Smart Growth America
Smart growth america envisions a country where no matter where you live, or who you are, you can enjoy living in a place that is healthy, prosperous, and resilient. Our mission is to empower communities through technical assistance, advocacy, and thought leadership to realize our vision of livable places, healthy people, and shared prosperity.
Key facts about Smart Growth America
- EIN
- 27-0038938
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Total assets
- $8,748,440
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$8.7M
-9.0% YoY
Revenue
$7.2M
+21.9% YoY
Net Investment Income
$5K
-73.9% YoY
Expenses
$8.5M
-12.5% YoY
How Smart Growth America gives
- Giving grew 44% from 2020 to 2023. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
About Smart Growth America
Based on IRS filings
Smart Growth America is a nonprofit organization focused on Environment & Animals, based in Washington, DC. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $8.7M in total assets. Net investment income was $5K.
Focus Areas
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Smart Growth America
Ready to take the next step with Smart Growth America?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 0 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
8 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for 2025.
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $8,748,440 | $9,610,090 | $8,662,617 |
| Revenue | $7,203,795 | $5,907,576 | $11,391,002 |
| Expenses | $8,484,848 | $9,699,726 | $6,936,761 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $5,008 | $19,212 | $12,353 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 21, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 17, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Smart Growth America is led by Calvin Gladney, President & CEO since 2020 (on filings since 2019); 6 of 17 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Calvin Gladney
President & CEO
President & CEO From April → President & CEO, 2020
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$152K (2019) → $289K (2025)
Elizabeth Osborne
President & CEO
Vice President, Transportation for America & Thriving Communit → Vice President & Transportation for Ame, 2024
Vice President & Transportation for Ame → President & CEO, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$161K (2020) → $195K (2025)
Erica Cova
Director of Communications
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$123K (2023) → $164K (2025)
John Robert Smith
Senior Policy Advisor
Senior Policy Advisor → Senior Advisor, 2021
Senior Advisor → Senior Policy Advisor, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$149K (2019) → $178K (2025)
Katharine Burgess
Vice President, Land Use & Development
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$168K (2023) → $179K (2025)
Isaac Mintz Hired
Vice President, Finance & Adminstration
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$134K (2025)
Andre Leroux
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeremy Madsen
Board Member
Co-Chair → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patrice Frey
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Kasabach
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan D. Daggett
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Camille Manning Broome
Board Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emeka Moneme
Board Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Madeline F. Cook
Board Member
Board Chair → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter J. Park
Board Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shalini Vajhala
Board Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stewart Schawartz
Board Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (22)
- Former: Amy A. Cotter (2019–2025) — Board Member · Filing note: Term ended
- Former: Anita Cozart (2019–2025) — Board Member · Filing note: Term ended
- Former: Ashok Gupta (2019–2025) — Board Member · Filing note: Term ended
- Former: Jack Machek (2019–2025) — Board Member · Filing note: Term ended
- Former: Danielle Arigoni (2023–2025) — Board Member · Filing note: Term ended
- Former: Maela Bilonik (2023–2025) — Board Member · Filing note: Term ended
- Former: Celine Okoh (2023–2024) — Director of Finance
- Former: Stewart Shwartz (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Dru Schmidt-Perkins (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Madeline Fraser-Cook (2019–2022) — Co-Chair
- Former: Scot Spencer (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Scott Wolf (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Camille Manning-Broome (2021–2022) — Board Member Since Sept
- Former: Chris Zimmerman (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Veronica Vanterpool (2021–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Marta Goldsmith (2022) — Director
- Former: Beth Osborne (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Christopher Coes (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Christopher Zimmerman (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: F. Kaid Benfield (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Geoffrey Anderson (2019) — President & CEO
- Former: Gov Parris Glendening (2019) — President & Smart Growth Leadership
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
Frequently asked questions about Smart Growth America
How large is Smart Growth America?
Smart Growth America reported $8.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $7.2M.
What is Smart Growth America?
Smart Growth America is a nonprofit organization focused on Environment & Animals, based in Washington, DC. It holds $8.7M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does Smart Growth America operate?
Smart Growth America has awarded grants in Alabama, California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington.
What is Smart Growth America's EIN?
