R C Smith Foundation Inc.

The R.C. Smith Foundation is a tightly focused, relationship-driven private foundation rooted in the personal values of its founder, Robert C. Smith (1923–2007), a Norwich, NY native who built a career with Victory Markets and devoted his life to Catholic faith and community service. Established prior to his death to "assist in the maintenance of charitable and religious organizations to benefit the people of Chenango County," the foundation directs every grant dollar within a single New York county.

The giving philosophy reflects Smith's priorities unmistakably: more than half of annual distributions go to Catholic organizations and religious affiliates, with the balance supporting youth programs, food pantries, arts events, and community infrastructure. Holy Family Catholic Church has accumulated $780,000 across 15 grants; St. Paul's Catholic Church has received $540,000 across 12 grants. These recurring, multi-year relationships are the foundation's defining feature — the board rewards consistency and demonstrated community impact over time.

For first-time applicants, there is no formal letter of inquiry stage. The process moves directly to a full paper application reviewed by the nine-member board of directors at quarterly meetings. Applications are due January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. Missing a deadline means a three-month wait for the next cycle.

Capital and facility improvement projects dominate the grantee list: new roofs, HVAC systems, boilers, parking lots, gymnasium renovations, and building restorations appear repeatedly. The foundation appears most comfortable funding specific, tangible assets where progress can be documented — progress reports are required every six months, and the grant completion period is 24 months. Organizations with ongoing maintenance or expansion needs in Chenango County are well-positioned. First-time applicants should arrive with realistic budgets, contractor bids, and a clear connection to county residents.

The R.C. Smith Foundation has distributed between $746,000 and $1.17 million annually in grants over the past decade, with a notable downward trend from a 2019 high of $1,009,768 (grants paid) to $766,252 in 2023 — a 24% decline. Total giving figures, which include investment fees and administrative costs, track similarly: from $1,172,732 in 2019 to $960,768 in 2023. Assets have ranged from $16.05 million (2022) to $19.39 million (2021), currently sitting at $17.04 million in the most recent filing.

Typical grant sizes, based on 25 detailed records, show a median of $7,600 and an average of $35,881, with awards ranging from $1,828 to $180,000. The distribution is heavily skewed: a handful of large transformational grants — $300,000 to UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital for expansion; $180,000 to St. Paul's for church programs; recurring $45,000–$65,000 quarterly distributions to Holy Family Catholic Church — pull the average well above the median. Most recipients receive grants under $25,000.

By sector, religious organizations command the largest share: the top two grantees alone (Holy Family Catholic Church and St. Paul's Catholic Church) account for $1.32 million of the total $3.33 million in recorded awards. Human services (food pantries, heating assistance, family support, recovery housing) form the second-largest cluster, followed by community arts and culture (blues festival, opera house, concert series) and civic infrastructure (libraries, community centers, streetscape projects).

Geographically, all 150 recorded grants are within New York State, and essentially all recipients are Chenango County organizations centered on Norwich and surrounding towns including New Berlin, Oxford, Bainbridge, Earlville, and Unadilla Valley. No out-of-county exceptions were identified.

The R.C. Smith Foundation occupies a mid-size private family foundation tier by assets. The five closest asset-equivalent peers identified by foundation databases are all classified under Philanthropy & Grantmaking but span different states and focus areas.

Among these asset-equivalent foundations, R.C. Smith stands out for three reasons. First, its geographic restriction is exceptionally narrow — one county in upstate New York — which creates near-zero competition from national grant seekers. Second, it maintains an open, publicly documented application process with four annual review cycles, making it more accessible than most private family foundations of comparable size, which typically operate by invitation only. Third, its giving volume is high relative to assets: a roughly 4.5% annual payout rate (2023) is consistent with the federal 5% minimum distribution rule, meaning the board distributes nearly all available funds each year. For Chenango County nonprofits, R.C. Smith has no direct private foundation peer in the region.

No press releases, media coverage, or formal public announcements were found for 2025–2026. The foundation does not maintain social media accounts and does not issue grant announcement communications publicly. Its operational footprint is intentionally low-profile.

The most recent IRS Form 990 was filed September 11, 2025, covering fiscal year 2023. A prior 990 was submitted November 16, 2024, for fiscal year 2022. These filings confirm steady operations: $766,252 in grants paid in 2023 across an estimated 40+ individual awards.

Confirmed 2024 grant recipients from third-party databases include 4 Towns Forward ($10,000), 6 on the Square ($8,750), Calvary Baptist Church ($4,250), and Canasawacta Valley Methodist Church ($14,000) — all small-to-mid awards in the foundation's historical range.

Board leadership has remained stable across at least three 990 filing periods: William Acee (President), Kurt T. Edwards (Vice President), John Franco (Treasurer), and Thomas C. Emerson (Secretary) all appear in consecutive filings. Administrator Richard M. Runyon has served continuously since at least 2011, with compensation rising from $24,000 to $63,200 over that span. The foundation's website was updated to include a "Grant History 2025" link, confirming active grantmaking through at least early 2025.

Know the one hard rule. The foundation's sole stated restriction is that grants must benefit residents, facilities, or programs affecting Chenango County, NY. No exceptions appear in 150 grant records. If your organization's primary service area is outside the county, do not apply.

Lean into faith and community heritage. The founder was a devout Catholic and community servant. Catholic organizations and other religious affiliates receive more than half of annual distributions. Secular applicants should authentically highlight any faith community partnerships, service to vulnerable populations, or civic roots in the county — not to misrepresent their mission, but to speak the foundation's language.

Submit 10 physical copies by mail. The application guidelines explicitly require 10 complete paper packets, with the foundation's official form as the first two pages. Download the form at rcsmithfoundation.org (Word or PDF). There is no indication that email or online submissions are accepted.

Include competitive bids for capital requests. For any request at or above $10,000, the guidelines require two competitive contractor quotes as attachments. Missing this requirement likely disqualifies the application without review.

Frame requests around tangible assets. The most successful grant purposes in the record are specific and physical: new roof, boiler replacement, parking lot paving, window restoration, fire suppression system, HVAC installation. Frame operating support requests (food, heating assistance) with equal specificity — "purchase of milk vouchers for 300 families" rather than "food security program."

Call the Administrator before submitting. Richard M. Runyon at 607-336-5850 is the single staff contact. A brief call to confirm your eligibility and check on current board priorities costs nothing and signals serious intent. The email is rcsmithfoundation@frontiernet.net.

Build for repeat funding. The foundation's largest grantees all have multi-year, multi-grant histories. A first grant in the $5,000–$15,000 range for a clearly scoped project, followed by timely progress reports and a thank-you, positions your organization for larger future awards.