Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation
The Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation is a private foundation based in Albany, New York. Its 2025 filing lists 11 grants totaling $1,160,000, with grant purposes reported as general charitable purposes.
Key facts about Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation
In short: Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation gave $1.2M across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $105K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 13-3318167
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,160,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- Average grant
- $105,455
- Median grant
- $70,000
- Total assets
- $9,568,548
- Primary geography
- California (43% 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. 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
$9.6M
-1.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.2M
+20.2% YoY
Grant Count
11
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$105K
+20.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation reported a distributable amount of $927K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation gives
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 72% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 132% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 separate mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants support organizations working in areas including land conservation, the arts, housing services, food assistance, and education. For example, Peninsula Open Space Trust says it protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay; The Wilderness Society says it works to protect wilderness and public lands; and LifeMoves says it provides interim housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $1,160,000. Grants ranged from $40,000 to $300,000, with a median of $70,000. The largest grants were $300,000 to Peninsula Open Space Trust and $250,000 to Metropolitan Opera Association Inc. Other notable grants included $100,000 each to Sierra Watch, Natural Resources Defense Council Inc, and The Wilderness Society.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California organizations received 43% of grant dollars and New York organizations received 30%. Recipients in Washington, DC, received 9%; Massachusetts, 6%; and New Hampshire, 4%. The listed grants also include recipients in Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $675K (2022) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Peninsula Open Space Trust ($300K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
30 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 11 grants of 30 (37%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Peninsula Open Space Trust Palo Alto, CA | General Charitable Purposes | $300,000 |
| Metropolitan Opera Association Inc New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $250,000 |
| Sierra Watch Nevada City, CA | General Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Natural Resources Defense Council Inc New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| The Wilderness Society Washington, DC | General Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Tufts University Medford, MA | General Charitable Purposes | $70,000 |
| LifeMoves Menlo Park, CA | General Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley San Jose, CA | General Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
| Trustees of Dartmouth College Hanover, NH | General Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
| Penn State University State College, PA | General Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $9,568,548 | $1,188,100 | $1,343,805 |
| 2024 | $9,724,253 | $829,369 | $1,169,270 |
| 2023 | $10,064,154 | $731,119 | $915,363 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $9,568,548 | $9,724,253 | $10,064,154 |
| Revenue | $1,188,100 | $829,369 | $731,119 |
| Expenses | $1,343,805 | $1,169,270 | $915,363 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,226,279 | $1,039,364 | $771,169 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,081,574 | $714,463 | $596,925 |
| Distributable Amount | $926,784 | $829,223 | $823,244 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Henry F Smeal and Mary Margaret Smeal as trustees.
Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Henry F. Smeal
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$17K (2020) → $19K (2025)
Mary Margaret Smeal
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$17K (2020) → $19K (2025)
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 $19K, to Henry F Smeal (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: C/O Goldman Sachs Ayco PO Box 15201, Albany, NY 12212-5201
Phone: (518) 640-5000
Frequently asked questions about Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation
How much does Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation give each year?
Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation gave $1.2M across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $965K across 11 grants.
What is Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation's typical grant size?
Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $70,000, and its average grant was $105,455, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation give grants?
Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation's top state is California, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (30%) and District of Columbia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation's largest grantees?
Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Peninsula Open Space Trust ($300,000), Metropolitan Opera Association Inc ($250,000) and Sierra Watch ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation?
Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation reported $9.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $927K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation fund?
No separate mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants support organizations working in areas including land conservation, the arts, housing services, food assistance, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal 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 Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation's EIN?
Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3318167. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Mary Jean and Frank P Smeal 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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