The Josephine and Evelyn S. Smith Foundation concentrates its giving on animal welfare in the Philadelphia region, directing substantial, unrestricted support to established animal care and protection organizations. Its grants are large relative to the total pool and focused narrowly on sheltering, rescue, and humane services rather than a broad mix of causes. This suggests a philanthropic identity centered on strengthening local animal welfare infrastructure.
Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a very small number of local animal-welfare organizations rather than many small or diversified awards; funding appears targeted to established institutions providing shelter/rescue services.
The Josephine and Evelyn S Smith Foundation’s recent grantmaking is anchored in animal welfare, with repeated support for Philadelphia-area shelters, rescue groups, and humane services. In 2023 and 2024, it made some of its largest awards to the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, the Pennsylvania SPCA, and other established local animal care organizations, showing a pattern of backing institutions that already sit at the center of regional animal protection work. The foundation’s giving also reaches beyond direct shelter operations: it has funded public broadcasting and library-based community outreach, alongside grants to religious institutions in the same local network. The recent record shows a foundation that favors sizable grants over a broad scatter of small awards. Several awards cluster around the same level, suggesting a deliberate funding approach rather than one-off experimentation. Its portfolio is still narrow in subject matter, but within that focus it supports both frontline animal rescue and adjacent community-facing partners. The result is a clearly defined local philanthropy with animal welfare at its core and a small number of recurring recipient organizations appearing across more than one year.
Animal welfare is the central theme of the foundation’s recent giving. It awarded $55,000 in 2024 to Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society for animal welfare, and it also supported Providence Animal Center with $45,000 in 2024 and $27,250 in 2023. The foundation also backs regional shelter and rescue infrastructure through grants to Montgomery County SPCA, Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals, Women’s Animal Center, Morris Animal Refuge, and Last Chance Ranch Animal Rescue. Beyond shelters, it funded community outreach partners such as WHYY - Public Television for public broadcasting and Ludington Public Library for public library and community work. Those awards show a mix of direct animal services and public-facing institutions connected to local engagement.
Typical grant size is fairly tight: the 25th percentile is $26,988, the median is $76,515, and the 75th percentile is $78,800. That clustering points to a grantmaker that often uses mid-to-large awards rather than a wide range of check sizes. The recent record also shows repeat recipients across 2023 and 2024, including Providence Animal Center, Morris Animal Refuge, and the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated grants. The foundation is a private foundation; it does not fund individuals and it does not make program-related investments.
$1.6M
$9.9M
$1.2M
$915K
Most grants fall between $27K and $79K, with a median of $77K.
25th Percentile
$27K
Median
$77K
75th Percentile
$79K
About 93% of grants go to recipients in PA.
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Notable grantees: Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, Pennsylvania SPCA
The foundation gives overwhelmingly within Pennsylvania: 93% of grants go to recipients in its HQ state, and Pennsylvania is also the top state by grant count. Philadelphia is a recurring recipient city, joined by nearby communities such as Bryn Mawr, Conshohocken, Radnor, Bensalem, Media, West Chester, Lahaska, and Quakertown. Outside Pennsylvania, the only recipient state in the recent list is New Jersey, through grants to Animal Welfare Association NJ in Voorhees.
Its recent giving is centered on animal welfare, especially support for Philadelphia-area shelters, rescue groups, and humane services. The recent grants list also includes a smaller set of community-facing awards to public broadcasting, a public library, and a religious institution in the same regional network.
The typical grant size clusters in a relatively narrow band. The 25th percentile is $26,988, the median is $76,515, and the 75th percentile is $78,800.
Most grants go to Pennsylvania recipients, and 93% of grants are awarded in the HQ state. The only other recipient state in the recent list is New Jersey, through grants to Animal Welfare Association NJ in Voorhees.
