The Wilson L Smith Family Foundation The Smith Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered, and an existing connection or an invitation is the more realistic route.
- Its stated themes are medical, educational, religious and humanitarian causes, so an organisation should first check that its work falls within one of them.
- In its most recent filing, 99% of grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so repeat giving is the clearest pattern.
- Half of its 15 grants to organisations were $5,000 or less and the median grant was $5,000, so a modest request near that level fits the record best; the typical band of $500 to $1,250,000 is not a ceiling, as its largest grant was about $1,400,000.
- No geographic focus is stated, so location alone should not decide whether an organisation approaches it.
Overview
The Wilson L Smith Family Foundation The Smith Foundation is a US private foundation based in Salisbury, NC.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and web pages about the foundation (legacy.com), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation was created by Wilson L. Smith and his family to support designated medical, educational, religious and humanitarian causes. Its filed grant record shows general-fund awards to charitable organisations, including a church, educational institutions and a municipality. These recipients illustrate giving across religious, educational and local public institutions, while the foundation’s stated purposes cover medical and humanitarian causes as well. The record and obituary describe a grantmaking foundation serving charitable organisations, but do not state formal eligibility criteria or describe a way for organisations to request support.
Themes
- Medical causes
- Educational causes
- Religious causes
- Humanitarian causes
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in North Carolina.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 99% 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 15 grants to organisations were $5,000 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 74% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 100% of grant dollars went to organisations The Wilson L Smith Family Foundation The Smith Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Friends of Rowan · General fund$1,238,4002024 tax year
- Saint John's Lutheran Church · General fund$1,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Ronald L Smith — Board Member
- Janis L Smith — President &
- Felicia Eagle — Board Member
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $1,277,270 | $1,195,566 | $41,529,215 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,623,882 | $2,523,188 | $32,121,364 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,731,460 | $1,239,400 | $32,226,407 | 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 Wilson L Smith Family Foundation The Smith Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Salisbury, NC
Applying to The Wilson L Smith Family Foundation The Smith Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Salisbury, NC