The Zegar Family Foundation is a large left-of-center invitation-only grantmaking foundation located in New York City founded by Charles and Merryl Zegar. ¹ The foundation provides grants to charitable organizations that align with the foundation’s ideologies and are hand selected by the foundation in areas related to environmental practices, justice and human rights, science and medicine, human services, arts and culture, education, nutrition, international economic relief and development. ¹

Giving Pledge

In 2010, the Giving Pledge was created by Warren Buffett, Melinda French Gates, and Bill Gates and originally had 40 participants who agreed to give the majority of their wealth away either during their lives or in their wills upon their death. In April 2024, there were 242 pledgers ² and Charles and Merryl Zegar, by way of the Zegar Family Foundation, joined other billionaire philanthropists in the Giving Pledge. ¹

Grantmaking

In 2021, the Zegar Family Foundation joined 20 other philanthropic organizations to fund more than $223 million to reduce methane emissions across the globe. Funders will coordinate their giving in a variety of ways, including ways to reduce methane, providing expertise, financial resources, technical support, and data for monitoring, verification, and reporting. Other organizations participating in this funding were the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, High Tide Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. ³

Carbon Mapper, a nonprofit organization founded in 2016, launched a satellite program that focuses on pinpointing and better understanding methane and carbon dioxide emissions. The Zegar Family Foundation, as well as other organizations, including High Tide Foundation, Grantham Foundation for Protection of the Environment, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the University of Arizona are all funders. ⁴

The Zegar Family Foundation provides funding to left-of-center and far left-of-center organizations in both the United States and overseas. Funding totaling over $200,000 in 2020 included $300,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union, $450,000 to Direct Relief, $250,000 to the Environmental Defense Fund, $225,000 to City Harvest, $250,000 to the European Climate Foundation, $250,000 to Gates Philanthropy Partners, $350,000 to Feeding America, $550,000 to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, $300,000 to the National Immigration Law Center, $200,000 to the Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners, $200,000 to the NEO Philanthropy,  $1.8 million to the Nature Conservancy, $550,000 to the New Venture Fund, $200,000 to the New York Immigration Coalition, $1.9 million to New York University, $200,000 to Planned Parenthood, $200,000 to the Resilient Democracy Fund, $250,000 to the Robin Hood Foundation, $380,000 to the Safe Passage Project Corporation, $200,000 to the Union of Concerned Scientists, $300,000 to Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, $500,000 to the United Way of Santa Barbara County, $464,000 to the University of California Santa Barbara – Arts and Lectures Campbell Hall, $350,000 Ventura County Community Foundation, $250,000 to the William J. Brennan Center for Justice, and $400,000 to World Central Kitchen. ⁵

The Zegar Family Foundation is a funder of the Pacific Pride Foundation, an organization that supports LGBT people and people living with HIV/AIDS in Santa Barbara County. ⁶

People

Charles (Chuck) Zegar, along with his wife Merryl Snow Zegar, founded the Zegar Family Foundation in 2007. Zegar was one of four founders of a financial data company, Innovative Market Systems, which was then renamed Bloomberg L.P. ⁷ According to Forbes, Zegar’s net worth was $3.9 billion in April 2024, which ranked him as the 810^th wealthiest person in the world. ⁸ Charles Zegar sits on the board of trustees for New York University, as well as a member of the Nature Conservancy in New York board and the University of California Santa Barbara Foundation board. ⁹

Merryl Snow Zegar married Charles Zegar in 2001 after he was widowed. ⁸ Merryl Snow Zegar is the managing director and a trustee of the Zegar Family Foundation. The couple spends time in both New York City and Santa Barbara. She was a former attorney in New York City and later became an administrative law judge for the city of New York, as well as teaching at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. ¹⁰ Merryl Snow Zegar is involved on the board of several organizations, including as co-chair on the board of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and on the Emeritus Board of New York’s City Center. Additionally, Merryl is a member of the board of the Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts ¹⁰ and on the UC Santa Barbara Council for Arts & Lectures. ¹¹ Merryl Snow Zegar sits on the board of directors for the World Business Academy, a Santa Barbara based nonprofit and think tank. ¹²

1. Charles Zegar and Merryl Snow Zegar – Pledge Letter. The Giving Pledge. Accessed May 10, 2024. https://givingpledge.org/pledger?pledgerId=313
2. About the Giving Pledge – The Giving Pledge. The Giving Pledge. Accessed May 10, 2024. https://givingpledge.org/about
3.  “Bloomberg Philanthropies, Zegar Family Foundation Among Leading Philanthropic Organizations to Partner and Commit Over $223M to Reducing Methane Emissions.” Philanthropy New York. October 11, 2021. Accessed March 4, 2024. https://philanthropynewyork.org/news/bloomberg-philanthropies-zegar-family-foundation-among-leading-philanthropic-organizations
4. “Carbon Mapper Launches Satellite Program to Pinpoint Methane and CO2 Super Emitters.” Bloomberg Philanthropies. April 15, 2021. Accessed April 5, 2024. https://www.bloomberg.org/press/carbon-mapper-launches-satellite-program-to-pinpoint-methane-and-co2-super-emitters/
5. Zegar Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990-PF), 2020, Part XV, Section 3. https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2020/137/548/2020-137548507-202103579349100205-F.pdf?_gl=1*1rjlftd*_gcl_au*OTAxMzY5NjI3LjE3MDcyNTA2NDk.*_ga*MjExMDc1NDk5NS4xNzA3MjUwNjUw*_ga_5W8PXYYGBX*MTcwNzI1MDY1MC4xLjEuMTcwNzI1MTMzNy40MC4wLjA.
6. “Proud.” The Giving List. January 2, 2021. Accessed April 5, 2024. https://www.givinglistsantabarbara.com/2021/01/02/proud/
7. Block, Fang. “Bloomberg Co-Founder Forks Out $3.4M for Los Angeles Home.” Mansion Global. June, 14, 2017. Accessed April 5, 2024. https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/bloomberg-co-founder-forks-out-3-4m-for-los-angeles-home-65720
8. Forbes Profile – Charles Zegar. Forbes. Accessed April 17, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/profile/charles-zegar/?sh=be25d4115adc
9. New York University – Board – Trustees. New York University. Accessed April 17, 2024. https://www.nyu.edu/about/leadership-university-administration/board-of-trustees/trustees-s-z.html
10. McGuan, Jacqueline. “Merryl Snow Zegar Joins Santa Barbara Center for Performing Arts Board of Directors.” Noozhawk. October 24, 2017. Accessed April 17, 2024. https://www.noozhawk.com/merryl_snow_zegar_joins_santa_barbara_center_for_performing_arts_board/
11. 2024 Gala Nominee – Merryl Snow Zegar and Family. Tenement Museum. Accessed April 17, 2024. https://www.tenement.org/development_news/merryl-snow-zegar-and-family/
12. About – Board – Merryl Snow Zegar. World Business Academy. Accessed April 17, 2024. https://worldbusiness.org/team-category/our-board/