Smaby Family Foundation
The Smaby Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Marcell, Minnesota. It supports charitable organizations, with 2024 grants to organizations including a liberal arts college, a science museum, libraries, arts and cultural institutions, and a senior advocacy organization.
Smaby Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Smaby Family Foundation gave $112K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in Minnesota. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $112,200
- +9.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- -14.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,350
- +27.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,250
- Total assets
- $1,888,884
- +1.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (2 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (78% 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 Smaby Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 37738 E Bay Rd, Marcell, MN 56657
Phone: (612) 991-0577
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Smaby Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was St Olaf College ($28K). Together the top 10 received $111K.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 59 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were reported as 78% to recipients in Minnesota, 22% to California, and 1% to Iowa. Recipients included organizations in Northfield, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Grand Rapids, Minnesota; Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs, and Cathedral City, California; and Decorah, Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Smaby Family Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 12 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 83% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 27% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 93% 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 $88K (2021) to $115K (2022). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $112K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Olaf College Northfield, MN | To Provide Support for a Public Charitable Organization | $27,500 |
| Science Museum of Minnesota St. Paul, MN | To Provide Support for a Public Charitable Organization | $25,000 |
| Augsberg Peace Scholar Fund Minneapolis, MN | To Provide Support for a Public Charitable Organization | $15,000 |
| Rancho Mirage Library Rancho Mirage, CA | To Provide Support for a Public Charitable Organization | $15,000 |
| Norway House Minneapolis, MN | To Provide Support for a Public Charitable Organization | $8,000 |
| University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN | To Provide Support for a Public Charitable Organization | $7,500 |
| Palm Springs International Film Society Palm Springs, CA | To Provide Support for a Public Charitable Organization | $5,000 |
| Grand Rapids Library Grand Rapids, MN | To Provide Support for a Public Charitable Organization | $4,000 |
| Palm Springs Art Museum Palm Springs, CA | To Provide Support for a Public Charitable Organization | $2,500 |
| Palm Springs Cultural Center Palm Springs, CA | To Provide Support for a Public Charitable Organization | $1,200 |
Ready to take the next step with Smaby Family 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 | $1,888,884 | $135,708 | $115,294 | $112,200 | 12 | $115,000 | $135,414 | $123,300 |
| 2023 | $1,858,470 | $62,773 | $107,560 | $102,550 | 14 | $105,100 | $60,313 | $102,983 |
| 2022 | $1,903,257 | $73,722 | $117,413 | $114,700 | 14 | $116,925 | $73,234 | $105,254 |
| 2021 | $1,946,948 | $78,777 | $91,650 | $88,450 | 12 | $90,500 | $77,627 | $116,268 |
| 2020 | $1,959,821 | $24,126 | $99,226 | $94,250 | 7 | — | $39,426 | $92,931 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Smaby Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $123K 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 is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of public charitable organizations. For example, St. Olaf College says it challenges students in the liberal arts and supports exploration of faith, values, and vocation; the Science Museum of Minnesota describes its mission as inspiring learning, informing policy, and improving lives. Norway House says it connects the United States with contemporary Norway through art, culture, and business. Other recipients included libraries, museums, film and cultural organizations, and Senior Advocates of the Desert.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $112,200 through 12 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $27,500, with a median grant of $6,250.
The largest grants were $27,500 to St. Olaf College and $25,000 to the Science Museum of Minnesota. Other notable grants included $15,000 to Augsburg Peace Scholar Fund, $15,000 to Rancho Mirage Library, $8,000 to Norway House, and $7,500 to the University of Minnesota. The filing lists the grants as support for public charitable organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Gary Smaby as president and John Smaby, Mark Smaby, and Anne Smaby Hersch as board members.
Smaby Family Foundation is led by Gary Smaby, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Gary Smaby
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anne Smaby Hersch
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John Smaby
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Mark Smaby
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Smaby Family Foundation
How much does Smaby Family Foundation give each year?
Smaby Family Foundation gave $112K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $103K across 14 grants.
What is Smaby Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Smaby Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $6,250, and its average grant was $9,350, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Smaby Family Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Smaby Family Foundation give grants?
Smaby Family Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (3 grants) and Palm Springs, CA (3 grants).
Does Smaby Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Smaby Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Provide Support for a Public Charitable Organization" (12 grants).
Who are Smaby Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Smaby Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include St Olaf College ($27,500), Science Museum of Minnesota ($25,000) and Augsberg Peace Scholar Fund ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Smaby Family Foundation?
Smaby Family Foundation reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $115K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $123K (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 Smaby Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of public charitable organizations. For example, St. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Smaby Family Foundation?
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it 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 Smaby Family Foundation's EIN?
Smaby Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1876913. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Smaby Family 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 20, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Smaby Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Smaby Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/smaby-family-foundation-morg_8337ffdc3ffc4c4d9e9b3025baa516fa
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411876913_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Smaby Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/smaby-family-foundation-morg_8337ffdc3ffc4c4d9e9b3025baa516fa},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Smaby Family 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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