The John and Gwen Smart Foundation is a private foundation based in Lisle, Illinois. The foundation maintains a significant asset base and distributes grants to nonprofit organizations across multiple focus areas.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$36.7M
+2.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.4M
-0.6% YoY
Grant Count
18
-14.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$188K
+16.0% YoY
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding priorities include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Science education and STEM initiatives
Grantmaking
The foundation primarily directs grants to organizations in:
Grant Range
& Frequency**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $36,701,733
- Total Annual Giving: $3,380,000
- EIN: 81-1535437
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $36,701,733 | $35,675,375 | $38,308,394 |
| Revenue | $4,866,403 | $1,127,905 | $308,314 |
| Expenses | $3,840,045 | $3,760,924 | $4,132,365 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,401,503 | $3,420,212 | $3,684,107 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,482,861 | $692,772 | $56,543 |
| Distributable Amount | $4,077,226 | $3,399,006 | $3,467,635 |
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
109 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Usher Iii Initiative Inc ($500,000), New York Women's Foundation ($450,000), Stanford University ($420,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY REDWOOD CITY, CA | METASTATIC BREAST CANCER RESEARCH | $420,000 |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY REDWOOD CITY, CA | PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | $150,000 |
| CREATIVITY EXPLORED SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $105,000 |
| THREE JEWELS OUTREACH CENTER INC NEW YORK, NY | NANDI YOGA PROJECT | $50,000 |
| KQED INC SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $50,000 |
| USHER III INITIATIVE INC CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $500,000 |
| NEW YORK WOMEN'S FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $450,000 |
| CORNELL UNIVERSITY NEW YORK, NY | WEILL CORNELL MEDICINE COVID 19 | $85,000 |
| DAY ONE NEW YORK INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $30,000 |
| WOMEN IN NEED INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL OPERATIONS | $80,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| WILLIAM OSWALD | SECRETARY AND DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| ELLEN OSWALD | TREASURER AND DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| NANCY SMART | PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR | 10 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does John and Gwen Smart Foundation fund?
The foundation's primary funding priorities include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Science education and STEM initiatives
How do I apply for a grant from John and Gwen Smart Foundation?
**Grant Size & Frequency** • Typical grant awards range from $15,000 to $500,000 • Annual giving: $3,380,000 (based on most recent IRS 990 filing) **Geographic Focus** The foundation primarily directs grants to organizations in: • California • New York • Maryland
What size grants does John and Gwen Smart Foundation award?
In 2024, John and Gwen Smart Foundation awarded 18 grants totaling $3.4M — an average of about $188K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is John and Gwen Smart Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, John and Gwen Smart Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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.
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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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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