The Donald and Paula Smith Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The Donald and Paula Smith Foundation funds only preselected organisations by invitation and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold approach from a small nonprofit without an existing connection is unlikely to be considered.
- Its recorded grants went mainly to policy-focused organisations and a charitable giving intermediary, and all 8 grants to organisations fell between $550,000 and $8,500,000, with a median of $3,100,000 and half of its grants at $3,100,000 or less, so this is a funder of large sums rather than modest requests.
- In its latest filing, 100% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, suggesting a stable, relationship-led pattern of giving to the same recipients rather than a competitive open programme.
- No geographic focus is stated, although recorded grants were mainly in Rhode Island and Virginia; this reflects where past recipients are based rather than a rule about where applicants or beneficiaries must be.
- Given the invitation-only approach and the absence of any published eligibility criteria or steps for seeking consideration, organisations without an existing relationship to the foundation should not expect to succeed by applying.
Overview
The Donald and Paula Smith Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) 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 recorded grants went mainly to policy-focused organisations and a charitable giving intermediary. Each grant was recorded as furthering the recipient’s exempt purpose. The filings describe a concentrated pattern of contributions to preselected charitable organisations, rather than an open programme with published thematic priorities. They do not set out eligibility criteria or explain how a prospective recipient could seek consideration. The recipient locations recorded in the filings include Rhode Island and Virginia, but the foundation does not state a grantmaking area; those locations describe where recipients are based, not a rule about where applicants or beneficiaries must be. The available material therefore describes the recipients and broad grant purpose, not a wider set of funding fields.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Rhode Island and Virginia.
How to apply
Contributions go only to preselected charitable organisations; the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. No steps for an organisation to seek consideration are stated.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 100% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 8 grants to organisations were $3,100,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 67% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 100% of grant dollars went to organisations The Donald and Paula Smith Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 67% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Vanguard Charitable · To further donee's exempt purpose$8,500,0002024 tax year
- Atlas Network · To further donee's exempt purpose$3,200,0002024 tax year
- Cato Institute · To further donee's exempt purpose$650,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Nikolaos Monoyios — Director
- Ken Levy — Director
- Robert Gelfond — Director
- Scott Barbee — Director
- Jon Hartsel — Secretary / Director
- Richard Greenberg — Treasurer / Director
- Laura Winner — VP / Director.
- Julie Smith — President / Director
- Paula Smith — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $11,842,081 | $10,100,000 | $101,314,286 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $10,853,705 | $9,650,000 | $120,518,716 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $13,784,801 | $12,350,000 | $129,330,054 | Filing for 2024 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 The Donald and Paula Smith Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- New York, NY
Applying to The Donald and Paula Smith Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY