Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust
The Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Bluefield, West Virginia. It made 24 grants totaling $56,000 in 2025, with awards concentrated in West Virginia and Virginia.
Key facts about Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust
In short: Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust gave $56K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in West Virginia. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 55-0717997
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $56,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- Average grant
- $2,333
- Median grant
- $2,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (6 of 24, 2025)
- Total assets
- $712,824
- Primary geography
- West Virginia (76% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to apply
- The trust accepts unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$713K
+0.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$56K
+14.3% YoY
Grant Count
24
+4.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
+9.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $54K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 24 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants supported organizations and activities including emergency services, homeless services, food pantries, cultural heritage, community initiatives, and the arts.
The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Historic Crab Orchard Museum describes its mission as preserving and promoting Appalachian cultural heritage relating to Tazewell County and southwestern Virginia. Hinton Area Foundation describes itself as a community foundation that channels contributions to benefit the local community and encourage giving. Westminster at Wade says it promotes the growth of children, teens, and young adults in the greater Bluefield community through programs and mentoring. Southwest Virginia Community College’s foundation says it supports the college and helps meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff. Buckskin Council says it operates for the benefit of the council and to carry out its purpose.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust awarded 24 grants totaling $56,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $5,500, with a median of $2,000.
Review Cycle
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The trust’s filing restricts awards to the general geographic area of southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia. In 2025, 76% of grant dollars went to West Virginia recipients, 19% to Virginia, 4% to Ohio, and 2% to Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 24 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $47K (2020) to $56K (2025). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $56K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Red Cross Southeast WV ($6K). Together the top 10 received $37K.
Grant Size Distribution
99 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 99 grants of 99 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Red Cross Southeast WV Charleston, WV | Emergency Services IN | $5,500 |
| Salvation Army Bluefield, WV | Homeless Services | $5,000 |
| A Child Shall Lead Them Food Pantry Tazewell, VA | Food Pantry | $4,500 |
| Bluefield Union Mission Bluefield, WV | Meeting Social, Physical | $4,000 |
| Helpful Harvest Food Bank Morgantown, WV | Community | $4,000 |
| Historic Crab Orchard Museum Tazewell, VA | Cultural Heritage Center | $3,000 |
| Tender Mercies Ministries Princeton, WV | Food Pantry | $3,000 |
| Bluefield Beautification Commission Bluefield, WV | New Landscape at the Art | $2,500 |
| Bluefield Arts & Revitalization Corp Bluefield, WV | Cultural Heritage Center | $2,500 |
| Hinton Area Foundation Inc Hinton, WV | General Operations | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $712,824 | $65,435 | $66,236 | $56,000 |
| 2024 | $711,211 | $71,110 | $59,235 | $49,000 |
| 2023 | $700,003 | $47,897 | $61,236 | $51,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $712,824 | $711,211 | $700,003 |
| Revenue | $65,435 | $71,110 | $47,897 |
| Expenses | $66,236 | $59,235 | $61,236 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $58,199 | $51,375 | $53,375 |
| Net Investment Income | $58,414 | $63,445 | $40,494 |
| Distributable Amount | $54,320 | $54,231 | $51,427 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 1, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists First Community Bank as trustee. Roger L. Phipps, Jeffrey L. Farmer, and Sam Hill are listed on the selection committee.
Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
First Community Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$8K (2020) → $9K (2025)
Jeffrey L. Farmer
Selection Committee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roger L. Phipps
Selection Committee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sam Hill
Selection Committee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $9K, to First Community Bank (Trustee).
Contact
Application contact: Jeffrey L Farmer
Mailing address: P O Box 950, Bluefield, WV 24701
Phone: (000) 000-0000
Frequently asked questions about Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust
How much does Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust give each year?
Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust gave $56K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $49K across 23 grants.
What is Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,333, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust that year got $2K on average.
Where does Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust give grants?
Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust gives mostly in West Virginia: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Virginia (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bluefield, WV (9 grants), Charleston, WV (3 grants), Tazewell, VA (2 grants) and Princeton, WV (2 grants).
Does Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 13% of Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (3 grants).
Who are Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include American Red Cross Southeast WV ($5,500), Salvation Army ($5,000) and A Child Shall Lead Them Food Pantry ($4,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust?
Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust reported $713K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $58K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $54K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants supported organizations and activities including emergency services, homeless services, food pantries, cultural heritage, community initiatives, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust?
The trust accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust's EIN?
Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 55-0717997. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Frank Litz Smoot Charitable Trust accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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