Smart Growth America's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-0038938. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Here's the math on researching Smart Growth America by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Smart Growth America's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Maine Community Foundation Inc
Ellsworth, ME
Maine Community Foundation supports Maine communities through grants for community building, arts, education, the environment, economic development, human services, and other areas. Its 2024 grants ranged from $5,030 to $2,487,900, with a median of $17,500; the Community Building Grant Program offers awards up to $10,000. Applications are submitted online, and the information does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$807.6M
Grants
1,161
Total Given
$57.6M
RSF Social Finance Inc
San Francisco, CA
RSF Social Finance funds organizations and projects advancing social and environmental change, especially in food and agriculture, climate and energy, education, and community impact. Its 2024 grants had a median of $25,000, with awards ranging from $5,250 to $5.52 million; recipients were primarily in California, Maryland, New York, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. The profile does not state whether RSF accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$108.4M
Grants
457
Total Given
$48.2M
Park Foundation Inc
Ithaca, NY
The foundation funds work in environmental protection, democracy, civic participation, media, animal welfare, and community needs, supporting both local efforts in Ithaca and Tompkins County and initiatives with national impact. Its 2024 grants had a median of $50,000, though awards ranged widely; prospective grantees are encouraged to contact the foundation, and it accepts letters of inquiry at any time in its Democracy, Civic Participation, and Animal Welfare programs.
Assets
$406.0M
Grants
457
Total Given
$30.4M
United States Energy Foundation
San Francisco, CA
United States Energy Foundation funds education and analysis advancing clean, equitable energy policy, including work on power, transportation, buildings, and industry, across the United States. In 2024, grants ranged from $10,000 to $21 million, with a median of $135,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests; grantseekers must be invited to submit a proposal.
Assets
$215.7M
Grants
597
Total Given
$166.3M
Windward Fund
Washington, DC
Windward Fund supports U.S. and international work on climate, conservation, clean energy, water, biodiversity, and sustainable food systems. Its 2024 grants had a median of $120,000, with awards ranging from $7,000 to $8.25 million. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$432.7M
Grants
458
Total Given
$137.7M
Rockefeller Family Fund Inc
New York, NY
Rockefeller Family Fund supports advocacy and strategic initiatives focused on climate and the environment, democracy, and economic justice for women. Its 2024 grants ranged from $7,000 to $9.7 million, with a median of $75,000, and went to organizations in multiple states; it does not accept unsolicited requests, though organizations may email staff a brief description of aligned work.
Assets
$216.8M
Grants
203
Total Given
$36.7M
Tides Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Tides Foundation funds community-led organizations advancing equity and justice, including work on health, climate, gender equity, democracy, and immigrant communities. Its 2024 grants had a median of $50,000, though amounts varied widely, and it funds eligible organizations in the U.S. and abroad, with the most grant dollars going to California, New York, and Washington, D.C. Some programs are open or invitation-only; the Advancing Girls Fund is listed as open, but the profile does not state a general policy on unsolicited grant requests.
Assets
$534.5M
Grants
2,110
Total Given
$382.1M
NCRC Community Development Fund Inc
Washington, DC
NCRC Community Development Fund supports affordable housing and homeownership, small businesses—especially minority-owned, women-owned, and low-income businesses—and certain nonprofit programs that provide capital or services to underserved communities. Its listed awards range from $5,000 to $50,000, though typical giving is not stated; it serves communities across the U.S., with some programs focused on Illinois. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$55.6M
Grants
2,666
Total Given
$149.3M
Greater Washington Community Foundation
Washington, DC
The Greater Washington Community Foundation supports nonprofits and community initiatives across areas including education, health, human services, arts, economic development, and workforce development, with a focus on equity and economic justice. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,000 to $9.1 million, with a median of $20,000; it centers its work on DC, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, and Northern Virginia. It accepts applications through scheduled competitive grant rounds and some solicited, invite-only opportunities; donor-recommended grants are not open to applicants.
Assets
$518.3M
Grants
1,417
Total Given
$116.9M
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Washington, DC
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funds competitive projects that conserve or restore fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats, including habitat restoration, species recovery, and coastal and watershed resilience; it does not fund advocacy or litigation. It works across all 50 states and U.S. territories, with a 2024 median grant of $81,584 and awards ranging from $5,169 to $29 million. Applications are made through specific grant programs and their requests for proposals; whether unsolicited requests are accepted is not stated.
Assets
$3.6B
Grants
1,286
Total Given
$464.4M
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc
Washington, DC
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation supports U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations working in areas including civil rights, democracy, education, health, community affairs, and the environment. Its 2022 filing reports grants ranging from roughly $3 million to $8.9 million among examples, but the typical giving level is not established. The available information does not say whether it accepts unsolicited grant requests.
Assets
$361.1M
Grants
1,134
Total Given
$165.7M
New Venture Fund
Washington, DC
New Venture Fund supports fiscally sponsored charitable projects and grantmaking in areas including conservation, education, health, civil rights, climate, international development, and the arts, with grants across multiple U.S. states and some global programs. Its 2024 grants had a median of about $101,000, though amounts varied widely; unsolicited requests are not addressed in the information provided.
Assets
$624.9M
Grants
854
Total Given
$359.6M
More Funders in District of Columbia
Smart Growth America down — hundreds of funders to go?