The David D Smith Family Foundation concentrates its giving on faith-based education and conservative public policy/advocacy. Its largest gifts fund Christian K–12 and higher education institutions, while meaningful support also flows to national conservative youth and policy organizations. Grants are large and targeted rather than widely distributed, often routed through donor-advised vehicles for flexible deployment.
David D Smith Family Foundation Inc’s largest recent grant was a $1.5 million unrestricted award to Gerstell Academy in Westminster, Maryland, signaling how central Christian K-12 education is to its giving. The foundation also made a $1.1 million unrestricted grant to Palm Beach Atlantic University, showing that faith-based education spans both school and university levels in its portfolio. Alongside education, the foundation has funded conservative advocacy and youth organizing, including unrestricted support for Turning Point USA and Citizens Alliance of America Foundation. Its recent grants also include support for organizations tied to healthcare delivery and community needs, such as GBMC Foundation, Baltimore Community Foundation, Navy Seal Foundation, and local Maryland groups. The pattern is one of concentrated, large-dollar grants rather than broad dispersal, with several six-figure gifts and repeated support to selected institutions across multiple years. Recent awards are mostly unrestricted, which gives recipients flexibility in how they use the funds.
Christian education is the clearest theme in the foundation’s recent grants. It gave $1.5 million to Gerstell Academy for unrestricted support and $1.1 million to Palm Beach Atlantic University, also unrestricted, with follow-on gifts of $200,000 and $150,000 to the same university in later years. In conservative civic and youth engagement, the foundation supported Turning Point USA with a $250,000 unrestricted grant and Citizens Alliance of America Foundation with a $250,000 unrestricted grant. It also backed American Transparency with $100,000 in 2025 and another $100,000 in 2024. Health-related funding appears in grants to GBMC Foundation, including $200,000 in 2025 and $5,000 in 2024 for furthering healthcare delivery. The portfolio also includes unrestricted support for Moms for America, showing a broader interest in advocacy-oriented organizations.
Typical grants cluster at a six-figure scale: p25 is $16,666, the median is $100,000, and p75 is $200,000. The recent record shows repeat support across multiple years for several recipients, including Palm Beach Atlantic University, Moms for America, American Transparency, Navy Seal Foundation, Land Preservation Trust, and GBMC Foundation. Most awards are unrestricted, with a few designated to named funds or purposes such as the MileOne Cares Fund and furthering healthcare delivery. The foundation’s giving is not made to individuals and it does not make program-related investments. The pattern is targeted and relational rather than high-volume.
$679K
$8.5M
$1.4M
$978K
Most grants fall between $17K and $200K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$17K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$200K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small set of recipients; no broad small-grant program. Funding skews to one-time large gifts to faith-based education and national conservative advocacy groups, sometimes delivered via donor-advised/conduit vehicles.
Notable grantees: Gerstell Academy, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Turning Point USA, Citizens Alliance of America Foundation, National Philanthropic Trust (MileOne Cares Fund)
Grant recipients are all in the United States, with the strongest concentration in Illinois by grant count. Maryland is also a major destination, accounting for 40% of grants and including recipients in Westminster, Baltimore, Upperco, Churchville, Cockeysville, and Cambridge. Other recipient cities that appear more than once include West Palm Beach, Florida; New York, New York; and Washington, DC. The footprint is regional rather than national in distribution, even though some grants reach organizations outside Maryland.
Recent grants center on Christian education and conservative public-policy or advocacy organizations. Examples include Gerstell Academy, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Turning Point USA, Citizens Alliance of America Foundation, and Moms for America. The foundation also makes some health-related and community grants, including GBMC Foundation and Baltimore Community Foundation.
The foundation’s grant sizes are concentrated in the six-figure range. The distribution provided is p25 at $16,666, a median of $100,000, and p75 at $200,000. Recent awards also include very large gifts such as $1.5 million and $1.1 million.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Palm Beach Atlantic University, Moms for America, American Transparency, Navy Seal Foundation, Land Preservation Trust, and GBMC Foundation. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time grants only.
The foundation gives primarily in the United States, and the recipient-country distribution is 100% US. By grant count, Illinois is the top state, while Maryland receives 40% of grants. Recent recipient cities include Westminster, Baltimore, West Palm Beach, and Lemont.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CITIZENS ALLIANCE OF AMERICA FOUNDATION | FAIRFAX, VA | $316,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GBMC FOUNDATION | BALTIMORE, MD | $200,000 | 2026 | FURTHER THE DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE |
| CAPITAL RESEARCH CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $83,333 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| INSTITUTE FOR PRESERVATION AND PROGRESS | PARKTON, MD | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CITIZEN JOURNALISM FOUNDATION | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GILCHRIST HOSPICE CARE | HUNT VALLEY, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LAND PRESERVATION TRUST | COCKEYSVILLE, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GERSTELL ACADEMY | WESTMINSTER, MD | $1,500,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| TURNING POINT USA | LEMONT, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| PALM BEACH ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $200,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GBMC FOUNDATION | BALTIMORE, MD | $200,000 | 2025 | FURTHER THE DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE |
| AMERICAN TRANSPARENCY | HINSDALE, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BALTIMORE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MOMS FOR AMERICA | ENGLEWOOD, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CAPITAL RESEARCH CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $16,666 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SADDLE UP SCHOLARS | CHURCHVILLE, MD | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LAND PRESERVATION TRUST | COCKEYSVILLE, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GOOD SHEPPARD | CAMBRIDGE, MD | $2,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2024 | MILEONE CARES FUND |
| CITIZENS ALLIANCE OF AMERICA FOUNDATION | FAIRFAX, VA | $250,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| PALM BEACH ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $150,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CAPITAL RESEARCH CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| AMERICAN TRANSPARENCY | HINSDALE, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MOMS FOR AMERICA | ENGLEWOOD, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $50,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GBMC FOUNDATION | BALTIMORE, MD | $5,000 | 2024 | FURTHER THE DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE |
| LAND PRESERVATION TRUST | COCKEYSVILLE, MD | $5,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| PALM BEACH ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $1,100,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| UPPERCO VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY | UPPERCO, MD | $29,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LAND PRESERVATION TRUST | COCKEYSVILLE, MD | $10,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
CITIZENS ALLIANCE OF AMERICA FOUNDATION
$316,000UNRESTRICTED
GBMC FOUNDATION
$200,000FURTHER THE DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE
INSTITUTE FOR PRESERVATION AND PROGRESS
$50,000UNRESTRICTED
UNRESTRICTED
LAND PRESERVATION TRUST
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
GERSTELL ACADEMY
$1,500,000UNRESTRICTED
TURNING POINT USA
$250,000UNRESTRICTED
PALM BEACH ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
$200,000UNRESTRICTED
GBMC FOUNDATION
$200,000FURTHER THE DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE
AMERICAN TRANSPARENCY
$100,000UNRESTRICTED
SADDLE UP SCHOLARS
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
LAND PRESERVATION TRUST
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
GOOD SHEPPARD
$2,500UNRESTRICTED
NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST
$500,000MILEONE CARES FUND
CITIZENS ALLIANCE OF AMERICA FOUNDATION
$250,000UNRESTRICTED
PALM BEACH ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
$150,000UNRESTRICTED
GBMC FOUNDATION
$5,000FURTHER THE DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE
LAND PRESERVATION TRUST
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
PALM BEACH ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
$1,100,000UNRESTRICTED
UPPERCO VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY
$29,000UNRESTRICTED
LAND PRESERVATION TRUST
$10,000UNRESTRICTED