THE ZANVYL AND ISABELLE KRIEGER FUND INC

What THE ZANVYL AND ISABELLE KRIEGER FUND INC does

The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund Inc is a private, non-operating 509(a)(3) Supporting Foundation established in 1977 by Baltimore philanthropist and businessman Zanvyl Krieger, originally capitalized by his 1964 investment in U.S. Surgical. The Fund operates as a perpetual philanthropic vehicle affiliated with The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore and is governed by a Board of Directors that includes Krieger family members and community leaders, with day-to-day operations run by a two-person staff (Executive Director Brooke Hisle and Program Officer Jen Eames) based in Baltimore.

The Fund's sole product is a grant-making program that supports advocacy and direct-service non-profits operating exclusively in Baltimore City across four defined priority areas: housing and community development, behavioral health and healing, environmental justice, and families with children from birth to three years old. The Board reviews applications and awards grants twice yearly (June and December), with first-time applicants submitting Letters of Intent and renewal applicants using Google Forms. Standard grants typically range from $2,500 to $25,000 annually, though the Fund reserves discretion for larger strategic commitments; in 2025, the largest single award was $152,651 to Maryland Family Network's Birth-To-Three Project, and the Fund also deployed a separate $205,000 Crisis/Emergency Response Grants category alongside grants to over 60 named organizations.

The Fund's go-to-market is community-led and inbound: it does not actively solicit applications or run marketing campaigns, instead relying on its website (kriegerfund.org), email inquiries, and word-of-mouth within the Baltimore non-profit ecosystem. Grants are restricted to direct program expenses; the Fund does not support endowments, indirect costs, capital campaigns, annual campaigns, special events, or publications, and it does not currently offer multi-year commitments. Historically, the Fund's giving profile has shifted from large anchor institutional gifts (notably an $8 million grant to Johns Hopkins for the Krieger Mind Brain Institute in 1987 and a $50 million challenge grant to Johns Hopkins School of Arts and Sciences in 1992) toward broader funding of smaller, community-based organizations serving Baltimore's most underserved populations.

Name

THE ZANVYL AND ISABELLE KRIEGER FUND INC

Legal name

The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund

Website

https://kriegerfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund is a Baltimore-based 509(a)(3) private foundation, established in 1977 and affiliated with The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, that supports advocacy and direct-service non-profits in Baltimore City through grants in affordable housing, behavioral health, environmental justice, and early childhood development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Community development grants
• Nonprofit foundation funding
• Early childhood grants
• Affordable housing funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grant-making: The Fund operates as a 509(a)(3) supporting foundation of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, created to support important institutions of Baltimore City and the enduring needs of the Jewish Federation. The Fund was capitalized through the success of U.S. Surgical (a start-up investment by Zanvyl Krieger in 1964), enabling deep civic involvement and the creation of this endowment-based philanthropic entity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund is a private grant-making foundation that distributes financial grants to non-profit organizations operating in Baltimore City. Grants support both advocacy efforts and direct service programs across four priority focus areas: housing and community development, behavioral health and healing, environmental justice, and families with children birth-to-three years old. The Board reviews and approves grants at semi-annual meetings (June and December), with most awards ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 per year and exceptions for larger strategic initiatives.

Product overview

The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund is a single-philosophy charitable grant-making foundation. The Fund operates as a unified grant program supporting Baltimore City communities through advocacy efforts and direct service programs. The organization's primary offering is its grant program, which focuses on four key areas: housing and community development, behavioral health and healing, environmental justice, and early childhood development for families with children birth to three years old. Grants are awarded twice yearly (June and December board meetings) with most grants ranging from $2,500 to $25,000.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Krieger Fund Grant Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 grantees supported in 2025, with grants ranging from $2,500 to $152,651
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Associated: Jewish Federation of BaltimorecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1977The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund is a Supporting Foundation of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, recognized under Section 509(a)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as a foundation with its own mission wedded to the perpetual support of the existing organization. The Fund was created in 1977 to support important institutions of Baltimore City and the enduring needs of The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• The Kresge Foundation: Large national private foundation with significant place-based grantmaking in U.S. cities, including affordable housing and community development. Operates at a much larger scale but with overlapping thematic focus on urban community transformation.
• Open Society Foundations: Large global grantmaking foundation supporting social justice, housing, and equity initiatives. Comparable in its justice/equity/diversity framing and advocacy funding, though operating at far greater scale and broader geography.
• The Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. private foundations, funding inequality reduction, housing, and community development globally. Overlapping focus areas with Krieger's housing/community development and environmental justice priorities.

Others

• The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore: Parent organization / federation of which the Krieger Fund is a Supporting Foundation. Operates overlapping funding programs for Baltimore's Jewish and general community. Directly comparable governance and ecosystem structure.

Regional players

• Meyer Foundation: Washington DC-area private foundation supporting housing, education, and community development in the greater DC region. Comparable in scale, grant size range, and thematic priorities, though geographically distinct from Krieger.

Direct peers

• Annie E. Casey Foundation: National private foundation headquartered in Baltimore, focused on children and families, including early childhood development. Highly comparable to Krieger's birth-to-three and family-focused funding area, and a major Baltimore civic funder.
• Baltimore Community Foundation: Community-focused foundation serving the Baltimore region, distributing grants across housing, education, economic development, and health. Direct peer in Baltimore geography and multi-issue local grantmaking.
• The Abell Foundation: Baltimore-based private foundation focused on systemic change in Maryland through grantmaking in education, health, economic opportunity, and community development. Direct peer in terms of Baltimore City focus, advocacy + direct service model, and grant size range.
• The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation: One of the largest private foundations in the United States, headquartered in Baltimore-area (Owings Mills). Funds housing, health, education, and community development for low-income populations — directly overlapping the Krieger Fund's mission, geography, and grantmaking scale.

Emerging players

• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Large U.S. foundation focused on health equity, including behavioral health and maternal/child health. Comparable to Krieger's behavioral health and early childhood funding pillars, though operating nationally rather than Baltimore-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-zanvyl-and-isabelle-krieger-fund-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about THE ZANVYL AND ISABELLE KRIEGER FUND INC