William Harold Smith Charitable Trust
The William Harold Smith Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Marion, an individual recipient Its 2024 filing reports grants to educational institutions, with grant purposes primarily recorded as scholarships.
William Harold Smith Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: William Harold Smith Charitable Trust gave $134K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in North Carolina. 54% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $134,050
- +24.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -7.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,312
- +34.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $4,881,483
- +1.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (7 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (95% 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 William Harold Smith Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says to contact William H Smith Charitable Trust and submit a written application. Deadlines are established annually, and award restrictions are described in the application.
- Review Cycle
- Established annually.
- Deadline
- Established annually.
- Contact
Application contact: William H Smith Charitable Trust
Mailing address: PO Box 1705, Marion, NC 28752
Phone: (704) 813-2501
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who William Harold Smith Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was McDowell Techincal Community College ($53K). Together the top 10 received $122K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($8,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
83 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 82 grants of 83 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in an individual recipient and 5% to recipients in Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is William Harold Smith Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 13 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 46% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 26% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 60% 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 $108K (2023) to $213K (2020). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $134K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| McDowell Techincal Community College Marion, NC | Schlorshiips | $53,050 |
| Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC | Schlorshiips | $16,500 |
| North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC | Schlorshiips | $14,000 |
| Lees-McRae College Banner Elk, NC | Schlorshiips | $9,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $8,000 |
| East Tennessee State Uniiversity Johnson City, TN | Schlorshiips | $7,000 |
| University of North Carolina - Charlotte Charlotte, NC | Schlorshiips | $6,000 |
| Appalachian State University Boone, NC | Scholarships | $5,500 |
| University of North Carolina - Asheville Asheville, NC | Schlorshiips | $4,000 |
| Warren Wilson College Asheville, NC | Schlorshiips | $4,000 |
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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 | $4,881,483 | $229,388 | $174,888 | $134,050 | 13 | $134,050 | $249,650 | $224,669 |
| 2023 | $4,815,302 | $199,001 | $149,652 | $107,500 | 14 | $107,500 | $278,897 | $212,571 |
| 2022 | $5,404,742 | $283,513 | $168,685 | $122,000 | 11 | $155,761 | $278,696 | $226,870 |
| 2021 | $5,213,332 | $271,003 | $231,388 | $180,300 | 21 | $211,260 | $257,637 | $271,008 |
| 2020 | $4,450,819 | $250,939 | $269,232 | $213,250 | 24 | — | $241,070 | $260,018 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William Harold Smith Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $225K 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
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2024 grants went to colleges and universities, and the grant purposes were primarily recorded as scholarships.
Among its recipients, Western Carolina University describes its mission as aiding and promoting education and charitable activities at the university. An individual recipient State University says it supports its colleges, libraries, and other university-connected functions. Lees-McRae College says it helps students broaden their horizons, pursue careers, and find their place in the world through education and service. Appalachian State University Foundation says it supports the university’s students, faculty, staff, and community. Warren Wilson College describes an approach integrating academics, work, and community engagement. Wingate University says it aims to develop educated, ethical, and productive global citizens.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust reported 13 grants totaling $134,050. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $53,050, with a median of $6,000.
Notable 2024 grants included $53,050 to McDowell Technical Community College in Marion, an individual recipient; $16,500 to Western Carolina University; $14,000 to an individual recipient State University; $9,000 to Lees-McRae College; $8,000 to the University of an individual recipient at an individual recipient; and $7,000 to an individual recipient State University. Other reported recipients included the University of an individual recipient at Charlotte ($6,000), Appalachian State University ($5,500), the University of an individual recipient at Asheville ($4,000), Warren Wilson College ($4,000), Belmont Abbey College ($3,000), and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary ($2,000). Wingate University also reports receiving $2,000 from the trust in 2024.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Matt Smith and Mitch Goodson as trustees and David Ditt as secretary.
William Harold Smith Charitable Trust's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Matt Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2021
15 hrs/week
$25K (2021) → $27K (2024)
Mitch Goodson
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$5K (2023) → $0 (2024)
David H. Ditt
Secretary
Committee Menber → Commitee Member, 2021
Commitee Member → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$200 (2023) → $0 (2024)
Former officers (5)
- Former: Jerry F. Arnold (2020–2022) — Commitee Member
- Former: Mitchell D. Goodson (2020–2022) — Committee Member
- Former: Melora Bennett (2021–2022) — Commitee Member
- Former: Edwin H Spivey III (2020) — Committee Menber
- Former: J Matt Smith (2020) — Trustee & Member
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 $27K, to Matt Smith (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about William Harold Smith Charitable Trust
How much does William Harold Smith Charitable Trust give each year?
William Harold Smith Charitable Trust gave $134K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $108K across 14 grants.
What is William Harold Smith Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
William Harold Smith Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $6,000, and its average grant was $10,312, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William Harold Smith Charitable Trust that year got $13K on average.
Where does William Harold Smith Charitable Trust give grants?
William Harold Smith Charitable Trust gives mostly in North Carolina: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Asheville, NC (2 grants).
Does William Harold Smith Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on William Harold Smith Charitable Trust's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Schlorshiips" (12 grants).
Who are William Harold Smith Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
William Harold Smith Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include McDowell Techincal Community College ($53,050), Western Carolina University ($16,500) and North Carolina State University ($14,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($8,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is William Harold Smith Charitable Trust?
William Harold Smith Charitable Trust reported $4.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $134K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $225K (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 William Harold Smith Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2024 grants went to colleges and universities, and the grant purposes were primarily recorded as scholarships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William Harold Smith Charitable Trust?
The 2024 filing says to contact William H Smith Charitable Trust and submit a written application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is William Harold Smith Charitable Trust's EIN?
William Harold Smith Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6526359. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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). William Harold Smith Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-harold-smith-charitable-trust-morg_d84efaa72aab4afdb2a21ce2413a607f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_566526359_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{William Harold Smith Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-harold-smith-charitable-trust-morg_d84efaa72aab4afdb2a21ce2413a607f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 William Harold 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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