Yes. Providence Animal Center, Morris Animal Refuge, and the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society each appear in both 2023 and 2024, showing repeat support rather than one-time awards.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania SPCA | Philadelphia, PA | $88,000 | 2024 | Animal Welfare |
| Saint John Neumann Catholic Church | Bryn MAwr, PA | $76,515 | 2024 | Religious |
| WHYY - PUBLIC TELEVISION | Philadelphia, PA | $76,515 | 2024 | Public Broadcasting |
| Ludington Public Library | Bryn Mawr, PA | $76,515 | 2024 | Public Library; Community |
| Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals | Radnor, PA | $76,515 | 2024 | Animal Welfare |
| Montgomery County SPCA | Conshohocken, PA | $76,515 | 2024 | Animal Welfare |
| Women's Animal Center | Bensalem, PA | $76,515 | 2024 | Animal Welfare |
| Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society | Philadelphia, PA | $55,000 | 2024 | Animal Welfare |
| Animal Welfare Association NJ | Voorhees, NJ | $49,459 | 2024 | Animal Welfare |
| Providence Animal Center | Media, PA | $45,000 | 2024 | Animal Welfare |
| Bucks County SCPA | Lahaska, PA | $37,186 | 2024 | Animal Welfare |
| Morris Animal Refuge | Philadelphia, PA | $17,390 | 2024 | Animal Welfare |
| Last Chance Ranch Animal Rescue | Quakertown, PA | $14,025 | 2024 | Animal Welfare |
| PHILADELPHIA ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $97,500 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| PENNSYLVANIA SPCA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $79,000 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| LUDINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY | BRYN MAWR, PA | $78,800 | 2023 | PUBLIC LIBRARY; COMMUNITY |
| FRANCISVALE HOME FOR SMALLER ANIMALS | RADNOR, PA | $78,800 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| WOMEN'S ANIMAL CENTER | BENSALEM, PA | $78,800 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| WHYY - PUBLIC TELEVISION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $78,800 | 2023 | PUBLIC BROADCASTING |
| SAINT JOHN NEUMANN CATHOLIC CHURCH | BRYN MAWR, PA | $78,800 | 2023 | RELIGIOUS |
| MONTGOMERY COUNTY SPCA | CONSHOHOCKEN, PA | $78,800 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| BUCKS COUNTY SCPA | LAHASKA, PA | $30,000 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| PROVIDENCE ANIMAL CENTER | MEDIA, PA | $27,250 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| BRANDYWINE VALLEY SCPA | WEST CHESTER, PA | $26,200 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| ANIMAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION NJ | VOORHEES, NJ | $20,000 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| LAST CHANCE RANCH ANIMAL RESCUE | QUAKERTOWN, PA | $16,500 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| MORRIS ANIMAL REFUGE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $16,500 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| FINDING SHELTER ANIMAL RESCUE | SOUTHEASTERN, PA | $2,250 | 2023 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
Pennsylvania SPCA
$88,000Animal Welfare
Saint John Neumann Catholic Church
$76,515Religious
WHYY - PUBLIC TELEVISION
$76,515Public Broadcasting
Ludington Public Library
$76,515Public Library; Community
Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals
$76,515Animal Welfare
Montgomery County SPCA
$76,515Animal Welfare
Women's Animal Center
$76,515Animal Welfare
Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society
$55,000Animal Welfare
Animal Welfare Association NJ
$49,459Animal Welfare
Providence Animal Center
$45,000Animal Welfare
Bucks County SCPA
$37,186Animal Welfare
Morris Animal Refuge
$17,390Animal Welfare
Last Chance Ranch Animal Rescue
$14,025Animal Welfare
PHILADELPHIA ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY
$97,500ANIMAL WELFARE
PENNSYLVANIA SPCA
$79,000ANIMAL WELFARE
LUDINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
$78,800PUBLIC LIBRARY; COMMUNITY
FRANCISVALE HOME FOR SMALLER ANIMALS
$78,800ANIMAL WELFARE
WOMEN'S ANIMAL CENTER
$78,800ANIMAL WELFARE
WHYY - PUBLIC TELEVISION
$78,800PUBLIC BROADCASTING
SAINT JOHN NEUMANN CATHOLIC CHURCH
$78,800RELIGIOUS
MONTGOMERY COUNTY SPCA
$78,800ANIMAL WELFARE
BUCKS COUNTY SCPA
$30,000ANIMAL WELFARE
PROVIDENCE ANIMAL CENTER
$27,250ANIMAL WELFARE
BRANDYWINE VALLEY SCPA
$26,200ANIMAL WELFARE
ANIMAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION NJ
$20,000ANIMAL WELFARE
LAST CHANCE RANCH ANIMAL RESCUE
$16,500ANIMAL WELFARE
MORRIS ANIMAL REFUGE
$16,500ANIMAL WELFARE
FINDING SHELTER ANIMAL RESCUE
$2,250ANIMAL WELFARE