Jean Mr Smith Foundation
The Jean Mr Smith Foundation is a private foundation based in Bad Axe, Michigan. Its 2025 filing lists scholarships for Huron County residents and grants for program improvements among its giving.
Jean Mr Smith Foundation at a glance
In short: Jean Mr Smith Foundation gave $617K across 89 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $617,321
- +41.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 89
- +15.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,936
- +22.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,500
- Total assets
- $6,902,915
- -4.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Michigan (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 Jean Mr Smith Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Individual scholarship applicants are required to submit an application, academic record, SAT scores, EFC, and two letters of reference. Applicants must be Huron County residents.
- Review Cycle
- March 1 of the applicant’s senior year of high school.
- Deadline
- March 1 of the applicant’s senior year of high school.
- Contact
Application contact: Rosemary Esch
Mailing address: PO Box 42, Bad Axe, MI 48413
Phone: (989) 860-8169
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Jean Mr Smith Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 3 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker School ($70K). Together the top 3 received $98K.
Organizations only. It also paid 86 individual scholarships ($519,321), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
387 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 386 grants of 387 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2025 went to recipients in Michigan. Scholarship applicants must be Huron County residents.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 89 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Jean Mr Smith Foundation gives
- Giving grew 66% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 141% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $350K (2021) to $617K (2025). In 2025 it made 89 grants totaling $617K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker School Pigeon, MI | Grant for Program Improvements | $70,000 |
| Huron Intermediate School District Bad Axe, MI | Grant for Program Improvements | $25,000 |
| 48 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $356,156 |
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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 | $6,902,915 | $506,836 | $826,385 | $617,321 | 89 | $728,936 | $419,262 | $518,017 |
| 2024 | $7,222,034 | $624,345 | $611,491 | $436,411 | 77 | $524,835 | $537,689 | $508,943 |
| 2023 | $7,209,550 | $404,066 | $514,461 | $371,206 | 70 | $451,591 | $341,196 | $473,934 |
| 2022 | $7,319,571 | $378,591 | $539,648 | $372,666 | 75 | $450,672 | $308,477 | $480,253 |
| 2021 | $7,480,447 | $1,083,613 | $479,415 | $349,905 | 76 | $407,863 | $1,014,501 | $515,828 |
| 2020 | $6,876,125 | $615,443 | $510,694 | $370,483 | 67 | — | $550,361 | $452,419 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jean Mr Smith Foundation reported a distributable amount of $518K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing requires scholarship applicants to be Huron County residents. Its 2025 grants also included program-improvement grants to schools and a school district.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 89 grants totaling $617,321. Grant amounts ranged from $183 to $70,000, with a median of $6,500. Its largest grant was $70,000 to Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker School in Pigeon, Michigan, for program improvements. Huron Intermediate School District in Bad Axe received $25,000 for program improvements. The filing also lists scholarship grants to individual recipients.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Marc Hill as president, Rosemary Esch as vice president and executive director, John Schwedler as vice president, Marion Herrington as secretary, Tom Pellerito as treasurer, and David Cooke and Amanda Rapp as directors.
Jean Mr Smith Foundation is led by Marc Hill, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); all 7 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marc Hill
President
Treasurer → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
$500 (2020) → $1K (2025)
Rosemary Esch
Vice President & Executive Director
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$27K (2020) → $39K (2025)
David Cooke
Director
Member → President, 2022
President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $1K (2025)
Amanda Rapp
Director Collg Cn
Member → Director Collg Cn, 2025
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
$1K (2022) → $13K (2025)
John Schwedler
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
$1K (2020) → $1K (2025)
Marion Herrington
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$500 (2020) → $1K (2025)
Tom Pellerito
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
$600 (2024) → $1K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Robert Sajdak (2020–2021) — President
- Former: Nancy Smith (2020) — 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $39K, to Rosemary Esch (VP/Exec DIR). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Jean Mr Smith Foundation
How much does Jean Mr Smith Foundation give each year?
Jean Mr Smith Foundation gave $617K across 89 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $436K across 77 grants.
What is Jean Mr Smith Foundation's typical grant size?
Jean Mr Smith Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,500, and its average grant was $6,936, across 89 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Jean Mr Smith Foundation give grants?
Jean Mr Smith Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does Jean Mr Smith Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 1% of Jean Mr Smith Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 89) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (86 grants).
Who are Jean Mr Smith Foundation's largest grantees?
Jean Mr Smith Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker School ($70,000), Huron Intermediate School District ($25,000) and Council of Michigan Foundations ($3,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 86 individual scholarships ($519,321), which are not listed by name. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Jean Mr Smith Foundation?
Jean Mr Smith Foundation reported $6.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $729K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $518K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Jean Mr Smith Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing requires scholarship applicants to be Huron County residents. Its 2025 grants also included program-improvement grants to schools and a school district. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jean Mr Smith Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Jean Mr Smith Foundation's EIN?
Jean Mr Smith Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3323030. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 28, 2021)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 22, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Jean Mr Smith Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Jean Mr Smith Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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