Zyne Family Foundation Inc.

The Zyne Family Foundation is a Birmingham, Alabama-based private family foundation established in 2010 and built around the philanthropic legacy of Harold R. Stephens (now deceased). Today the foundation is led by Kimberly E. Stephens as President and Executive Director, with a board composed almost entirely of Stephens family members — Jenny T. Stephens, Joseph R. Stephens Jr., Natalie S. Slovensky, Dana S. Travis, Valerie S. Whitt, and Nathan Stephens — plus Stanley C. Huner as the sole non-family director. This family governance structure is the most important context for any applicant to internalize.

With $24.2 million in assets and annual giving approaching $1.2 million, this is a well-capitalized but intimate operation. There are no professional program officers. Kimberly E. Stephens manages the foundation part-time (compensation of $36,000 in 2024), and the board meets once annually in the fall to review applications. Decisions are personal and values-driven.

The giving philosophy is explicitly anchored in three priorities: Catholic faith-based organizations (particularly Maronite Eastern Catholic institutions), medical research and disability services, and education and family values. The top two cumulative grantees — Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon ($550,000 total) and St. Elias Maronite Church ($280,000 total) — reflect the Stephens family's deep personal ties to the Maronite community in Alabama and Tennessee. Organizations lacking faith-based ties but aligning with the broader health, food access, or civic portfolios — as shown by grantees like the Alzheimer's Association, Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, Jones Valley Urban Farm, and Vulcan Park Foundation — have also succeeded.

The application process is notably accessible: the foundation accepts unsolicited proposals via a PDF application form downloadable from its website, submitted by email to zynefamilyfoundation@gmail.com. No letter of inquiry is required. The annual hard deadline is September 1. This open-door posture signals genuine receptivity to well-aligned new grantees.

Every top grantee in the database has received multiple grants, signaling that the foundation invests in relationships over time. A modest, targeted first request in the $20,000-$40,000 range — framed as an introductory step in a longer partnership — will resonate far more than a large one-time transactional ask. First-time applicants should position their work as aligned with the Stephens family's personal values, not simply grant-compliant.

The Zyne Family Foundation's grantmaking has grown dramatically over its history, driven by major family wealth transfers and a maturing investment portfolio. Total grants paid climbed from $19,350 in 2011 to $657,500 in 2014, settled in a $260,000-$463,000 range from 2015 through 2020, then accelerated sharply: $412,500 (2021), $707,500 (2022), $943,580 (2023), and approximately $1.2 million in 2024. The catalyst was a $12.5 million family contribution received in 2019 and a further $3.7 million in 2020 — likely related to an estate transfer — which propelled assets from $15.9 million in 2019 to $24.2 million by 2024.

The foundation's database records a median grant of $30,000, an average of $64,318, and a documented historical range of $1,200 to $50,000. More recent 2024 data indicates the range has expanded significantly, with individual grants reaching $135,000 (Community Food Bank of Central Alabama) and up to $175,000 according to grantmakers.io, suggesting larger anchor grants are emerging for trusted institutional partners.

By program area, based on cumulative grantee totals across tracked filings ($1.415 million total): - Maronite Catholic institutions: ~59% (Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon $550,000 + St. Elias Maronite Church $280,000) - Health and disability services: ~23% (Alzheimer's Association $250,000 + Easter Seals of Birmingham $70,000) - Faith-based community ministries: ~6% (First Fruit Ministries $90,000) - Food access and conservation: ~6% (Jones Valley Urban Farm $50,000 + Ducks Unlimited $40,000) - Education, arts, and civic: ~7% (Wooley Institute $30,000 + Vulcan Park Foundation $20,000 + Jefferson County Junior Miss $20,000 + American Baseball Foundation $15,000)

Geographically, 64% of documented grants go to Alabama organizations, with Tennessee at 18%, North Carolina at 9%, and Missouri at 9%. Birmingham-area nonprofits dominate. Annual investment income — $808,610 in 2023 and $1.01 million in 2022 — comfortably exceeds disbursements in most years, confirming a stable, growing endowment. The foundation's payout rate of approximately 5% on $24.2 million in assets is consistent with the IRS minimum distribution floor, suggesting the board is managing for long-term endowment preservation rather than rapid spend-down.

