W W Smith Charitable Trust
W. W. Smith Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Saint Louis, Missouri. It supports organizations working on basic human needs, undergraduate scholarships, basic medical research in heart disease, cancer and AIDS, and maritime education, primarily in the five-county Greater Philadelphia region and the City of Camden, New Jersey.
W W Smith Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: W W Smith Charitable Trust gave $12.1M across 251 grants in 2025 (avg $48K), mostly in Pennsylvania. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $12,070,376
- +47.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 251
- +25000.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $48,089
- -99.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $243,205,218
- +3.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (91% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to W W Smith Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The Trust’s website directs applicants to submit applications through its online portal. It says applications for Medical Research and Maritime Education are not accepted by mail or email. Basic Needs applicants may begin an online application and save a draft; the website suggests this as a way to check whether a request is generally aligned with current priorities. The 2024 Basic Needs guidelines limit applicants to one proposal at a time and one grant per year, and state that organizations receiving three consecutive years of funding must wait two years before reapplying. The Maritime Education guidelines also limit applicants to one proposal at a time and one grant per year. The 2024 Basic Needs preview lists June 15 and December 15 deadlines for October/November and April/May decision meetings, respectively; those 2026 dates have passed.
- Next open deadline
- July 15, 2027 (W. W. Smith Charitable Trust: Medical Research Grant)
- Contact
Application contact: Grants Administrator
Mailing address: 1001 Conshohocken State Road Suite, 1-505, West Conshohocken, PA 19428
Phone: (610) 397-1844
Website: https://wwsmithcharitabletrust.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from W W Smith Charitable Trust
Basic Needs Grant - Food, Clothing, and Shelter
W W Smith Charitable Trust
Amount
More than US $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
W. W. Smith Charitable Trust: Medical Research Grant
W W Smith Charitable Trust
Amount
US $100,000 - US $125,000
Deadline
Expected ~July
Based on past cycles
Who W W Smith Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Drexel University ($575K across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $3.1M.
Organizations only. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($477,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
255 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 170 grants of 255 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
With few exceptions, the Trust limits grants to organizations in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, or the City of Camden, New Jersey. Its medical research and Basic Needs guidelines specify this service region. Maritime Education grants support organizations in the region for activities related to local waterways or maritime skills.
Filing-year 2025 grant dollars went primarily to Pennsylvania recipients (91%), followed by New Jersey (6%), Maryland (2%), Rhode Island (1%) and Massachusetts (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 251 itemized grants.
Cities
How W W Smith Charitable Trust gives
- Giving grew 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $8.2M (2024) to $12.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 251 grants totaling $12.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Temple University-of the Commonwealth System of Higher Educ Philadelphia, PA | Scholarships | $223,000 |
| Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | Scholarships | $200,000 |
| 4 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $415,000 |
| Rowan University Foundation Inc Glassboro, NJ | Scholarships | $155,000 |
| Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia, PA | Scholarships | $141,000 |
| Villanova University Villanova, PA | Scholarships | $138,000 |
| Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | Heart Disease Medical Research | $125,000 |
| Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | AIDS Medical Research | $125,000 |
| Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | Cancer Medical Research | $125,000 |
| Institute for Cancer Research Philadelphia, PA | Cancer Medical Research | $125,000 |
Ready to take the next step with W W Smith Charitable Trust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The Trust’s website reports cumulative distributions of $87,127,710 for medical research, $95,661,791 for undergraduate scholarships and $79,576,079 for basic needs.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $243,205,218 | $14,750,621 | $13,078,039 | $12,070,376 | 251 | $12,579,378 | $14,482,859 | $11,682,165 |
| 2024 | $234,099,896 | $18,822,893 | $8,925,356 | $8,202,059 | 1 | $8,669,687 | $18,580,266 | $10,719,310 |
| 2023 | $214,505,308 | $6,358,198 | $10,854,296 | $10,126,853 | 1 | $10,533,054 | $6,097,052 | $10,166,131 |
| 2022 | $204,297,707 | $16,939,254 | $10,777,715 | $9,721,619 | 1 | $10,121,964 | $16,729,541 | $11,259,081 |
| 2021 | $232,078,989 | $17,838,615 | $9,041,132 | $8,372,516 | 1 | — | $17,533,509 | $10,146,913 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, W W Smith Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $11.7M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Trust’s mission is to ensure basic human needs, supplement higher education scholarships, support maritime education and maritime heritage preservation, and enable basic medical research in heart disease, cancer and AIDS.
