The Garatoni-smith Family Foundation

MISHAWAKA, IN EIN: 26-2866592

The Garatoni-Smith Family Foundation is a private family foundation based in Mishawaka, Indiana. Established in 2008, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and functions as a grantmaking foundation that relies on investment assets to generate income for charitable distributions.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$51.9M

+18.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$3.2M

+107.8% YoY

Grant Count

+22.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$84K

+69.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Garatoni-smith Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M 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 foundation makes contributions exclusively to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charities. Primary funding interests include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

The foundation holds only investment assets and generates charitable expenditures from investment income.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Indiana, Michigan, and Virginia.

Grant Distribution by State

Indiana $9.2M (82%)

California $1.8M (16%)

District of Columbia $186K (2%)

Michigan $70K (1%)

Florida $28K (0%)

New York $10K (0%)

Virginia $10K (0%)

States

California District of Columbia Florida Indiana Michigan New York Virginia

Cities

CassopolisElkhartFort WayneGrangerIndianapolisJacksonJacksonvilleLafayetteLos AngelesManakin SabotMishawakaMishawkaMountain ViewNaplesNotre DamePlainfieldSouth BendStaten IslandVirginia BeachWashington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

Total Assets: $43,977,223
Total Revenue: $1,549,558
Total Expenses: $1,889,597
Total Liabilities: $1,470,000

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $51,949,068
Total Giving: $3,178,792

The foundation operates with no employees and relies on investment income to support its grantmaking activities.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$51,949,068	$43,977,223	$48,452,253
Revenue	$12,408,483	$1,549,558	$1,280,940
Expenses	$3,475,264	$1,889,597	$1,525,586
Qualifying Distributions	$3,178,792	$1,529,690	$1,355,070
Net Investment Income	$1,408,744	$1,206,473	$1,123,744
Distributable Amount	$2,283,255	$2,197,475	$2,323,436

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

168 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Career Academy ($1,329,142), Rise ($546,500), Ivy Tech Fdn ($273,500).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ANNUAL BISHOP APPEAL FORT WAYNE, IN	GENERAL CHARITABLE GIFT	$100,000
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB SOUTH BEND, IN	GENERAL CHARITABLE GIFT	$31,000
CAREER ACADEMY SOUTH BEND, IN	GENERAL CHARITABLE GIFT	$1,329,142
CULTIVATE CULINARY SOUTH BEND, IN	GENERAL CHARITABLE GIFT	$230,000
E3 ROBOTICS ELKHART, IN	GENERAL CHARITABLE GIFT	$1,500
FOOD BANK OF NORTHERN INDIANA SOUTH BEND, IN	GENERAL CHARITABLE GIFT	$15,000
FOP LODGE 155 SOUTH BEND, IN	GIFT	$250
GARATONI SMITH SCHOLARSHIP MISHAWAKA, IN	GENERAL CHARITABLE GIFT	$251,500
GENTLEMEN AND SCHOLARS SOUTH BEND, IN	GENERAL CHARITABLE GIFT	$500
GREATER HOLY TEMPLE SOUTH BEND, IN	GENERAL CHARITABLE GIFT	$600

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
LAWRENCE H GARATONI	TRUSTEE	2	—
MICHAEL GARATONI	TRUSTEE	2	—
SHANE FIMBEL	TRUSTEE	2	—
SUSAN FORD	TRUSTEE	2	—
PAM VELDMAN	TRUSTEE	2	—
MARY HUNT	TRUSTEE	2	—
STEVE WHEATLEY	EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT	2	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Garatoni-smith Family Foundation fund?

The foundation makes contributions exclusively to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charities. Primary funding interests include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from The Garatoni-smith Family Foundation?

The foundation holds only investment assets and generates charitable expenditures from investment income. **Grant Activity:** • Made 45 grants in 2023 • Total giving: $3,178,792 (2024 filing) • Typical award range: $100–$1,329,142 **Recent Grant Examples (2023):** • Ivy Tech Foundation: $280,200 • Cultivate Food Rescue: $200,000 • Triangle Education Foundation: $150,000

Where does The Garatoni-smith Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Indiana, Michigan, and Virginia.

What size grants does The Garatoni-smith Family Foundation award?

In 2024, The Garatoni-smith Family Foundation awarded 38 grants totaling $3.2M — an average of about $84K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Garatoni-smith Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Garatoni-smith Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Garatoni-smith Family Foundation's EIN?

The Garatoni-smith Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-2866592. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.