Smith Richardson Foundation Inc

GREENSBORO, NC EIN: 56-0611550

The Smith Richardson Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation incorporated in 1935 and based in Greensboro, North Carolina. The foundation was founded by H. Smith Richardson and his wife, Grace Jones Richardson. H. Smith Richardson was the son of Lunsford Richardson, who created Vicks VapoRub and founded The Vick Chemical Company. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and has been tax-exempt since May 1948.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$557.9M

+2.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$22.9M

+0.7% YoY

Grant Count

282

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$81K

+0.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Smith Richardson Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $26.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The mission of the Smith Richardson Foundation is to contribute to important public debates and to address serious public policy challenges facing the United States. The foundation seeks to help ensure the vitality of social, economic, and governmental institutions. It also seeks to assist with the development of effective policies to compete internationally and advance U.S. interests and values abroad.

The foundation operates through two primary programs:

International Security & Foreign Policy Program This program assists the U.S. policy community in developing effective national security strategies and foreign policies. The foundation supports projects addressing great power competition, disruptive technologies, and regional security issues in Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East, specifically examining challenges from adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Domestic Public Policy Program This program supports research on and evaluation of existing public policies and programs, as well as projects that inject new ideas into public debates to help the public and policymakers understand and address critical challenges facing the United States.

Grantmaking

The foundation's typical grant awards range from $500 to $404,355. Recent grant opportunities include:

Review Cycle

basis.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds projects primarily in the District of Columbia, North Carolina, and Connecticut, though it supports projects across a wide range of U.S. cities and states, including major urban centers.

Grant Distribution by State

District of Columbia $17.1M (66%)

North Carolina $3.3M (13%)

Rhode Island $1.7M (7%)

New York $1.0M (4%)

Connecticut $610K (2%)

Pennsylvania $609K (2%)

Massachusetts $517K (2%)

Arizona $260K (1%)

+29 more states

Cities

AlbanyAlexandriaAnn ArborAnnandaleonhudsonAnnapolisArlingtonAspenAthensAtlantaAustinBaltimoreBeaufortBennettBergenfieldBerkeleyBethesdaBostonBradentonBridgeportBristol

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $558 million
Annual Revenue: $39.8 million
Annual Expenses: $34.5 million
Total Liabilities: $42.2 million
Total Giving: $22,921,010

As of 2023:

Total Assets: approximately $557.9 million

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$557,948,572	$545,245,316	$517,774,018
Revenue	$39,816,880	$44,427,804	$-54,374,393
Expenses	$34,477,058	$24,151,633	$35,127,481
Qualifying Distributions	$29,547,796	$28,312,157	$31,603,141
Net Investment Income	$39,342,631	$18,806,996	$11,403,112
Distributable Amount	$26,930,805	$26,338,252	$27,365,714

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

3 open opportunities from Smith Richardson Foundation Inc

Foundation

Smith Richardson Foundation- International Security & Foreign Policy Grant

SMITH RICHARDSON FOUNDATION INC

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Foundation

Smith Richardson Foundation: Domestic Public Policy Grant

SMITH RICHARDSON FOUNDATION INC

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Foundation

Strategy & Policy Fellows Grant Program

SMITH RICHARDSON FOUNDATION INC

Amount

US $60,000

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include American Foreign Policy Council ($400,000), American Academy for Strategic Education ($275,000), American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research ($270,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
A WIDER CIRCLE INC SILVER SPRINGS, MD	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$5,000
ADAM J LEWIS ACADEMY INC BRIDGEPORT, CT	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$50,000
ADMINISTRATORS OF THE TULANE EDUCATION FUND NEW ORLEANS, LA	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$200,000
AMERICAN ACADEMY FOR STRATEGIC EDUCATION WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$275,000
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$78,000
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$60,000
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$270,000
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$20,000
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$200,000
AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY COUNCIL WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$145,530

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Peter L. Richardson serves as President of the foundation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
PL RICHARDSON	CHAIRMAN OF THE TRUSTEES	50	$775,554
MR RICHARDSON'S SUPPLEMENTAL	N/A	—	—
DR MARIN STRMECKI	PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS	50	$711,430
NICOLE BATEMAN	ASSISTANT SECRETARY	40	$114,107
ROSS HEMPHILL	SENIOR VP, CFO, INVESTMENT CMT	47	$172,660
WWINBURNE KING III	VICE CHAIR OF THE TRUSTEES, INVST CMT	40	$70,902
DR ARVID R NELSON	TRUSTEE, SECRETARY, AUDIT CMT. CHAIR	22	$80,000
MICHAEL BLAIR	TRUSTEE, AUDIT & COMPENSATION CMT.	1	$40,000
JOHN P RICHARDSON JR	TRUSTEE, AUDIT COMMITTEE	1	$40,000
NICOLAS L RICHARDSON	TRUSTEE, INVESTMENT CMT., GRANTS CMT	1	$40,000
TYLER B RICHARDSON	TRUSTEE, GRANTS & INVESTMENT CMT	1	$40,000
E WILLIAM STETSON III	TRUSTEE, GRANTS COMMITTEE	1	$40,000
THE ABOVE COMPENSATION SHOWS THE	N/A	—	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Smith Richardson Foundation Inc fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Smith Richardson Foundation Inc?

The foundation's typical grant awards range from $500 to $404,355. Recent grant opportunities include: • Strategy & Policy Fellows Grant Program • International Security & Foreign Policy Grant • Domestic Public Policy Grant The International Security & Foreign Policy Program operates on a rolling deadline basis.

Where does Smith Richardson Foundation Inc make grants?

What size grants does Smith Richardson Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, Smith Richardson Foundation Inc awarded 282 grants totaling $22.9M — an average of about $81K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Smith Richardson Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Smith Richardson Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $26.9M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Smith Richardson Foundation Inc's EIN?

Smith Richardson Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-0611550. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.