May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust
Notice of Changes to Grantmaking Guidelines
The staff and Trustees of the May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust have spent the past several months reviewing the Trust’s current funding strategy and future direction. We are writing to share the initial decisions from that process, which include a change in the Trust’s future scope and reach. This change aims to focus and deepen the Trust’s grantmaking to enhance the likelihood of achieving significant, lasting positive changes that promote well-being for individuals and communities.
Acknowledging the Trust’s geographic location, its organizational capacity, and its current strengths, and with the intention of deepening our engagement with grantees, effective January 2014 the geographic scope of the Trust will shift to focus on the Western Region of the United States and British Columbia, Canada. The Trust defines the Western Region to include: California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii.
In addition, to honor the interests of its founding donors, the Trust will continue to make a small number of grants in Australia, the Bahamas, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. These grants will support organizations specified by the Trustees and represent a small portion of the Trust’s overall grants portfolio. No applications will be accepted for this program.
Unsolicited applications will be accepted only from organizations serving people in the Western Region of the United States or British Columbia.
This decision to refine the Trust’s geographic scope is complemented by a desire of the Trustees to steward future grantmaking into a few, more targeted issue areas. These areas are still being developed and generally reflect a narrowing and refinement of the Trust’s current grantmaking interests. We anticipate sharing more details about the Trust’s new direction in the fall of 2013.
Please note that applications received for consideration during the 2013 grantmaking year will be reviewed according to the Trust’s current guidelines. We will update our website in the fall 2013 to reflect the Trust’s updated grantmaking guidelines.
We realize that this substantial change yields both new opportunities and some difficult endings. We have been privileged to support many organizations in their efforts to enrich the quality of life, promote self-sufficiency, and assist individuals to achieve their highest potential. We look forward to the new partnerships rendered possible by the outcomes of our strategic plan and pledge to serve as a resource for prior grantees that will be no longer eligible for the Trust’s funding.
About the Trust
The May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust supports organizations that offer opportunities to children and youth; elders; the disabled and critically ill; and disadvantaged adults and families which enrich the quality of life, promote self-sufficiency, and assist individuals in achieving their highest potential.
Created in 1989, the Trust supports organizations serving people in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Bahamas, and Hong Kong – places that May and Stanley Smith lived in or spent time in during their lifetimes. The Trust welcomes inquiries from organizations serving these areas whose missions match its funding interests and qualifications. The application process is explained on the For Grantseekers page.
Through limited Special Initiatives, the Trust also supports organizations serving developing countries in the areas of education; microfinance; clean water and sanitation; and health services. Unsolicited proposals are not accepted for the Special Initiatives.
Foundation Status
The May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust has been recognized by the IRS as a private foundation, exempt from income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and a foreign organization. The Trust’s IRS Form 990-PF can be viewed on Guidestar’s web site.
Board of Trustees
- Ruth M. Collins
- David C. Cuneo
- Daniel F. Piombo