4S Family Foundation
4S Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in deaf education, youth homelessness, Christian education, and other areas.
4S Family Foundation at a glance
In short: 4S Family Foundation gave $170K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in Washington. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $170,000
- +28.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,000
- +15.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,446,376
- -4.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Washington (53% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to 4S Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who 4S Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Crossroads Bible Church ($60K). Together the top 8 received $170K.
Grant Size Distribution
19 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 17 grants of 19 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 53% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, 28% to Montana, and 6% each to Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio. The listed grants also included a recipient in Kentucky.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How 4S Family Foundation gives
- In 2025 it paid out 231% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2024 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $133K (2024) to $170K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $170K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Crossroads Bible Church Bellevue, WA | Sow to Reap Building Campaign | $60,000 |
| International Deaf Education Association Billings, MT | General & Unrestricted | $37,500 |
| Bellevue Christian School Bellevue, WA | Charitable Event | $10,000 |
| International Deaf Education Association Billings, MT | Multi-year grant for long term planning and birthday/christmas gifts for at least two students | $10,000 |
| John Wayne Birthplace Society Ltd Winterset, IA | Sigma Chi Memorial Campaign | $10,000 |
| New Horizons Ministries Seattle, WA | Long Term Grant Commitment for General Financial Support | $10,000 |
| New Horizons Ministries Seattle, WA | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Opportunity International Inc Carol Stream, IL | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Truth for Life Cleveland, OH | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trus Erlanger, KY | General & Unrestricted | $2,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,446,376 | $129,033 | $195,035 | $170,000 | 10 | $182,730 | $129,422 | $79,003 |
| 2024 | $1,512,378 | $75,993 | $157,909 | $132,500 | 9 | $143,595 | $268,790 | $77,628 |
| 2023 | $1,594,294 | $1,600,794 | $6,500 | — | — | $6,500 | $6,167 | $5,749 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, 4S Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $79K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. International Deaf Education Association says it works to foster self-reliance by providing opportunities for deaf children, adults, and families. New Horizons Ministries describes its mission as “ending homelessness, one young person at a time.” Bellevue Christian School says its mission is to prepare young people to live faithfully and fully for Christ. Other recipients included organizations focused on Bible teaching, poverty alleviation, and operating the John Wayne Birthplace for public enjoyment and appreciation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $170,000 through 10 grants. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $60,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
The largest grant was $60,000 to Crossroads Bible Church for its Sow to Reap Building Campaign. International Deaf Education Association received grants of $37,500 for general and unrestricted support and $10,000 for long-term planning and gifts for at least two students. New Horizons Ministries received two $10,000 grants, one for a long-term general financial support commitment and one for general and unrestricted support. Other grants of $10,000 went to Bellevue Christian School, John Wayne Birthplace Society Ltd, Opportunity International Inc, and Truth for Life. Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust received $2,500 for general and unrestricted support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sherri Ann Smolinske as secretary, treasurer, and director, and Stephen B Smolinske as president and director.
4S Family Foundation is led by Stephen B Smolinske, President & Director on every filing since 2023; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Stephen B Smolinske
President & Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sherri Ann Smolinske
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about 4S Family Foundation
How much does 4S Family Foundation give each year?
4S Family Foundation gave $170K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $133K across 9 grants.
What is 4S Family Foundation's typical grant size?
4S Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $17,000, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does 4S Family Foundation give grants?
4S Family Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Montana (28%) and Iowa (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bellevue, WA (2 grants), Billings, MT (2 grants) and Seattle, WA (2 grants).
Does 4S Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 60% of 4S Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are 4S Family Foundation's largest grantees?
4S Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Crossroads Bible Church ($60,000), International Deaf Education Association ($47,500 across 2 grants) and New Horizons Ministries ($20,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is 4S Family Foundation?
4S Family Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $183K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $79K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does 4S Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. International Deaf Education Association says it works to foster self-reliance by providing opportunities for deaf children, adults, and families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from 4S Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is 4S Family Foundation's EIN?
4S Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-2481820. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2025.
Does 4S Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
Live grants for the work 4S Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in 4S Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). 4S Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/4s-family-foundation-morg_899d970325d04617bfac37f14cddbdb2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_932481820_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{4S Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/4s-family-foundation-morg_899d970325d04617bfac37f14cddbdb2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from 4S Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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