Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation
The Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Its 2025 grants included support for educational institutions and programs, churches, and organizations addressing poverty issues.
Key facts about Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation
In short: Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation gave $476K across 59 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Minnesota. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 45-2632241
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $475,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 59
- Average grant
- $8,059
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (6 of 59, 2025)
- Total assets
- $1,067,514
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (50% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.1M
+1.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$476K
+11.9% YoY
Grant Count
59
+1.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
+10.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $467K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 59 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 81% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+18%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for education, churches, and poverty-related work. Examples include The Lift Garage, whose mission is to help people out of poverty through low-cost car repair, community connections, and links to resources; and Casa Marianella, which says it welcomes displaced immigrants and promotes self-sufficiency through shelter and support services.
Educational grantees include LaGrange College, which describes its work as challenging students’ minds and inspiring their souls in an ethical and caring community, and the Austin Chamber Music Center, which says it creates chamber music experiences that connect, educate, and inspire its community. Other supported organizations include Cine Las Americas, which promotes cross-cultural understanding through film and media arts, and Ballet Austin, which says it strengthens the community through dance and the encouragement of health and well-being.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 59 grants totaling $475,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $35,000, with a median grant of $5,000. It made 58 grants totaling $425,000 in 2024 and 62 grants totaling $334,000 in 2023.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $35,000 to Saint Olaf College for education; $31,000 to Crosslake Presbyterian Church; $29,400 to The Lift Garage; $27,500 to Rice University for education; $25,000 each to LaGrange College for education and Saint Thomas Presbyterian Church; and $20,000 to Austin Classical Guitar Society for education.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Minnesota organizations received 50% of grant dollars and Texas organizations received 32%. Massachusetts and Georgia each received 5%, and New York received 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 59 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $334K (2023) to $476K (2025). In 2025 it made 59 grants totaling $476K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Saint Olaf College ($35K). Together the top 10 received $223K.
Grant Size Distribution
314 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 314 grants of 314 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Olaf College Northfield, MN | Education | $35,000 |
| Crosslake Presbyterian Church Crosslake, MN | CHURCH | $31,000 |
| The Lift Garage Minneapolis, MN | Poverty Issues | $29,400 |
| Rice Universitywilliam Marsh Rice University Houston, TX | Education | $27,500 |
| Lagrange College Lagrange, GA | Education | $25,000 |
| Saint Thomas Presbyterian Church Houston, TX | CHURCH | $25,000 |
| Austin Classical Guitar Society Austin, TX | Education | $20,000 |
| Austin Chamber Music Center Austin, TX | Education | $10,000 |
| Ballet Austin Austin, TX | Education | $10,000 |
| CASA Marianella Austin, TX | Poverty Issues | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grants | Grant total |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59 | $475,500 |
| 2024 | 58 | $425,000 |
| 2023 | 62 | $334,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,067,514 | $1,056,503 | $1,018,346 |
| Revenue | $545,321 | $516,983 | $355,717 |
| Expenses | $534,310 | $478,826 | $390,655 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $497,890 | $447,624 | $356,571 |
| Net Investment Income | $517,127 | $477,780 | $329,950 |
| Distributable Amount | $466,792 | $419,268 | $323,838 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 5, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Louis Smith as president/treasurer, Mary Kay Smith as secretary, Janet Hughes as vice president, and Matthew Smith, Marcia Robitaille, and Waldinei D Costa as directors.
Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation is led by Louis Smith, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Louis Smith
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcia Robitaille
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Smith
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Waldinei D. Costa
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Janet Hughes
Vice President
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
$30K (2019) → $30K (2025)
Mary Kay Smith
Secretary
On filings since 2019
2.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Andrew Smith (2019–2022) — Director
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 $30K, to Janet Hughes (Vice President).
Contact
Mailing address: 11607 Oak Glen Ct, Houston, TX 77024
Phone: (713) 461-6878
Frequently asked questions about Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation
How much does Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation give each year?
Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation gave $476K across 59 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $425K across 58 grants.
What is Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,059, across 59 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation give grants?
Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Texas (32%) and Massachusetts (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (14 grants), Austin, TX (7 grants), Medfield, MA (6 grants) and Houston, TX (5 grants).
Does Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 59 grants with a stated purpose on Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (34 grants), "Poverty Issues" (15 grants) and "Church" (6 grants).
Who are Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Saint Olaf College ($35,000), Crosslake Presbyterian Church ($31,000) and The Lift Garage ($29,400), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation?
Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $498K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $467K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for education, churches, and poverty-related work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation's EIN?
Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-2632241. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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