Smart from the Start Inc logo

Smart from the Start Inc

Public charity · Grantmaker Roxbury Crossing, MA EIN: 45-4952663 Website

To prevent the academic achievement gap among young children living in the lowest income families and communities. Smart empowers parents and caregivers in under-served communities with the tools, resources and support they need to break cycles of chronic school underachievement and generational poverty.

Smart from the Start Inc at a glance

Total assets
$832,737
-69.9% vs 2024
Revenue (2025)
$2,649,339
-52.0% vs 2024
Net investment income (2025)
$27,587
+19.6% vs 2024
Expenses (2025)
$4,563,263
+38.3% vs 2024
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

Who Smart from the Start Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Grant Size Distribution

1 grant across all recorded years

<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 1 grant of 1 (100%).

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$20K$40K$60K$80K0 grants2019 0 grants2020 0 grants2021 1 grant2022 0 grants2023 0 grants2024 0 grants2025

In 2022 it made 1 grant totaling $75K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
The Ward 8 Health Council Provide Food Assistance to Families$75,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2025$832,737$2,649,339$4,563,263——$27,587
2024$2,770,012$5,513,726$3,299,775——$23,067
2023$592,176$3,058,351$3,035,435———
2022$506,700$2,864,732$2,907,194$75,0001—
2021$285,988$2,230,092$2,438,791———
2020$653,027$1,996,574$1,804,812———
2019$308,790$1,892,672$1,969,429———

About Smart from the Start Inc

Based on IRS filings

Smart from the Start Inc is a public charity focused on Human Services, based in Roxbury Crossing, MA. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $833K in total assets. Net investment income was $28K.

Focus Areas

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Smart from the Start Inc is led by Cherie Craft, CEO since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 5 of 15 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Cherie Craft

    CEO

    Executive Director → CEO, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    40 hrs/week

    $133K (2019) → $233K (2025)

  • Monika Wirtz

    President

    Board Member → President, 2022

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Suzin Bartley

    Chair

    Board Member → Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Janiya Garrett

    National Program Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    $101K (2025)

  • Marsha Girault-Macias

    National Director of Clinical & Family Services

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    $107K (2025)

  • Sophia Girault

    Chief Operating Officer

    Associate Director of Organizational Ops → Chief Operating Officer, 2023

    On filings since 2022

    40 hrs/week

    $105K (2022) → $159K (2025)

  • Davis A. Douglas

    National Program Specialist

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    $106K (2025)

  • Ben Siegel MD

    Co-Chair

    Board Member → Co-Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • John Lippitt

    Treasurer

    President → Treasurer, 2022

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kori Bardige

    Co-Chair

    Board Member → Co-Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sophia Michel

    Board Member

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Diondra Hicks

    Clerk

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gabi Alston

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Obi Obiora

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Leandria Streeter

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (14)
  • Former: Regina Pyle (2019–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Leandria Street (2023–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Dale Eck (2019–2023) — Former Board Member
  • Former: Margot Kaplan-Sanoff (2019–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Simone Lopez (2019–2023) — Former Clerk
  • Former: Bomani Johnson (2021–2023) — Former Board Member
  • Former: Candace Radoski (2021–2023) — Former Board Member
  • Former: Tracey Simpkins (2021–2023) — Former Board Member
  • Former: Manny Lewis (2023) — Former Board Member
  • Former: Preston Gray (2023) — Former Board Member
  • Former: Betty Bardige (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Millicent Lawton (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Vance Mills (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Michael Carmen (2019) — Former Treasurer

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

Cherie Craft — CEO: $233KCherie CraftCEO$233KSophia Girault — Chief Operating Officer: $159KSophia GiraultChief Operating Officer$159KMarsha Girault-Macias — National Director of Clinical and Family Services: $107KMarsha Girault-MaciasNational Director of Clinical…$107KDavis a Douglas — National Program Specialist: $106KDavis a DouglasNational Program Specialist$106KJaniya Garrett — National Program Director: $101KJaniya GarrettNational Program Director$101K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $233K, to Cherie Craft (CEO). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Smart from the Start Inc

How large is Smart from the Start Inc?

Smart from the Start Inc reported $833K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.6M.

What is Smart from the Start Inc?

Smart from the Start Inc is a public charity focused on Human Services, based in Roxbury Crossing, MA. It holds $833K in total assets as of 2025.

What is Smart from the Start Inc's EIN?

Smart from the Start Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-4952663. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

Data update history

(3)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 18, 2023)
  2. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024

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Browse active grant opportunities in Smart from the Start Inc's focus areas in our free grants database

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Smart from the Start Inc'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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