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Smith Family Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$5.8M
Grant Range
$1K - $1.0M
Success Rate
12%

Smith Family Foundation Inc - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5,792,500 (2025)
  • Success Rate: 12% for new applicants
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $1,000,000
  • Average Grant: Approximately $80,000-90,000
  • Number of Grants: 64-72 grants annually
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily California, Washington, and Utah; also supports organizations across 23 U.S. states
  • Foundation Type: Private family foundation

Contact Details

Address: 11711 N Meridian St Ste 600, Carmel, IN 46032-4548

Phone: 317-843-5678

Tax ID (EIN): 35-2015637

Note: This foundation does not appear to have a public website or dedicated grant application portal.

Overview

The Smith Family Foundation Inc is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1997 and based in Carmel, Indiana. With assets of $43.7 million (2025), the foundation has demonstrated consistent and substantial charitable giving, distributing $5.79 million in grants annually in recent years. The foundation is led by Lonnie M. Smith (President), Cheryl D. Smith (Vice President), and Jeffrey H. Thomasson (Secretary & Treasurer), all of whom serve without compensation.

The foundation maintains a disciplined approach to philanthropy, awarding between 64-72 grants per year with a focus on education, human services, and philanthropic initiatives. While geographically based in Indiana, the foundation's grantmaking is concentrated primarily in California, Washington, and Utah, with additional support extending to organizations across 23 U.S. states. The foundation operates with a high program expense ratio of 97.3%, demonstrating that nearly all expenditures go directly to charitable purposes. Based on available information, this appears to be a private family foundation that supports pre-selected organizations rather than operating an open, public application process.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Smith Family Foundation does not appear to have formally named grant programs with separate application processes. Instead, grants are awarded across broad charitable categories:

  • General Support: Most grants are designated for general support of charitable organizations
  • Education: Significant funding for educational institutions and programs
  • Healthcare: Support for medical research and healthcare institutions
  • Religious/Faith-Based Organizations: Grants to religious institutions and faith-based charitable work

Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $1,000,000, with most grants falling in the range of $10,000 to $250,000.

Priority Areas

Based on publicly available 990-PF filings and third-party data, the foundation supports:

  • Education: Educational institutions (particularly universities and colleges), educational technology platforms, and STEM education initiatives
  • Human Services: Organizations serving diverse communities and addressing basic human needs
  • Healthcare: Medical research institutions, hospitals, and healthcare education
  • Philanthropy & Voluntarism: Other foundations and organizations that facilitate charitable giving
  • Faith-Based Organizations: Religious institutions and faith-based charitable activities, particularly those affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Geographic Concentration: While based in Indiana, the foundation shows strong funding patterns in:

  • California (including San Francisco Bay Area)
  • Washington State
  • Utah (including institutions in Provo and Rexburg, Idaho)

Notable Grant Recipients

Examples of organizations that have received grants from the foundation include:

  • Khan Academy: $500,000 (multiple years)
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital: $250,000
  • LDS Philanthropies: Up to $360,000
  • Brigham Young University-Idaho: Multiple grants

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

Lonnie M. Smith, President & Director
Mr. Smith is believed to be the same Lonnie M. Smith who served as CEO (1997-2010) and Chairman of the Board (1997-2020) of Intuitive Surgical, a medical robotics company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. He graduated from Utah State University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and previously served as senior executive vice president at Hillenbrand Industries in Indiana. Following his retirement from Intuitive Surgical in 2020, he joined the board of the Intuitive Foundation. His career trajectory and educational background align with the foundation's geographic focus on California and Utah.

Cheryl D. Smith, Vice President & Director
Mrs. Smith serves as Vice President of the foundation. Limited public information is available about her specific role or background.

Jeffrey H. Thomasson, Secretary & Treasurer & Director
Mr. Thomasson manages the foundation's financial affairs and governance documentation. Limited public information is available about his background.

