SMS Foundation Inc
SMS Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in Wisconsin and other states.
SMS Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: SMS Foundation Inc gave $481K across 61 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Wisconsin. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $481,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 61
- -1.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,885
- +1.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $12,788,716
- +17.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (22 of 61, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (52% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to SMS Foundation Inc
- 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: PO Box 5324, Madison, WI 53705-0324
Phone: (608) 577-8260
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who SMS Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hodan Center ($40K). Together the top 10 received $135K.
Grant Size Distribution
301 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 300 grants of 301 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Wisconsin recipients received 52% of grant dollars. Other leading recipient states were New York (12%), the District of Columbia (8%), Florida (6%), and Missouri (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 61 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is SMS Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 22 of 61 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 85% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $460K (2021) to $481K (2025). In 2025 it made 61 grants totaling $481K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hodan Center Mineral Point, WI | Community Rehabilitation Programs for Adults with Disabilities | $40,000 |
| Madison Community Foundation Madison, WI | Philanthropy to advance a more vibrant and equitable community in madison wi | $15,000 |
| American Indian College Fund Denver, CO | Supports Native Students Access to Higher Education. | $10,000 |
| Arts Horizons Englewood, NJ | Support for Arts Programs for Children. | $10,000 |
| American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Washington, DC | Prevention of Cruelty to Animals | $10,000 |
| Bethany Apartments Racine, WI | Transitional Housing for Victims of Domestic Abuse | $10,000 |
| Chief Blackbird Center Odanah, WI | Provide Government Services to Tribal Members | $10,000 |
| Domestic Abuse Intervention Services Madison, WI | To provide assistance to people who have experienced domestic abuse | $10,000 |
| Dane County Humane Society Madison, WI | Care of Homeless Animals. | $10,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders Hagerstown, MD | Medical Aid to Persons Whose Survival Is Threatened | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with SMS Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,788,716 | $1,146,058 | $561,959 | $481,000 | 61 | $484,063 | $1,032,484 | $567,955 |
| 2024 | $10,930,223 | $893,030 | $543,773 | $481,000 | 62 | $481,000 | $822,974 | $521,144 |
| 2023 | $10,051,515 | $896,758 | $531,730 | $480,000 | 61 | $480,000 | $494,071 | $458,301 |
| 2022 | $9,042,541 | $535,028 | $544,766 | $475,000 | 60 | $475,000 | $101,395 | $460,338 |
| 2021 | $10,692,076 | $1,344,448 | $518,169 | $460,000 | 57 | $460,000 | $804,761 | $483,017 |
| 2020 | $9,568,047 | $839,815 | $523,059 | $476,500 | 58 | — | $323,377 | $411,659 |
| 2019 | $8,524,463 | $235,400 | $518,040 | $472,000 | 53 | — | $303,340 | $412,356 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, SMS Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $568K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for disability services, domestic-abuse assistance and housing, animal welfare, arts, education, and community organizations. For example, the American Indian College Fund describes its mission as investing in Native students and tribal college education, while Arts Horizons says it creates equitable opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to engage in the arts. Madison Community Foundation says it engages Greater Madison in philanthropy to advance a more vibrant and equitable community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 61 grants totaling $481,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $40,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest listed award was $40,000 to Hodan Center for community rehabilitation programs for adults with disabilities. Other listed grants included $15,000 to Madison Community Foundation and $10,000 each to organizations including the American Indian College Fund, Arts Horizons, and Domestic Abuse Intervention Services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sarah E Spencer as president and director; Matthew D Silverstein as vice president and director; Thomas G Tierney as treasurer; Johanna Allex as secretary; and Mark Spencer as director.
SMS Foundation Inc is led by Sarah E. Spencer, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sarah E. Spencer
President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Spencer
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew D. Silverstein
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas G. Tierney
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Johanna Allex
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: David B. Billing (2019–2024) — Secretary
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.
Frequently asked questions about SMS Foundation Inc
How much does SMS Foundation Inc give each year?
SMS Foundation Inc gave $481K across 61 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $481K across 62 grants.
What is SMS Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
SMS Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,885, across 61 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from SMS Foundation Inc that year got $8K on average.
Where does SMS Foundation Inc give grants?
SMS Foundation Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (12%) and District of Columbia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (20 grants), New York, NY (8 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants) and Key West, FL (4 grants).
Does SMS Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 61 grants with a stated purpose on SMS Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are SMS Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
SMS Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Hodan Center ($40,000), Madison Community Foundation ($15,000) and American Indian College Fund ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is SMS Foundation Inc?
SMS Foundation Inc reported $12.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $484K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $568K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does SMS Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for disability services, domestic-abuse assistance and housing, animal welfare, arts, education, and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from SMS Foundation Inc?
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 SMS Foundation Inc's EIN?
SMS Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1878599. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does SMS Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 16, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in SMS Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). SMS Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sms-foundation-inc-morg_93a80b6d367a4240aef67a56b3b74e87
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201878599_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{SMS Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sms-foundation-inc-morg_93a80b6d367a4240aef67a56b3b74e87},
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 SMS Foundation 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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