John I Smith Charities Inc

GREER, SC EIN: 57-0806327

John I Smith Charities Inc is a private foundation established in 1985 and based in Greer, South Carolina. The organization holds tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 57-0806327) and has been tax-exempt since December 1986. The foundation focuses on philanthropic giving across multiple sectors with a primary emphasis on higher education, human services, and the arts.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$23.4M

+2.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.3M

-9.4% YoY

Grant Count

+10.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$28K

-17.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John I Smith Charities Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2025 — 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 giving priorities include:

Higher Education — including graduate and professional education
Human Services
Arts and Culture
Religion — with emphasis on Christianity and theology
Education — broadly conceived

The foundation supports nonprofit organizations serving communities across the Southeast, with particular emphasis on upstate South Carolina.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

approximately $134 (based on recent data)

Average Grant

approximately $134 (based on recent data)

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

South Carolina (with emphasis on upstate South Carolina)
Georgia
North Carolina

Specific communities supported include Clinton, Columbia, Davidson, Decatur, Greenville, Greer, Seneca, Spartanburg, and Taylors.

Grant Distribution by State

South Carolina $5.8M (82%)

Georgia $625K (9%)

North Carolina $595K (8%)

Kansas $70K (1%)

Texas $10K (0%)

States

Georgia Kansas North Carolina South Carolina Texas

Cities

ClintonColumbiaDavidsonDecaturGreenvilleGreerIrvingLaurinburgMauldinPickensPrairie VillageSenecaSpartanburgTaylors

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (Most Recent Fiscal Year):

Total Assets: $23.4 million
Total Revenue: approximately $1.36–$1.98 million
Total Expenses: approximately $1.47–$1.57 million
Total Giving: approximately $1.25–$1.4 million

Financial Position:

Total Liabilities: $0
The foundation maintains a strong financial position with no outstanding debt

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	$23,432,448	$22,929,011	$23,139,181
Revenue	$1,977,403	$1,358,994	$475,855
Expenses	$1,473,966	$1,569,164	$1,531,556
Qualifying Distributions	$1,266,400	$1,396,400	$1,359,400
Net Investment Income	$1,824,262	$1,211,414	$574,742
Distributable Amount	$1,442,625	$1,359,935	$1,307,197

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 2025

Grant Size Distribution

203 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Columbia Seminary ($100,000), Pendleton Place Inc ($100,000), American Red Cross Upstate ($50,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
A CHILD'S HAVEN GREENVILLE, SC	MATCHING GRANT FOR HOLIDAY BRUNCH	$25,000
AMERICAN RED CROSS UPSTATE GREENVILLE, SC	FUNDING FOR DISASTER RELIEF AND MILITARY MEMBER SUPPORT	$50,000
ASSOCIATION OF PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES DECATUR, GA	SUPPORT THE PRESBYTERIAN LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE	$15,000
CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES GREENVILLE, SC	SUPPORT PRESENTING SCHOLARSHIP FOR 2025 EGGS BENEFIT FOR CDS	$25,000
COLUMBIA SEMINARY DECATUR, GA	UNRESTRICTED	$100,000
CREATIVE ADVANCEMENT CENTERS GREER, SC	AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM	$15,000
DAVIDSON COLLEGE DAVIDSON, NC	SUPPORT STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS	$50,000
ETV ENDOWMENT OF SC SPARTANBURG, SC	CHILDRENS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FUNDING	$15,000
FINE ARTS CENTER PARTNERS CO THE FINE ARTS CENTER GREENVILLE, SC	SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SUMMER ARTS PROGRAMS	$10,000
FURMAN UNIVERSITY GREENVILLE, SC	FUNDING RILEY INSTITUTE	$50,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Jefferson V Smith Jr — Director and President
Elizabeth Clayton — Director and Vice President
Travis V Olmert — Director and Treasurer

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JEFFERSON V SMITH JR	DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT	4	$12,000
ELIZABETH CLAYTON	DIRECTOR, VICE PRESIDENT	4	$12,000
TRAVIS V OLMERT	DIRECTOR, TREASURER	4	$12,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation made a new gift to the SCICU Student Lifeline Grants Program, demonstrating continued commitment to supporting higher education access in South Carolina.

John I. Smith Charities makes new gift to SCICU Student Lifeline Grants Program

Frequently Asked Questions

What does John I Smith Charities Inc fund?

The foundation's giving priorities include: • **Higher Education** — including graduate and professional education • **Human Services** • **Arts and Culture** • **Religion** — with emphasis on Christianity and theology • **Education** — broadly conceived The foundation supports nonprofit organizations serving communities across the Southeast, with particular emphasis on upstate South Carolina.

How do I apply for a grant from John I Smith Charities Inc?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 49 grants in the most recent fiscal year • Typical award range: $5,000–$150,000 • Average grant size: approximately $134 (based on recent data) • Total giving in recent year: approximately $1.25–$1.4 million **Types of Support:** • General operating support • Project support • Seed money • Endowments • Challenge and matching grants • Building funds • Equipment • Scholarships **Recent Grant Examples:** • Columbia Theological Seminary: $100,000 (unrestricted) • Pendleto…

Where does John I Smith Charities Inc make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • South Carolina (with emphasis on upstate South Carolina) • Georgia • North Carolina Specific communities supported include Clinton, Columbia, Davidson, Decatur, Greenville, Greer, Seneca, Spartanburg, and Taylors.

What size grants does John I Smith Charities Inc award?

In 2025, John I Smith Charities Inc awarded 44 grants totaling $1.3M — an average of about $28K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is John I Smith Charities Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, John I Smith Charities Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.