J Smith Howell Foundation
The J Smith Howell Foundation is a private foundation based in Saint Louis, Missouri. In 2025, it made 23 grants totaling $75,000, all reported for scholarship purposes and to recipients in an individual recipient
J Smith Howell Foundation at a glance
In short: J Smith Howell Foundation gave $75K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in North Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $75,000
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,261
- +2.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,500
- Total assets
- $1,428,482
- -1.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to J Smith Howell Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing directs applicants to apply online through the Center for Scholarship Admin and review the award restrictions there. All 2025 grants were scholarships paid to an individual recipient colleges and universities.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists March 21. That date has passed for the current calendar year.
- Deadline
- The filing lists March 21.
- Contact
Application contact: Center For Scholarship Admin
Mailing address: 4320 Wade Hampton Blvd, Taylors, SC 29687
Phone: (864) 268-3363
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who J Smith Howell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Western Carolina University ($36K across 11 grants). Together the top 7 received $65K.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($10,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 113 grants of 113 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in an individual recipient
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How J Smith Howell Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $70K (2024) to $96K (2019). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $75K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 3 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $10,500 |
| Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC | Scholarship | $4,000 |
| Western Carolina University Raleigh, NC | Scholarship | $4,000 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel H Chapel Hill, NC | Scholarship | $4,000 |
| Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC | Scholarship | $4,000 |
| Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC | Scholarship | $4,000 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel H Charlotte, NC | Scholarship | $4,000 |
| Wingate University Wingate, NC | Scholarship | $3,500 |
| University of North Carolina - Charlotte Charlotte, NC | Scholarship | $3,500 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel H Raleigh, NC | Scholarship | $3,500 |
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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 | $1,428,482 | $79,107 | $110,220 | $75,000 | 23 | $89,585 | $59,428 | $96,752 |
| 2024 | $1,448,589 | $78,440 | $106,408 | $70,000 | 22 | $87,233 | $60,452 | $91,189 |
| 2023 | $1,467,034 | $69,497 | $111,319 | $82,000 | 21 | $94,384 | $51,968 | $78,781 |
| 2022 | $1,506,000 | $36,874 | $114,315 | $83,500 | 21 | $96,219 | $18,554 | $86,665 |
| 2021 | $1,578,115 | $99,836 | $111,923 | $75,000 | 26 | $89,377 | $79,880 | $102,055 |
| 2020 | $1,580,260 | $163,971 | $114,035 | $83,000 | 29 | — | $146,431 | $79,179 |
| 2019 | $1,529,517 | $152,444 | $128,808 | $96,000 | 8 | — | $134,773 | $83,856 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, J Smith Howell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $97K 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 grant records show scholarship giving to universities. Among the supported grantees, an individual recipient State University describes its mission as supporting the university’s colleges, libraries, and other university-connected functions through financial assistance and other means. Western Carolina University describes its mission as aiding and promoting education and charitable activities at the university. The University of an individual recipient at Chapel Hill’s Arts and Sciences Foundation describes its work as raising funds for the college’s faculty, students, facilities, and programs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 23 grants totaling $75,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $5,500, with a median of $3,500; the listed purposes were scholarships. Notable awards included $5,500 to an individual recipient State University; $4,000 awards to Western Carolina University and the University of an individual recipient at Chapel Hill; and a $3,500 award to Wingate University.
The foundation’s 2025 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It directs applicants to contact the Center for Scholarship Admin, submit materials online, and review award restrictions online.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Wells Fargo Bank N.A. is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
J Smith Howell Foundation's only listed officer is Wells Fargo Bank N A, Trustee on every filing since 2019 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Wells Fargo Bank N A
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$23K (2019) → $25K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $25K, to Wells Fargo Bank N a (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about J Smith Howell Foundation
How much does J Smith Howell Foundation give each year?
J Smith Howell Foundation gave $75K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $70K across 22 grants.
What is J Smith Howell Foundation's typical grant size?
J Smith Howell Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,500, and its average grant was $3,261, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does J Smith Howell Foundation give grants?
J Smith Howell Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cullowhee, NC (9 grants), Charlotte, NC (3 grants), Raleigh, NC (2 grants) and Boone, NC (2 grants).
Does J Smith Howell Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on J Smith Howell Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (23 grants).
Who are J Smith Howell Foundation's largest grantees?
J Smith Howell Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Western Carolina University ($36,000 across 11 grants), University of North Carolina at Chapel H ($11,500 across 3 grants) and Appalachian State University ($5,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($10,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is J Smith Howell Foundation?
J Smith Howell Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $90K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $97K (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 J Smith Howell Foundation fund?
The available grant records show scholarship giving to universities. Among the supported grantees, an individual recipient State University describes its mission as supporting the university’s colleges, libraries, and other university-connected functions through financial assistance and other means. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from J Smith Howell Foundation?
The filing directs applicants to apply online through the Center for Scholarship Admin and review the award restrictions there. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is J Smith Howell Foundation's EIN?
J Smith Howell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-3135477. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
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 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 3, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
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—
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). J Smith Howell Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/j-smith-howell-foundation-morg_d10e21cb7e4f456da2642c0ab4e1af16
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_743135477_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{J Smith Howell Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/j-smith-howell-foundation-morg_d10e21cb7e4f456da2642c0ab4e1af16},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 J Smith Howell 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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