The Smithville Charitable Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 46-2100122 · since 2013smithvillefoundation.org·Boone County, Brown County, Daviess County, Dubois County, Gibson County, Greene County, Hendricks C…·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$1.1M
Annual giving, 2024 tax year
From the Form 990-PF filing
$4,350 to $25,500
Grant range
From grants in the 990-PF filings
$10,035
Typical grant (median)
69 grants in the latest filing
Open to applications
Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

  • The Smithville Charitable Foundation, based in Ellettsville, IN, supports tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organisations headquartered in its served counties, with a focus on education, health, relief of poverty or distress, arts and culture, and public organisations, though it is not limited to those fields.
  • Half of its grants to organisations were $10,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 typically fall between $4,350 and $25,500, so a modest, clearly costed request fits its pattern.
  • It does not fund operating expenses, payroll and benefits, rent, marketing, utilities, individuals, sponsorship requests or multi-year grants, so frame your request around a specific project or programme.
  • Applications go through the online grant management system linked from its Grant Application page in the annual autumn cycle, usually August or September, and it weighs the amount requested, past success, the community that will benefit, the number of people served, and your need and ability to meet it.
  • Repeat giving is significant, with 59% of its grant dollars to organisations going to groups it had also funded in an earlier filing, so show clearly what you have achieved before.

Overview

The Smithville Charitable Foundation is a US private foundation based in Ellettsville, IN.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Foundation supports tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisations headquartered in its served counties. It funds a variety of causes related to education, health, relief of poverty or distress, arts and culture, and public organisations; its grantmaking is not limited to those fields. Through an annual proposal cycle, it considers the amount requested, evidence of past success, the benefiting community and the number of people served. Applicants are expected to demonstrate the need for their project or programme and their ability to meet that need.

Themes

  • Education
  • Health
  • Poverty or distress
  • Arts and culture
  • Public organizations

Geographic Focus

Boone; Brown; Daviess; Dubois; Gibson; Greene; Hendricks; Howard; Lawrence; Martin; Monroe; Morgan; Orange; Owen; Posey; Sullivan; Tipton.

What They Don't Fund

  • Operating Expenses
  • Payroll and/or Benefits
  • Rent
  • Marketing
  • Utilities
  • Any individuals
  • Sponsorship requests
  • Multi-year grants
  • Your organization is not eligible for a grant with the Foundation

How to apply

Applicants apply through the online grant management system linked from the Grant Application page.

Deadlines: The annual application cycle is in the autumn, usually in August or September.

Application success factors

  • Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 59% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
  • Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2024 filings, half of its 148 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

  • The Foundation considers the amount requested.
  • It considers evidence that the applicant has been successful in the past.
  • It considers the community that will benefit from the funding.
  • It considers the number of people served.
  • Applicants should demonstrate the need for their project or programme and their ability to meet that need.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Indiana100%
  • The largest single recipient received 9% of grant dollars to organisations.
  • In tax year 2024, 59% of grant dollars went to organisations The Smithville Charitable Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
  • No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
  • 13% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

69 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $10,035

How much do they typically give?

Share of 69 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$2.5k–$5k7%
$5k–$10k25%
$10k–$25k54%
$25k–$50k12%
$50k–$100k1%
$100k–$250k1%

Median $10,035 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

  • Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County · General
    $100,0002024 tax year
  • Ellettsville Volunteer Fire Department · General
    $50,0002024 tax year
  • Pantry 279 · General
    $41,2002024 tax year
  • Ellettsville Police Department · General
    $39,4902024 tax year
  • IU Auditorium · General
    $35,0002024 tax year
  • People and Animal Learning Services · General
    $31,3092024 tax year
  • Stone Belt Arc · General
    $30,6512024 tax year
  • Community Foundation Partnership · General
    $30,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

  • Richard O Kissel II — Director
  • Darby A McCarty — President & Treasurer & Director
  • Cullen H McCarty — Director & Secretary

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

2 years of tax filings

YearTotal expensesGrants paidAssetsFiling document
2022 tax year$1,216,510$1,090,034$20,314,284Filing for 2022 tax year
2024 tax year$1,252,315$1,089,752$25,439,116Filing 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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