The Smart Family Fund
The Smart Family Fund is a private foundation based in Lisle, Illinois. Guided by three brothers, it supports early-stage nonprofits with the potential for positive, scalable impact, particularly organizations that have not yet demonstrated the efficacy or sustainable model needed to secure growth funding.
The Smart Family Fund at a glance
In short: The Smart Family Fund gave $1.5M across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $47K), top state California. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,510,000
- -4.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 32
- -3.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $47,188
- -1.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $17,265,221
- +6.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (3 of 31, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (36% 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 The Smart Family Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The fund’s website describes a portal for submitting a pitch, but the fund states that it does not accept unsolicited requests. Its stated applicant requirements are U.S.-based 501(c)(3) status in good standing and a pitch addressing efficacy, potential impact, and differentiation.
- Review Cycle
- The website describes a September–August rolling review period; decisions and funding are generally made in November.
- Deadline
- The website describes a September–August rolling review period; decisions and funding are generally made in November.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1001 Warrenville Road 500, Lisle, IL 60532-4306
Phone: (331) 702-2760
Website: https://smartfamilyfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Smart Family Fund
Who The Smart Family Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Recidiviz Inc ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
175 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 175 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant-dollar distribution was led by California (36%), followed by the District of Columbia (17%), Maryland (13%), New York (11%), and Connecticut (6%). The fund’s 2024 grantees also included organizations in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Smart Family Fund open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 31 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $52K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 90% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+10%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 84% 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 (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 $1.3M (2020) to $1.7M (2022). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Recidiviz Inc Oakland, CA | Recidiviz Funding Request 2024 | $250,000 |
| Votingworks San Francisco, CA | Votingworks Funding Request 2024 | $200,000 |
| Lets Get Ready Inc New York, NY | Lets Get Ready - Ongoing Grant 2024 | $100,000 |
| The Global Good Fund Glenwood, MD | The Global Good Fund 2024 - Ongoing Grant | $100,000 |
| Career Technical Education Solutions Marietta, OH | Ongoing Support - 2024 | $70,000 |
| The Brave House Brooklyn, NY | The Brave House - Ongoing Grant 2024 | $60,000 |
| Horizons Greater Washington Inc Washington, DC | Ongoing Support - 2024 | $60,000 |
| Blair House Restoration Fund Washington, DC | Ongoing Support - 2024 | $50,000 |
| Kickstart International Inc San Francisco, CA | Kickstart Request 2024 | $50,000 |
| Mighty Writers Philadelphia, PA | Mighty Writers - Ongoing Grant 2024 | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Smart Family Fund?
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 | $17,265,221 | $2,976,342 | $1,985,110 | $1,510,000 | 32 | $1,656,947 | $2,673,179 | $1,968,358 |
| 2023 | $16,282,187 | $888,206 | $2,002,405 | $1,575,000 | 33 | $1,725,940 | $574,531 | $1,667,524 |
| 2022 | $17,396,287 | $-460,958 | $2,203,377 | $1,735,000 | 40 | $1,877,898 | — | $1,717,710 |
| 2021 | $20,060,458 | $4,039,617 | $2,011,347 | $1,370,500 | 36 | $1,512,750 | $3,576,020 | $1,872,817 |
| 2020 | $18,030,804 | $1,598,076 | $1,698,501 | $1,300,000 | 34 | — | $1,347,240 | $1,503,935 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Smart Family Fund reported a distributable amount of $2.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund says its mission is to discover, support, and mentor emerging nonprofit organizations and their leaders. It looks for organizations that can explain how they will demonstrate the efficacy of their intervention, quantify potential positive impact, and distinguish their work from that of other organizations in their ecosystem.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate a range of work. VotingWorks describes its mission as making election technology people can trust through transparency, simplicity, and demonstrable security. Let’s Get Ready says it provides free college-preparation and support services to students from underrepresented communities. Horizons Greater Washington describes a tuition-free academic and enrichment program intended to advance educational equity. Other 2024 recipients included organizations whose stated missions address irrigation and food security in Africa, writing education for children, liberal arts education, support for sexually abused children, and disrupting sex trafficking organizations.
Grantmaking
The fund says it makes first-time grants of $25,000 to $100,000 annually. Its 2024 filing lists 32 grants totaling $1,510,000; grants ranged from $10,000 to $250,000, with a median of $25,000. The filing’s largest grants included $250,000 to Recidiviz, $200,000 to VotingWorks, and $100,000 each to Let’s Get Ready and The Global Good Fund. Other listed grants included $70,000 to Career Technical Education Solutions and $60,000 each to The Brave House and Horizons Greater Washington.
The fund’s website says applications should be submitted through its application portal. Applicants must be U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits in good standing with the IRS and should address the fund’s criteria for early-stage organizations. The website says applications are reviewed on a 12-month rolling basis from September through August, with decisions and funding made once a year, generally in November. It also says prior grantees should not use the application portal for additional proposals. Separately, the fund states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David Archibald Smart as president and director; Roland M Smart as vice president, treasurer, and director; and Jesse Safir as vice president, secretary, and director. The fund’s website describes Archie Smart as a communications executive, Roland Smart as co-founder and CEO of TheraHive, and Jesse Safir as owner of ABG Print.
The Smart Family Fund is led by David Archibald Smart, President & Director on every filing since 2020; all 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David Archibald Smart
President & Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$47K (2020) → $40K (2024)
Jesse Safir
Vice President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$26K (2020) → $40K (2024)
Roland M. Smart
Vice President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$47K (2020) → $40K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $40K, to David Archibald Smart (President and Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Smart Family Fund
How much does The Smart Family Fund give each year?
The Smart Family Fund gave $1.5M across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.6M across 33 grants.
What is The Smart Family Fund's typical grant size?
The Smart Family Fund's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $47,188, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Smart Family Fund that year got $22K on average.
Where does The Smart Family Fund give grants?
The Smart Family Fund's top state is California, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (17%) and Maryland (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (7 grants), San Francisco, CA (3 grants), Philadelphia, PA (2 grants) and Annapolis, MD (2 grants).
Does The Smart Family Fund give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of The Smart Family Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 32) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Ongoing Support - 2024" (6 grants).
Who are The Smart Family Fund's largest grantees?
The Smart Family Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Recidiviz Inc ($250,000), Votingworks ($200,000) and Lets Get Ready Inc ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Smart Family Fund?
The Smart Family Fund reported $17.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.0M (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 The Smart Family Fund fund?
The fund says its mission is to discover, support, and mentor emerging nonprofit organizations and their leaders. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Smart Family Fund?
The fund’s website describes a portal for submitting a pitch, but the fund states that it does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Smart Family Fund's EIN?
The Smart Family Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-2297831. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Smart Family Fund 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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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Smart Family Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-smart-family-fund-morg_79e692de4ac3494f93d6fdc0f6994e1b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_812297831_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Smart Family Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-smart-family-fund-morg_79e692de4ac3494f93d6fdc0f6994e1b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 The Smart Family Fund'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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