZZYZX Foundation is overwhelmingly focused on environmental conservation, prioritizing large-scale land protection and rewilding projects as well as marine and fisheries conservation. Its support also extends to regenerative agriculture in the Global South and to U.S.-based intermediaries that fiscally sponsor international conservation campaigns. The foundation appears to favor a small number of mission-aligned partners and high-impact, place-based investments rather than broad, diffuse giving.
Zzyzx Foundation Inc makes a single $1.5 million land conservation grant the centerpiece of its recent giving, and the rest of the record fits that same conservation-first pattern. The foundation’s largest recent award went to Tompkins Conservation for land conservation, placing large-scale habitat protection at the center of its work. Other grants show the same emphasis in different forms: a $40,000 award supported Rewilding Argentina for Peninsula Mitre land conservation through Marin Community Foundation, linking the foundation to protected-area creation and rewilding efforts. The portfolio also includes support for marine and freshwater fisheries protection through fiscally sponsored campaigns, alongside regenerative agriculture in Africa. That mix suggests a funder that favors mission-aligned conservation organizations, place-based projects, and intermediary structures that can move money into specialized campaigns. With a typical grant size of $25,000 to $100,000, the foundation combines one very large commitment with smaller project and general-support grants across a narrow set of environmental priorities.
Land conservation is the clearest thread in the grant record. Zzyzx Foundation Inc gave $1,500,000 to Tompkins Conservation for land conservation, making protected landscapes a major part of its recent portfolio. Rewilding and ecosystem restoration appear in a separate grant of $40,000 to Marin Community Foundation to support Rewilding Argentina for Peninsula Mitre land conservation. The foundation also funds regenerative agriculture: it awarded $100,000 to African Women Rising for general support of regenerative agricultural work. A fourth pattern is support for conservation organizations acting as intermediaries, including $25,000 to Wild Fish Conservancy for U.S. fiscal sponsor support for Clayoquot Action, general support.
The grant-size profile is uneven but clear: the 25th percentile is $25,000, the median grant is $40,000, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. That distribution sits alongside a single $1.5 million award, showing a portfolio that mixes one large anchor grant with smaller operating and project-level grants. The foundation also appears to reuse some partners over time: Wild Fish Conservancy received grants in both 2023 and 2024, tied to the same fiscal-sponsor purpose. Zzyzx Foundation Inc makes program-related investments and funds organizations rather than individuals.
$0
$5M
$611
$58K
Most grants fall between $25K and $100K, with a median of $40K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$40K
75th Percentile
$100K
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Concentrated giving with a few, high-value grants (one dominant $1.5M gift) and several smaller targeted awards; a mix of one-off flagship investments and repeat support for select environmental organizations and fiscal sponsors.
Notable grantees: Tompkins Conservation, African Women Rising, Wild Fish Conservancy, Marin Community Foundation
Most grants in the file went to recipients in California, which accounts for 60% of grants to the foundation’s HQ state. Washington is the top state by grant count, with grants to Duvall and broader support linked to Clayoquot Action. Recipient locations also include San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Novato in California, showing a West Coast concentration. All listed grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
The grant-size distribution centers on $40,000, with a 25th percentile of $25,000 and a 75th percentile of $100,000. The record also includes a much larger $1.5 million grant, so the portfolio ranges from smaller project or operating support to an anchor land-conservation award.
The recent grants point to land conservation, rewilding and ecosystem restoration, regenerative agriculture, and conservation campaigns using fiscal sponsorship. Specific examples include land conservation support to Tompkins Conservation, Peninsula Mitre rewilding work through Marin Community Foundation, and regenerative agricultural support to African Women Rising.
Yes. Wild Fish Conservancy appears twice in the recent record, with grants of $25,000 in 2023 and $20,000 in 2024 for U.S. fiscal sponsor support for Clayoquot Action. That suggests at least some ongoing support rather than only one-time awards.
The grants go to conservation NGOs, fiscally sponsored campaigns, and community or intermediary organizations. Examples in the record include Tompkins Conservation, Wild Fish Conservancy, Marin Community Foundation, and African Women Rising.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WILD FISH CONSERVANCY | DUVALL, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | US FISCAL SPONSOR FOR CLAYOQUOT ACTION, GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TOMPKINS CONSERVATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,500,000 | 2023 | LAND CONSERVATION |
| AFRICAN WOMEN RISING | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURAL |
| MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | NOVATO, CA | $40,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT REWILDING ARGENTINA FOR PENINSULA MITRE LAND CONSERVATION |
| WILD FISH CONSERVANCY | DUVALL, WA | $25,000 | 2023 | US FISCAL SPONSOR FOR CLAYOQUOT ACTION, GENERAL SUPPORT |
WILD FISH CONSERVANCY
$20,000US FISCAL SPONSOR FOR CLAYOQUOT ACTION, GENERAL SUPPORT
TO SUPPORT REWILDING ARGENTINA FOR PENINSULA MITRE LAND CONSERVATION
WILD FISH CONSERVANCY
$25,000US FISCAL SPONSOR FOR CLAYOQUOT ACTION, GENERAL SUPPORT