David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc
David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Arlington, Virginia. Its 2025 filing reports 13 grants totaling $265,000 to charitable organizations.
David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc gave $265K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), top state Maryland. 46% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $265,000
- +44.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +116.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,385
- -33.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $19,623,023
- +108.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (6 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (30% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc
- 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 for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 241 18Th Street South 630, Arlington, VA 22202
Phone: (703) 769-1023
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Friends of Hebrew University ($50K). Together the top 10 received $255K.
Grant Size Distribution
37 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 29 grants of 37 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland (30%), New York (29%), Virginia (29%), Washington, DC (6%), and Florida (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 13 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 1052% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 44% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $23K (2022) to $300K (2021). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $265K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Friends of Hebrew University New York, NY | Donation | $50,000 |
| Charles E Smith Jewish Day School Rockville, MD | Donation | $50,000 |
| National Sporting Library & Museum Middleburg, VA | Donation | $50,000 |
| George Mason University Foundation Inc Fairfax, VA | Donation | $25,000 |
| JSSA - Holocaust Survivors Program Rockville, MD | Donation | $20,000 |
| Children of Difference Foundation Palm Beach, FL | Donation | $15,000 |
| Open Mind Legacy Project New York, NY | Donation | $15,000 |
| Library of America New York, NY | Donation | $12,500 |
| The Chesapeake Orchestra Leonardtown, MD | Donation | $10,000 |
| American Council of Trustees and Alumni Washington, DC | Donation | $7,500 |
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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 | $19,623,023 | $10,578,971 | $292,214 | $265,000 | 13 | $267,796 | $401,480 | $612,616 |
| 2024 | $9,412,660 | $299,773 | $195,848 | $184,000 | 6 | $185,692 | $295,747 | $443,863 |
| 2023 | $9,308,735 | $318,354 | $43,207 | $39,000 | 7 | $40,650 | $304,562 | $428,247 |
| 2022 | $9,030,520 | $8,664,476 | $28,823 | $23,000 | 5 | $24,500 | $5,218 | $18,677 |
| 2021 | $397,908 | $383,847 | $305,780 | $300,000 | 6 | $301,500 | $84,567 | $18,590 |
| 2020 | $319,841 | $251,421 | $238,243 | $231,500 | 7 | — | $25,178 | $16,280 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $613K 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
The available information does not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2025 grants included support for educational, cultural, historical, and community organizations. For example, the George Mason University Foundation says it administers private gifts for the benefit of George Mason University; the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association says it preserves and manages George Washington’s estate and educates visitors about his life and legacy; and the Federation of State Humanities Councils says it advocates for investment in and engagement with humanities councils.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 13 grants totaling $265,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $15,000.
The largest reported grants were $50,000 each to American Friends of Hebrew University, Charles E Smith Jewish Day School, and National Sporting Library & Museum. Other grants included $25,000 to George Mason University Foundation, $20,000 to JSSA - Holocaust Survivors Program, $15,000 each to Children of Difference Foundation and Open Mind Legacy Project, and $12,500 to Library of America. The foundation also gave $10,000 to The Chesapeake Orchestra, $7,500 each to American Council of Trustees and Alumni and Washington Independent Review Books, $1,500 to The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, and $1,000 to Federation of State Humanities Councils.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
David Bruce Smith is listed as director and president on the 2025 filing.
David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc is led by David Bruce Smith, Director & President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David Bruce Smith
Director & President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc
How much does David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc give each year?
David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc gave $265K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $184K across 6 grants.
What is David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $20,385, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc that year got $17K on average.
Where does David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc give grants?
David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc's top state is Maryland, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (29%) and Virginia (29%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants), Rockville, MD (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (13 grants).
Who are David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include American Friends of Hebrew University ($50,000), Charles E Smith Jewish Day School ($50,000) and National Sporting Library & Museum ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc?
David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc reported $19.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $268K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $613K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc fund?
The available information does not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2025 grants included support for educational, cultural, historical, and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc's EIN?
David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4159215. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 19, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/david-bruce-smith-foundation-inc-morg_9b7d08f153ec46c38b728cbe1446b7b1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_464159215_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/david-bruce-smith-foundation-inc-morg_9b7d08f153ec46c38b728cbe1446b7b1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 David Bruce Smith Foundation Inc'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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