All three directors serve without compensation, consistent with private family foundation practices.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. As a private family foundation, the Smith Family Foundation Inc appears to operate through one or more of the following approaches:

  • Pre-selected Organizations: The foundation identifies and selects charitable organizations to support based on the trustees' personal knowledge, interests, and connections
  • Invitation Only: Organizations may be invited to submit proposals following initial contact or relationship development
  • Board-Directed Giving: Grants are determined by the board of directors based on their philanthropic priorities

The foundation does not maintain a public website with application guidelines, nor does it appear in databases of foundations accepting open applications. The contact phone number (317-843-5678) may be used for inquiries, but potential applicants should be aware that the foundation likely does not maintain staff dedicated to processing unsolicited grant requests.

For New Applicants: Third-party data suggests that the foundation has a 12% funding rate for new applicants, indicating that while new organizations can receive funding, the majority of grants likely go to organizations with existing relationships to the foundation or its leadership.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available. As a private foundation, the board likely meets periodically (commonly once or twice per year) to review and approve grants. Exact meeting schedules are not disclosed.

Success Rates

  • Overall New Applicant Rate: 12% (based on third-party analysis)
  • Annual Grants: 64-72 grants awarded per year
  • Average Award Size: Approximately $80,000-90,000 per grant

The foundation has demonstrated consistent grantmaking over time, awarding a similar number of grants year over year.

Reapplication Policy

No public information is available regarding reapplication policies. Organizations that have received funding appear to have received multiple grants over time, suggesting that repeat funding is possible for organizations aligned with the foundation's interests.

Application Success Factors

Given the private nature of this foundation and the lack of public application guidelines, organizations interested in the Smith Family Foundation should consider the following factors:

Geographic Alignment: The foundation shows clear preference for organizations in California, Washington, and Utah, despite being based in Indiana. Organizations in these states, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle area, and Utah, may have better prospects.

Educational Focus: The foundation has supported major educational institutions and educational technology platforms. Organizations working in education, particularly higher education and STEM education, align with demonstrated funding patterns.

Faith-Based Alignment: Multiple grants to LDS-affiliated organizations and institutions (LDS Philanthropies, Brigham Young University-Idaho, and others) suggest that organizations affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may be of particular interest to the foundation.

Healthcare and Medical Research: Support for institutions like Brigham and Women's Hospital indicates interest in medical research and healthcare advancement.

Established Organizations: Grant recipients include well-known, established institutions with proven track records. Newer or smaller organizations may face challenges in accessing this funding source.

Technology and Innovation: The support for Khan Academy (online education) and the connection to Intuitive Surgical (medical robotics) suggests potential interest in organizations using technology to advance their missions.

Scale of Operation: With grants ranging from $1,000 to $1,000,000 but averaging around $80,000-90,000, the foundation supports organizations of varying sizes but appears to favor larger, more established institutions for major grants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Private Family Foundation: This is not a typical institutional foundation with an open application process. The foundation supports organizations aligned with the personal philanthropic interests of the Smith family.

  • No Public Application: Organizations cannot simply fill out an application form. Building relationships and getting on the foundation's radar requires different strategies than approaching foundations with open RFPs.

  • Geographic Focus: Despite the Indiana location, the foundation's grantmaking heavily favors California, Washington, and Utah. Organizations outside these states may have limited prospects unless they have specific connections to the foundation's leadership.

  • Faith-Based Connection: The significant support for LDS-affiliated organizations suggests this may be an important alignment factor for potential grantees.

  • Education and Healthcare Priorities: Organizations working in education (particularly higher education and educational technology) and healthcare/medical research align with demonstrated funding patterns.

  • Relationship-Based Grantmaking: With a 12% success rate for new applicants and no public application process, success likely depends on personal connections, board member knowledge of organizations, or compelling introductions from trusted sources.

  • Consistent, Long-Term Support: The foundation has maintained steady grantmaking over time, suggesting reliability as a funding source for organizations that do establish relationships.

  • Contact Information Available: While there is no application portal, the foundation does have a phone number (317-843-5678) where inquiries might be directed, though expectations should be managed regarding response rates to unsolicited contacts.

References

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