George D Smith Fund Inc
George D Smith Fund Inc is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including universities, health organizations, public media organizations, and other nonprofits.
George D Smith Fund Inc at a glance
In short: George D Smith Fund Inc gave $4.3M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $335K), top state California. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,350,000
- +9.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +18.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $334,615
- -7.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $300,000
- Total assets
- $49,892,698
- -3.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (26% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to George D Smith Fund 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: 1525 E 53Rd Street Suite 502, Chicago, IL 60615
Phone: (773) 341-1410
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who George D Smith Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc ($700K). Together the top 10 received $4.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
62 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $250–500K range: 23 grants of 62 (37%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund’s 2025 grant dollars were distributed across recipients in multiple states and the District of Columbia. The largest reported shares went to California (26%), New York (23%), and Washington, DC (22%), followed by Maryland (10%) and Massachusetts (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is George D Smith Fund Inc open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 13 grantees (8%) 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 $250K; repeat grants $342K. How we count
Medians: $250K first-time, $350K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% 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 $3.8M (2023) to $4.5M (2020). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $4.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc New York, NY | Organization's Charitable Purposes | $700,000 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Organization's Charitable Purposes | $600,000 |
| University of California San Francisco Foundation San Francisco, CA | Organization's Charitable Purposes | $550,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders Hagerstown, MD | Organization's Charitable Purposes | $450,000 |
| Wikimedia Foundation Inc Washington, DC | Organization's Charitable Purposes | $450,000 |
| National Public Radio Inc Washington, DC | Organization's Charitable Purposes | $400,000 |
| Propublica New York, NY | Organization's Charitable Purposes | $300,000 |
| GBH Educational Foundation Boston, MA | Organization's Charitable Purposes | $275,000 |
| PBS Foundation Arlington, VA | Organization's Charitable Purposes | $250,000 |
| American Public Media St. Paul, MN | Organization's Charitable Purposes | $150,000 |
Ready to take the next step with George D Smith Fund Inc?
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 | $49,892,698 | $2,604,050 | $4,594,735 | $4,350,000 | 13 | $4,353,281 | $2,399,143 | $4,507,848 |
| 2024 | $51,883,383 | $2,527,757 | $4,257,120 | $3,985,000 | 11 | $3,988,042 | $2,279,069 | $4,310,503 |
| 2023 | $53,477,262 | $2,014,760 | $4,047,277 | $3,770,000 | 13 | $3,776,445 | $1,934,538 | $3,945,567 |
| 2022 | $55,509,779 | $2,458,120 | $4,638,933 | $4,315,100 | 14 | $4,322,864 | $2,199,996 | $4,035,654 |
| 2021 | $57,685,040 | $6,392,204 | $4,214,711 | $3,900,400 | 11 | $3,916,785 | $6,109,279 | $4,450,002 |
| 2020 | $55,507,547 | $5,239,640 | $4,802,045 | $4,500,400 | 11 | — | $4,989,202 | $3,836,956 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, George D Smith Fund Inc reported a distributable amount of $4.5M 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 fund is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for higher education, reproductive health, humanitarian work, public media, and access to educational content. These are descriptions of grantees’ work, not stated priorities of the fund.
For example, Planned Parenthood Federation of America describes its mission as providing leadership in comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care and advocating public policies. The Wikimedia Foundation says its mission is to empower people to develop educational content under a free license or in the public domain and disseminate it globally. NPR describes its work as collaborating with member stations to create a more informed public through noncommercial programming. PBS Foundation says it secures philanthropic support to promote public broadcasting programs and services.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund reported 13 grants totaling $4,350,000. Grants ranged from $50,000 to $700,000, with a median of $300,000.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $700,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, $600,000 to Stanford University, $550,000 to University of California San Francisco Foundation, and $450,000 each to Doctors Without Borders and Wikimedia Foundation. Other reported grants included $400,000 to National Public Radio, $300,000 to ProPublica, and $275,000 to GBH Educational Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Benjamin A Smith-Donald, president; George D Smith III and Andrew J Smith, vice presidents; Geoffrey B Smith, treasurer; Sarah A Smith, secretary; and Camilla M Smith, director.
George D Smith Fund Inc is led by Benjamin A. Smith-Donald, President on every filing since 2023; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Benjamin A. Smith-Donald
President
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Camilla M. Smith
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George D. Smith III
Vice President
President → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah A. Smith
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew J. Smith
Vice President
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Geoffrey B. Smith
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: A. Smith (2020–2022) — Vice President
- Former: B. Smith-Donald (2020–2022) — President
- Former: Gb Smith (2020–2022) — Treasurer
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 George D Smith Fund Inc
How much does George D Smith Fund Inc give each year?
George D Smith Fund Inc gave $4.3M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $4.0M across 11 grants.
What is George D Smith Fund Inc's typical grant size?
George D Smith Fund Inc's median grant in 2025 was $300,000, and its average grant was $334,615, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from George D Smith Fund Inc that year got $250K on average.
Where does George D Smith Fund Inc give grants?
George D Smith Fund Inc's top state is California, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (23%) and District of Columbia (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Who are George D Smith Fund Inc's largest grantees?
George D Smith Fund Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc ($700,000), Stanford University ($600,000) and University of California San Francisco Foundation ($550,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is George D Smith Fund Inc?
George D Smith Fund Inc reported $49.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.5M (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 George D Smith Fund Inc fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for higher education, reproductive health, humanitarian work, public media, and access to educational content. These are descriptions of grantees’ work, not stated priorities of the fund. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from George D Smith Fund 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 George D Smith Fund Inc's EIN?
George D Smith Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6138728. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does George D Smith Fund Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 29, 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 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). George D Smith Fund Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/george-d-smith-fund-inc-morg_a2307d064844450e987529f0af52cd6a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136138728_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{George D Smith Fund Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/george-d-smith-fund-inc-morg_a2307d064844450e987529f0af52cd6a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 George D Smith Fund 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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