The five peer foundations identified in the Granted database share a $24.2 million asset level but vary in geography and governance model, illuminating where the Zyne Family Foundation sits in the landscape.

Among this peer set, Zyne Family Foundation stands out for transparency and accessibility. It is the only foundation in the group with a public website, a documented application process, a published email address for submissions, and a stated annual deadline. The four peer foundations have no public websites and their application processes are unknown, making them effectively closed to prospective applicants without insider access.

Zyne's $1.2 million in annual giving against $24.2 million in assets represents a payout rate of approximately 5%, in line with IRS minimum distribution requirements and consistent with endowment-preservation management. Its concentrated grantee history — the top two recipients account for approximately 59% of all tracked giving — signals that while the door is formally open, most funding flows through close institutional relationships. For organizations in the Southeast with faith-based, health, or educational missions, Zyne represents an unusually approachable entry point into mid-tier family foundation funding that none of its asset-equivalent peers currently replicate.

No press releases, media announcements, or social media activity from the Zyne Family Foundation were identified in searches covering 2025-2026. The foundation does not maintain public social media accounts and operates with a deliberately low public profile, consistent with its family-governed character.

The most recent publicly verified data point is the Tax Year 2024 filing, published by the IRS on September 2, 2025. That filing documents total assets of $24.2 million, total revenues of approximately $3.2 million (including $992,975 in net investment income and $1.8 million in contributions received), and approximately $1.2 million in distributions across 25 grants. Notable 2024 awards identified through third-party aggregators include $135,000 to the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, $50,000 to Easter Seals Alabama, and $45,000 to First Fruit Ministries.

The most significant recent organizational development is the leadership succession following the death of founder Harold R. Stephens, listed in IRS filings as "FMR. President and Treasurer (Deceased)." Kimberly E. Stephens assumed the presidency and executive director role. Compensation for officers increased from $1,500-$3,000 per person in early filings to $5,000 per board member, with Kimberly E. Stephens receiving $36,000 as Executive Director in 2024 — reflecting a more structured governance model as assets and giving volume grew. No new program areas or grant application process changes were identified in publicly available 2025 or 2026 sources. The foundation's website remains active and the email address zynefamilyfoundation@gmail.com is operational.

1. Submit by July 15 — not September 1. The stated hard deadline is September 1 for current-year funding, but with a single part-time executive director and a volunteer family board, applications arriving in late August compete for compressed review time. A July submission allows time for follow-up, acknowledgment, and any board questions before the fall decision meeting.

2. Use the PDF form — not a freeform letter. The foundation explicitly states applicants must "provide all required documentation in the application provided." Download the official form from zynefamilyfoundation.org, complete it fully, and attach it as a PDF to your submission email at zynefamilyfoundation@gmail.com. Do not substitute a narrative letter or LOI.

3. Lead with mission alignment, not organizational scale. The three funded pillars — Catholic faith, medical/disability services, family values — appear in every significant grantee category. Even secular applicants (Jones Valley Urban Farm, Ducks Unlimited, Community Food Bank) align with family, community, and stewardship framing. Make the values connection explicit in your opening paragraph.

4. Request $20,000-$40,000 for a first grant. Historical records show the foundation's typical first-time grant range is $15,000-$50,000 with a median of $30,000. The $135,000 award to the Community Food Bank reflects a multi-year institutional relationship, not an initial ask. Anchor your request in the $20,000-$40,000 range to maximize approval probability.

5. Signal multi-year relationship intent. Every documented top grantee received at least two grants. Frame your initial request explicitly: "We are seeking a $25,000 grant this year as the foundation of a multi-year partnership focused on [specific mission area]." This resonates with the foundation's proven preference for ongoing relationships over one-time transactions.

6. Be specific about Alabama geography. 64% of grants go to Alabama organizations. If you are based outside Alabama, demonstrate a clear program footprint in Birmingham or a connection to the Maronite Catholic community in the Southeast. Applicants from Tennessee, North Carolina, and Missouri have succeeded, but geographic relevance should be addressed directly.

7. Prepare a tight, jargon-free narrative. The board reviews applications in a volunteer capacity. A concise two-page narrative with measurable outcomes, a plain-language description of the population served, and a clear budget will outperform lengthy, acronym-heavy proposals every time.