The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation

BELLEVUE, WA EIN: 91-1156087

Arts and culture Education Philanthropy Nonprofits Health

The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation is a private foundation focused on Arts and culture, based in BELLEVUE, WA. IRS filing data is available from 2021 through 2023. As of 2023, the organization holds $3.1M in total assets. In 2023, it awarded 20 grants totaling $245K. Net investment income was $47K.

Financial Overview

From 2023 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.1M

-6.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$245K

-12.1% YoY

Grant Count

+17.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$12K

-25.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation reported a distributable amount of $197K for 2023 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

About The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation

Based on IRS filings

Focus Areas

Arts and culture Education Philanthropy Nonprofits Health

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

Washington $638K (76%)

Arizona $75K (9%)

Oregon $43K (5%)

Hawaii $41K (5%)

Utah $30K (4%)

California $5K (1%)

Idaho $3K (0%)

States

Arizona California Hawaii Idaho Oregon Utah Washington

Cities

AnacortesBellevueBoiseDupontEverettFederal WayHonoluluIlwacoIssaquahLihueMeridianPortlandRedmondRentonSalt Lake CitySanta MonicaSeattleSedonaShorelineSpokane

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2023	2022	2021
Total Assets	$3,138,681	$3,365,814	$3,487,198
Revenue	$52,300	$187,071	$56,997
Expenses	$279,433	$308,455	$341,056
Qualifying Distributions	$246,275	$282,443	—
Net Investment Income	$46,553	$159,580	$45,306
Distributable Amount	$196,903	$210,892	$240,402

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 2023

Grant Size Distribution

76 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2023 grants, the largest include The Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer ($105,000), The Cuyamungue Institute ($25,000), Hawaii State Junior Golf Association ($16,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BELLEVUE ROTARY FOUNDATION BELLEVUE, WA	GENERAL OPERATION	$10,000
CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK HOSPITALS SALT LAKE CITY, UT	GENERAL OPERATION	$15,000
HAWAII STATE JUNIOR GOLF ASSOCIATION LIHUE, HI	GENERAL OPERATION	$16,000
HO 'OLA NA PUA HONOLULU, HI	GENERAL OPERATION	$2,500
KING COUNTY SEXUAL ASSAULT RESOURCE CENTER RENTON, WA	GENERAL OPERATION	$10,000
RENTON REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION RENTON, WA	GENERAL OPERATION	$1,000
RENTON SCHOOLS FOUNDATION RENTON, WA	GENERAL OPERATION	$10,000
SAFE CROSSINGS SEATTLE, WA	GENERAL OPERATION	$5,000
THE CUYAMUNGUE INSTITUTE SEDONA, AZ	GENERAL OPERATION	$25,000
THE OVERLAKE SCHOOL REDMOND, WA	GENERAL OPERATION	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2023 IRS filing

From 2023 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
ALEXANDER M SMITH	DIRECTOR (PART-TIME)	—	—
KIMBERLY MILLER	DIRECTOR (PART-TIME)	—	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Arts and culture Education Philanthropy Nonprofits Health

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation?

The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation is a private foundation focused on Arts and culture, based in BELLEVUE, WA. It holds $3.1M in total assets as of 2023.

How large is The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation?

As of 2023, The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation holds $3.1M in total assets with $52K in annual revenue. It awarded 20 grants totaling $245K in 2023.

Where does The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation operate?

The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation has awarded grants in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington.

What size grants does The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation award?

In 2023, The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation awarded 20 grants totaling $245K — an average of about $12K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2023, The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation reported a distributable amount of $197K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation's EIN?

The Lester and Bernice Smith Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1156087. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2023.