Henry Laird Smith Foundation

NASHVILLE, TN EIN: 62-6271796

The Henry Laird Smith Foundation is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee, established in 1993. It operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with a focus on philanthropic grantmaking to support various charitable causes.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$12.5M

+8.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$623K

-10.1% YoY

Grant Count

-5.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$12K

-4.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Henry Laird Smith Foundation reported a distributable amount of $706K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding areas include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

The foundation made 70 grants in 2023, with a total giving amount of $692,499.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

Tennessee
Kentucky
New York

Grant Distribution by State

Tennessee $3.0M (94%)

Kentucky $119K (4%)

New York $36K (1%)

Colorado $31K (1%)

Virginia $12K (0%)

North Carolina $9K (0%)

Georgia $2K (0%)

Ohio $1K (0%)

+2 more states

States

Colorado Connecticut Georgia Kentucky Michigan North Carolina New York Ohio Tennessee Virginia

Cities

AcworthAlexandriaAnn ArborArapahoeAtlantaBedford HillsBrentwoodBronxCashiersCatskillCherry Hill VillageCherry Hills VillageColumbiaDenverEnglewoodFlat RockFranklinKnoxvilleLexingtonLynchburg

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 31, 2023:

Total Assets: $11,510,793
Total Giving: $692,499
Total Revenues: $1,207,669
Total Expenses: $799,380
Total Liabilities: $0

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$12,491,645	$11,510,793	$11,102,504
Revenue	$1,732,894	$1,207,669	$482,775
Expenses	$752,042	$799,380	$853,897
Qualifying Distributions	$677,910	$740,205	$739,623
Net Investment Income	$1,677,699	$1,148,494	$392,303
Distributable Amount	$705,914	$657,239	$722,135

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Harpeth Hall School ($126,000), The Land Trust for Tennessee ($101,000), Second Harvest ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AND-HOF ANIMALS SANCTUARY FOR FARM ANIMALS INC CATSKILL, NY	DONATION	$1,300
BATTLE GROUND ACADEMY FRANKLIN, TN	DONATION	$2,500
BLUE GRASS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION LEXINGTON, KY	DONATION	$1,000
BLUEGRASS CONSERVANCY LEXINGTON, KY	DONATION	$1,000
CAMP HORSIN' AROUND LEXINGTON, KY	DONATION	$5,000
CASA OF LEXINGTON LEXINGTON, KY	DONATION	$500
CENTENNIAL PARK CONSERVANCY NASHVILLE, TN	DONATION	$500
CHEEKWOOD NASHVILLE, TN	DONATION	$6,000
CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL NASHVILLE, TN	DONATION	$17,500
CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD BRENTWOOD, TN	DONATION	$3,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Equitable Trust Company serves as Trustee (as of 2023)

The foundation operates with 1 employee.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
EQUITABLE TRUST COMPANY	CO-TRUSTEE	10	$86,709
OVERTON T SMITH	TRUSTEE	5	—
MARGARET S WARNER	TRUSTEE	5	—
RUSSELL O STEWART	TRUSTEE	5	—

Contact Information

Address: 4400 Harding Pike, Suite 310, Nashville, TN 37205-2314

Telephone: 615-460-9240

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Henry Laird Smith Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from Henry Laird Smith Foundation?

**Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $100,000 to $200,000. **Recent Grants (2023):** • Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee: $200,000 • The Harpeth Hall School: $126,000 • The Land Trust for Tennessee: $51,000 • Harpeth Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation: $2,500 The foundation made 70 grants in 2023, with a total giving amount of $692,499.

Where does Henry Laird Smith Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Tennessee • Kentucky • New York

What size grants does Henry Laird Smith Foundation award?

In 2024, Henry Laird Smith Foundation awarded 50 grants totaling $623K — an average of about $12K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Henry Laird Smith Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Henry Laird Smith Foundation reported a distributable amount of $706K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.