John and Gwen Smart Foundation
The John and Gwen Smart Foundation is a private foundation based in Lisle, Illinois. In 2024, it reported 18 grants totaling $3,380,000 to charitable organizations.
John and Gwen Smart Foundation at a glance
In short: John and Gwen Smart Foundation gave $3.4M across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $188K), mostly in California. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,380,000
- -0.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- -14.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $187,778
- +16.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $112,500
- Total assets
- $36,701,733
- +2.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (4 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (53% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to John and Gwen Smart Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1001 Warrenville Road 500, Lisle, IL 60532-4306
Phone: (331) 401-5961
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John and Gwen Smart Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Stanford University ($1.2M across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $3.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 41 grants of 109 (38%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in California (53%), New York (28%), Illinois (15%), and Maryland (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is John and Gwen Smart Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 15 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $163K; repeat grants $248K. How we count
Medians: $85K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+17%). Method
- In 2024 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.8M (2020) to $3.6M (2022). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $3.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Usher III Initiative Inc Chicago, IL | General Operations | $500,000 |
| New York Women's Foundation New York, NY | General Operations | $450,000 |
| Stanford University Redwood City, CA | Metastatic Breast Cancer Research | $420,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Sacramento, CA | San Andreas Corrido | $350,000 |
| Stanford University Redwood City, CA | Byers Eye Institute | $300,000 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Allen Morgan Standish Library Fund | $300,000 |
| Rogosin Institute Inc New York, NY | General Operations | $210,000 |
| Stanford University Redwood City, CA | Parkinson's Research | $150,000 |
| American Nurses Foundation Silver Spring, MD | General Operations | $120,000 |
| Creativity Explored San Francisco, CA | General Operations | $105,000 |
Ready to take the next step with John and Gwen Smart Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $36,701,733 | $4,866,403 | $3,840,045 | $3,380,000 | 18 | $3,401,503 | $4,482,861 | $4,077,226 |
| 2023 | $35,675,375 | $1,127,905 | $3,760,924 | $3,400,000 | 21 | $3,420,212 | $692,772 | $3,399,006 |
| 2022 | $38,308,394 | $308,314 | $4,132,365 | $3,600,000 | 23 | $3,684,107 | $56,543 | $3,467,635 |
| 2021 | $42,132,445 | $13,893,439 | $3,951,299 | $2,900,000 | 22 | $2,960,860 | $13,078,000 | $3,643,421 |
| 2020 | $32,190,305 | $4,273,234 | $3,348,470 | $2,800,000 | 25 | — | $3,798,273 | $2,952,819 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John and Gwen Smart Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.1M for 2024 — 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in a range of areas. For example, the Usher III Initiative describes its work as pursuing small-molecule chaperone therapy to develop a treatment to slow or reverse vision loss associated with Usher III. The New York Women’s Foundation describes its work as investing in women-led, community-based solutions to promote the economic security, safety, and health of overlooked women.
Other supported organizations describe their work as advancing nursing education and research (American Nurses Foundation), creating an art studio-based collective with people with developmental disabilities (Creativity Explored), serving Northern California through community-supported media (KQED), and working to create a sustainable world for all animals (High Plateau Humane Society). The filing also lists grants for research, conservation, and other purposes, including metastatic breast cancer research and the San Andreas Corridor.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $3,380,000. Grants ranged from $30,000 to $500,000, with a median of $112,500. Among the largest were $500,000 to the Usher III Initiative for general operations; $450,000 to the New York Women’s Foundation for general operations; $420,000 to Stanford University for metastatic breast cancer research; and $350,000 to The Nature Conservancy for the San Andreas Corridor. Other reported grants included $300,000 to Stanford University for the Byers Eye Institute and $210,000 to Rogosin Institute for general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Nancy Smart as president and director, Ellen Oswald as treasurer and director, and William Oswald as secretary and director.
John and Gwen Smart Foundation is led by Nancy Smart, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nancy Smart
President & Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$30K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Ellen Oswald
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$18K (2020) → $0 (2024)
William Oswald
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$18K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2022 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2022 filing was $32K, to William Oswald (Secretary and Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about John and Gwen Smart Foundation
How much does John and Gwen Smart Foundation give each year?
John and Gwen Smart Foundation gave $3.4M across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.4M across 21 grants.
What is John and Gwen Smart Foundation's typical grant size?
John and Gwen Smart Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $112,500, and its average grant was $187,778, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John and Gwen Smart Foundation that year got $163K on average.
Where does John and Gwen Smart Foundation give grants?
John and Gwen Smart Foundation gives mostly in California: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (28%) and Illinois (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants), Redwood City, CA (3 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does John and Gwen Smart Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 56% of John and Gwen Smart Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John and Gwen Smart Foundation's largest grantees?
John and Gwen Smart Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Stanford University ($1,170,000 across 4 grants), Usher III Initiative Inc ($500,000) and New York Women's Foundation ($450,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is John and Gwen Smart Foundation?
John and Gwen Smart Foundation reported $36.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.1M (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 John and Gwen Smart Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in a range of areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John and Gwen Smart Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John and Gwen Smart Foundation's EIN?
John and Gwen Smart Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-1535437. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does John and Gwen Smart 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work John and Gwen Smart 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 John and Gwen Smart Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John and Gwen Smart Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-gwen-smart-foundation-morg_9e4d0eefcdc14ab093d843af8313da05
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_811535437_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John and Gwen Smart Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-gwen-smart-foundation-morg_9e4d0eefcdc14ab093d843af8313da05},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 John and Gwen Smart 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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