Smilow Foundation
Smilow Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2024 filing is marked as its final return: the foundation reorganized as a corporation and transferred substantially all its assets to successor organization Smilow Foundation, Inc. It therefore appears to have wound down as a grantmaking entity under this name.
Smilow Foundation at a glance
In short: Smilow Foundation gave $7.4M across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $410K), top state Pennsylvania. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $7,379,600
- +5948.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- +5.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $409,978
- +5612.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $11,250
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (6 of 18, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (41% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Smilow Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists an application form and says awards must be within the guidelines of the mission statement. These instructions are from the foundation’s final return and should not be treated as current application guidance.
- Review Cycle
- None was listed on the final return; this is not current application guidance.
- Deadline
- None was listed on the final return; this is not current application guidance.
- Contact
Application contact: Meghan Vercillo
Mailing address: 200 Bellevue Parkway Suite 250, Willimington, DE 19809
Phone: (302) 793-3290
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Smilow Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Cobbs Creek Restoration & Community ($3.0M). Together the top 10 received $7.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
84 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 84 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Pennsylvania (41%), Connecticut (30%), and New York (27%), with 1% reported for Virginia and 0% for the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Smilow Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 18 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $350K; repeat grants $440K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 12040% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 99% 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 $61K (2021) to $7.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $7.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Cobbs Creek Restoration & Community Conshohocken, PA | Program Support | $3,000,000 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | Program Support | $2,020,000 |
| Norwalk Hospital Foundation Inc Norwalk, NY | Program Support | $2,000,000 |
| Bridgeport Hospital Foundation Inc Bridgeport, CT | Program Support | $100,000 |
| Westport Country Playhouse Westport, CT | Program Support | $76,800 |
| Weta Arlington, VA | Program Support | $60,000 |
| University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | Program Support | $35,000 |
| Frederick Gunn School Washington, CT | Program Support | $20,000 |
| Aspen Institute Washington, DC | Program Support | $12,500 |
| Brown University Providence, RI | Program Support | $10,000 |
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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 | — | $5,517,917 | $8,801,099 | $7,379,600 | 18 | $8,368,692 | $4,286,214 | $8,470,548 |
| 2023 | $167,423,738 | $6,312,704 | $1,346,067 | $122,000 | 17 | $1,013,041 | $3,747,131 | $7,864,549 |
| 2022 | $162,231,943 | $159,019,355 | $3,600,832 | $3,041,510 | 14 | $3,549,003 | $2,011,460 | $4,709,838 |
| 2021 | $3,550,853 | $26,707 | $65,499 | $60,788 | 17 | $60,788 | $21,996 | $263,853 |
| 2020 | $3,589,645 | $32,402 | $113,402 | $107,500 | 18 | — | $26,500 | $9,495 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Smilow Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.5M 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
The available filings do not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2024 grants included support for a hospital foundation, a theater, an environmental education organization, and organizations working on homelessness and food insecurity, among others. These are descriptions of grantees, not stated focus areas of the foundation. For example, Westport Country Playhouse says its aim is to engage the community through professionally produced theater; Earthplace describes its work as nature discovery and environmental learning; and Homes with Hope says it works to prevent and end homelessness and food insecurity in Fairfield County.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $7,379,600. Grants ranged from $800 to $3,000,000, with a median of $11,250. The largest listed grants were $3,000,000 to The Cobbs Creek Restoration & Community, $2,020,000 to Yale University, and $2,000,000 to Norwalk Hospital Foundation Inc.; each was designated for program support.
The foundation also reported grants of $100,000 to Bridgeport Hospital Foundation Inc., $76,800 to Westport Country Playhouse, $60,000 to WETA, and $35,000 to the University of Pennsylvania. Other listed recipients included America’s VetDogs and Homes with Hope, each receiving $5,000, and Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation, which received $5,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William Smilow as trustee and Richard J. Smilow, Stephen Farley, John P. Shoemaker, and Mark Lazarus as directors.
Smilow Foundation's 2024 filing lists 5 officers; 4 of 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William Smilow
Trustee
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$300K (2022) → $300K (2024)
John P. Shoemaker
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$20K (2023) → $20K (2024)
Richard J. Smilow
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$20K (2023) → $20K (2024)
Stephen Farley
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$20K (2023) → $20K (2024)
Mark Lazarus
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Jennifer Lippincott (2023) — Vice President Operations & Administration
- Former: Joan L. Smilow (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Joel E Smillow (2020) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $300K, to William Smilow (Trustee). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Smilow Foundation
How much does Smilow Foundation give each year?
Smilow Foundation gave $7.4M across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $122K across 17 grants.
What is Smilow Foundation's typical grant size?
Smilow Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $11,250, and its average grant was $409,978, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Smilow Foundation that year got $350K on average.
Where does Smilow Foundation give grants?
Smilow Foundation's top state is Pennsylvania, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Connecticut (30%) and New York (27%). The most frequent recipient cities were Westport, CT (5 grants).
Does Smilow Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Smilow Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (18 grants).
Who are Smilow Foundation's largest grantees?
Smilow Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Cobbs Creek Restoration & Community ($3,000,000), Yale University ($2,020,000) and Norwalk Hospital Foundation Inc ($2,000,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
What does Smilow Foundation fund?
The available filings do not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2024 grants included support for a hospital foundation, a theater, an environmental education organization, and organizations working on homelessness and food insecurity, among others. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Smilow Foundation?
The filing lists an application form and says awards must be within the guidelines of the mission statement. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Smilow Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Smilow Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Smilow Foundation's EIN?
Smilow Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6299809. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Smilow Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Smilow Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/smilow-foundation-morg_ebcea0767ff4463aa9fd78fca55bdae2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_066299809_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Smilow Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/smilow-foundation-morg_ebcea0767ff4463aa9fd78fca55bdae2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Smilow 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.
Smilow Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?