Henry Laird Smith Foundation
The Henry Laird Smith Foundation is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Tennessee.
Henry Laird Smith Foundation at a glance
In short: Henry Laird Smith Foundation gave $601K across 49 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Tennessee. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $601,000
- -3.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 49
- -2.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,265
- -1.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $12,811,247
- +2.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (5 of 49, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (91% 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 Henry Laird Smith 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 for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4400 Harding Pike Suite 310, Nashville, TN 37205-5215
Phone: (615) 460-9240
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Henry Laird Smith Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Second Harvest ($150K). Together the top 10 received $454K.
Grant Size Distribution
273 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 253 grants of 273 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee, 5% to Kentucky, 2% to Colorado, 2% to Virginia, and 1% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 49 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Henry Laird Smith Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 49 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 84% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 83% 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 $601K (2025) to $850K (2021). In 2025 it made 49 grants totaling $601K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Second Harvest Nashville, TN | Donation | $150,000 |
| The Land Trust for Tennessee Nashville, TN | Donation | $106,000 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Development Nashville, TN | Donation | $50,000 |
| Nashville Tree Foundation Nashville, TN | Donation | $30,000 |
| Harpeth Hall School Nashville, TN | Donation | $26,000 |
| Travelers Rest Nashville, TN | Donation | $21,000 |
| Heritage Foundation Franklin, TN | Donation | $20,000 |
| The Welcome Garden Goodlettsville, TN | Donation | $18,000 |
| Christ Church Cathedral Nashville, TN | Donation | $17,500 |
| St George's Episcopal Church Nashville, TN | Donation | $15,000 |
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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 | $12,811,247 | $1,070,011 | $750,409 | $601,000 | 49 | $642,827 | $993,069 | $777,105 |
| 2024 | $12,491,645 | $1,732,894 | $752,042 | $622,890 | 50 | $677,910 | $1,677,699 | $705,914 |
| 2023 | $11,510,793 | $1,207,669 | $799,380 | $692,499 | 53 | $740,205 | $1,148,494 | $657,239 |
| 2022 | $11,102,504 | $482,775 | $853,897 | $690,839 | 50 | $739,623 | $392,303 | $722,135 |
| 2021 | $11,473,626 | $1,426,311 | $1,011,208 | $850,250 | 71 | $904,780 | $1,327,391 | $871,212 |
| 2020 | $11,058,523 | $768,560 | $882,597 | $753,250 | 70 | — | $693,472 | $707,593 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Henry Laird Smith Foundation reported a distributable amount of $777K 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 include support for organizations working in areas such as food assistance, land conservation, urban forestry, education, health, community services, and the arts. These are descriptions of grantees’ work, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
For example, The Land Trust for Tennessee says its mission is to conserve the state’s natural and historic landscapes and sites. Nashville Tree Foundation describes its work as preserving and enhancing Nashville’s urban forests through tree planting, identification, and public education. St. Luke’s Community House says it provides early education, food access, and other supportive services.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 49 grants totaling $601,000. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $150,000, with a median grant of $3,000.
The largest reported grants included $150,000 to Second Harvest, $106,000 to The Land Trust for Tennessee, $50,000 to Vanderbilt University Medical Center Development, $30,000 to Nashville Tree Foundation, and $26,000 to Harpeth Hall School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Equitable Trust Company as co-trustee and Overton T. Smith, Russell O. Stewart, Ellen Smith, Jeannette Warner, and Sloan Warner Jr. as trustees.
Henry Laird Smith Foundation's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Equitable Trust Company
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$74K (2020) → $63K (2025)
Overton T. Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Russell O. Stewart
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ellen Smith
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeannette Warner
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sloan Warner Jr.
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Margaret S. Warner (2020–2024) — Trustee
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 $63K, to Equitable Trust Company (Co-Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Henry Laird Smith Foundation
How much does Henry Laird Smith Foundation give each year?
Henry Laird Smith Foundation gave $601K across 49 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $623K across 50 grants.
What is Henry Laird Smith Foundation's typical grant size?
Henry Laird Smith Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $12,265, across 49 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Henry Laird Smith Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Henry Laird Smith Foundation give grants?
Henry Laird Smith Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (31 grants) and Lexington, KY (10 grants).
Does Henry Laird Smith Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 49 grants with a stated purpose on Henry Laird Smith Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (49 grants).
Who are Henry Laird Smith Foundation's largest grantees?
Henry Laird Smith Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Second Harvest ($150,000), The Land Trust for Tennessee ($106,000) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center Development ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Henry Laird Smith Foundation?
Henry Laird Smith Foundation reported $12.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $643K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $777K (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 Henry Laird Smith Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as food assistance, land conservation, urban forestry, education, health, community services, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Henry Laird Smith Foundation?
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 Henry Laird Smith Foundation's EIN?
Henry Laird Smith Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-6271796. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Henry Laird Smith 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Henry Laird Smith Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/henry-laird-smith-foundation-morg_2857d42b36d4404abfa87ade86b2df94
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_626271796_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Henry Laird Smith Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/henry-laird-smith-foundation-morg_2857d42b36d4404abfa87ade86b2df94},
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 Henry Laird Smith 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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