For basic needs, eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) nonprofits in existence for more than one year with an established service location in the target region. Grants support food, clothing or shelter for children and older adults living there. The Trust prioritizes assistance close to the direct provision of those needs. Its guidelines allow, among other uses, food and clothing purchases, housing payments made directly to vendors, and certain shelter or food-program facility improvements.
For medical research, eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organizations located in the target region. Applications must support an individual investigator’s basic research project in heart disease, cancer or AIDS, rather than the general work of a research center. Each parent organization may submit no more than one proposal in each discipline.
Scholarship grants go to accredited colleges and universities in the Greater Philadelphia region; each institution awards scholarships to eligible full-time undergraduate students. For maritime education, eligible organizations must have been in existence for at least one year, have an established service location in the target region, and use funds for youth development activities promoting maritime education.
The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the kinds of organizations supported. Temple University describes its mission as providing access to higher education, research and public service. Lankenau Institute for Medical Research says it advances health through research and works to improve disease detection and treatment. These are descriptions of the grantees, not the Trust.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Trust reported 251 grants totaling $12,070,376. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $223,000, with a median award of $35,000. Its largest listed award was $223,000 to Temple University for scholarships. Other large scholarship awards included $200,000 to Drexel University, $163,000 to West Chester University Foundation, $155,000 to Rowan University Foundation, $141,000 to Saint Joseph’s University and $138,000 to Villanova University. Listed medical research awards included $125,000 each to Drexel University for heart disease, AIDS and cancer research, and $125,000 to Lankenau Institute for Medical Research for cancer research.
Award terms and sizes vary by program. Basic Needs grants are for one year, with a $5,000 minimum and typical awards of $10,000 to $40,000. Medical Research grants are for one year and typically range from $100,000 to $125,000, including 10% indirect costs. Maritime Education grants have a $5,000 minimum and typically range from $25,000 to $50,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Wells Fargo Bank NA and Deborah McKenna as co-trustees.
W W Smith Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Wells Fargo Bank NA
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2021
15 hrs/week
$174K (2021) → $281K (2025)
Deborah McKenna
Co-Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Louise Havens (2021–2023) — Co-Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $281K, to Wells Fargo Bank NA (Co-Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about W W Smith Charitable Trust
How much does W W Smith Charitable Trust give each year?
W W Smith Charitable Trust gave $12.1M across 251 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $8.2M across 1 grant.
What is W W Smith Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
W W Smith Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $35,000, and its average grant was $48,089, across 251 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does W W Smith Charitable Trust give grants?
W W Smith Charitable Trust gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Jersey (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (107 grants), Camden, NJ (8 grants), Kennett Square, PA (8 grants) and West Chester, PA (7 grants).
Does W W Smith Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 251 grants with a stated purpose on W W Smith Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Basic Needs" (187 grants), "Scholarships" (45 grants) and "Cancer Medical Research" (9 grants).
Who are W W Smith Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
W W Smith Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Drexel University ($575,000 across 4 grants), Thomas Jefferson University ($372,931 across 3 grants) and Saint Joseph's University ($348,187 across 4 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($477,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 11% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is W W Smith Charitable Trust?
W W Smith Charitable Trust reported $243.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $12.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $11.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does W W Smith Charitable Trust fund?
The Trust’s mission is to ensure basic human needs, supplement higher education scholarships, support maritime education and maritime heritage preservation, and enable basic medical research in heart disease, cancer and AIDS. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from W W Smith Charitable Trust?
The Trust’s website directs applicants to submit applications through its online portal. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is W W Smith Charitable Trust's EIN?
W W Smith Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-6648841. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Browse active grant opportunities in W W Smith Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). W W Smith Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/w-w-smith-charitable-trust-morg_8970b3dc8f424260a37c94357856c817
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_236648841_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{W W Smith Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/w-w-smith-charitable-trust-morg_8970b3dc8f424260a37c94357856c817},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 W W Smith Charitable Trust'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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