George D Smith Fund
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity should not send it an application unless it has been invited to do so.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $75,000 and $680,000, with a median of $275,000, and its largest grant was $700,000, so any invited request should be sized around that typical band rather than treated as a ceiling.
- Repeat support is central to its giving, with 93% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, which suggests that relationships matter more than an open call.
- Its grants span universities, public broadcasting, investigative journalism, reproductive health, humanitarian relief and online information.
- The filings show grants mainly in California, New York, District of Columbia, Maryland and Massachusetts, but no geographic focus is stated, so those places describe past grants and are not a rule about who may apply.
Overview
George D Smith Fund is a US private foundation based in Chicago, IL.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The grants are recorded for recipients' charitable purposes. The recipients span universities, public broadcasting and media organisations, investigative journalism, reproductive health, humanitarian relief and online information. The grant record also shows repeat support to organisations funded in earlier filings. Its grants are directed to a varied group of charitable organisations rather than one narrow recipient type. The filing says contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations and unsolicited requests are not accepted. The filings place grants across several states, with the largest shares going to California, New York and the District of Columbia.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California, New York, District of Columbia, Maryland and Massachusetts.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 93% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 37 grants to organisations were $275,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
2 other states: 4%
- The largest single recipient received 14% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 93% of grant dollars went to organisations George D Smith Fund had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 13 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $300k (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Planned Parenthood Federation of America · Organization's charitable purposes$700,0002025 tax year
- Stanford University · Organization's charitable purposes$600,0002025 tax year
- University of California San Francisco Foundation · Organization's charitable purposes$550,0002025 tax year
- Wikimedia Foundation · Organization's charitable purposes$450,0002025 tax year
- Doctors Without Borders · Organization's charitable purposes$450,0002025 tax year
- National Public Radio · Organization's charitable purposes$400,0002025 tax year
- ProPublica · Organization's charitable purposes$300,0002025 tax year
- GBH Educational Foundation · Organization's charitable purposes$275,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Camilla M Smith — Director
- Sarah A Smith — Secretary
- Geoffrey B Smith — Treasurer
- Andrew J Smith — Vice President
- George D Smith III — Vice President
- Benjamin A Smith-Donald — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $4,047,277 | $3,770,000 | $85,914,668 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $4,257,120 | $3,985,000 | $91,406,648 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $4,594,735 | $4,350,000 | $98,206,716 | Filing for 2025 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to George D Smith Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Chicago, IL
Applying to George D Smith Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Chicago, IL