Smith Central Foundation
Smith Central Foundation is a private foundation based in Mesa, Arizona. Its 2024 filing reports 11 grants totaling $97,225, with the largest grant designated for the Hope in the Neighborhood Fund at St Luke Lutheran Church.
Smith Central Foundation at a glance
In short: Smith Central Foundation gave $97K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in Arizona. 40% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $97,225
- +2.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +22.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,839
- -16.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,400
- Total assets
- $1,378,462
- +15.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (4 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Arizona (92% 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 Smith Central Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1657 E Mallory St, Mesa, AZ 85203
Phone: (480) 834-5817
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Smith Central Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was St Luke Lutheran Church ($78K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $97K.
Grant Size Distribution
46 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 44 grants of 46 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Arizona, 5% to recipients in Illinois, and 2% to recipients in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Smith Central Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 10 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 60% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 85% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 141% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $45K (2022) to $97K (2024). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $97K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Luke Lutheran Church Mesa, AZ | Hope in the Neighborhood Fund | $75,000 |
| Groundwork Guatamala Mesa, AZ | General Fund | $6,000 |
| Little Panther Athletics Camp Point, IL | Ball Diamond Light Donation | $3,025 |
| Lutheran Social Services Mesa, AZ | General Fund | $3,000 |
| St Luke Lutheran Church Mesa, AZ | Community Bridge Builder | $3,000 |
| Mission India Grand Rapids, MI | General Fund | $2,400 |
| Community for Christ Assistance Center Camp Point, IL | General Fund | $1,000 |
| Dueker Ranch Star Valley, AZ | General Fund | $1,000 |
| The Lutheran Church of St John Quincy, IL | Cash Donation for Food Pantry. | $1,000 |
| Mountain View High School Toro Booster Club Mesa, AZ | General | $1,000 |
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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 | $1,378,462 | $279,939 | $110,911 | $97,225 | 11 | $97,225 | $50,959 | $69,109 |
| 2023 | $1,197,043 | $242,949 | $103,917 | $95,300 | 9 | $95,300 | $39,332 | $56,354 |
| 2022 | $1,058,861 | $226,878 | $55,313 | $45,000 | 9 | $45,000 | $13,028 | $45,510 |
| 2021 | $887,296 | $239,959 | $59,464 | $52,500 | 8 | $52,500 | $34,995 | $41,421 |
| 2020 | $706,801 | $208,630 | $63,275 | $57,000 | 9 | — | $12,355 | $28,440 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Smith Central Foundation reported a distributable amount of $69K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation gave 11 grants totaling $97,225. Grant amounts ranged from $800 to $75,000, with a median of $2,400.
The largest reported grant was $75,000 to St Luke Lutheran Church for the Hope in the Neighborhood Fund. Other notable grants included $6,000 to Groundwork Guatemala for its general fund, $3,025 to Little Panther Athletics for a ball diamond light donation, and $3,000 each to Lutheran Social Services for its general fund and St Luke Lutheran Church for Community Bridge Builder.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Donald R Smith as president; Mary A Smith as secretary; and Brandon R Smith, Jeremy S Smith, Andrea A Willey, and Daniel L Smith as directors.
Smith Central Foundation is led by Donald R. Smith, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Donald R. Smith
President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrea A. Willey
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brandon R. Smith
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniel L. Smith
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeremy S. Smith
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary A. Smith
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
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 Smith Central Foundation
How much does Smith Central Foundation give each year?
Smith Central Foundation gave $97K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $95K across 9 grants.
What is Smith Central Foundation's typical grant size?
Smith Central Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,400, and its average grant was $8,839, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Smith Central Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Smith Central Foundation give grants?
Smith Central Foundation gives mostly in Arizona: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Mesa, AZ (5 grants) and Camp Point, IL (2 grants).
Does Smith Central Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 55% of Smith Central Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Smith Central Foundation's largest grantees?
Smith Central Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include St Luke Lutheran Church ($78,000 across 2 grants), Groundwork Guatamala ($6,000) and Little Panther Athletics ($3,025), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 90% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Smith Central Foundation?
Smith Central Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $97K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $69K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
How do I apply for a grant from Smith Central Foundation?
The foundation states 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 Smith Central Foundation's EIN?
Smith Central Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4297945. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Smith Central 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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