Smith Edmonds Family Foundation

The Smith Edmonds Family Foundation is a young, family-controlled private foundation established in Los Angeles in April 2022 and seeded with approximately $14.95 million in founding contributions from its namesake couple. President Linda Smith and CFO Joseph Edmonds serve without compensation, underscoring the personal, values-driven character of this grantmaker. With total assets now exceeding $21.7 million and annual giving growing every year since inception, the foundation has moved from a start-up philanthropic vehicle into an increasingly active funder — though it retains the hallmarks of a private family foundation: no staff, no publicized application portal, and a near-blank website.

The giving philosophy is conspicuously relationship-driven. The foundation's classification as invitation-only in third-party grant databases, combined with the absence of any published application instructions, signals clearly that Smith Edmonds does not accept cold or unsolicited proposals. Grantees are almost certainly identified through personal networks cultivated by Linda Smith and Joseph Edmonds. The strategic routing of $400,000+ through the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund in both 2023 and 2024 further indicates a sophisticated giving approach — using a donor-advised fund to time and deploy philanthropy flexibly, with downstream recipients invisible in public filings.

First-time applicants must understand that success here is a relationship outcome, not a proposal outcome. The pathway to funding runs through personal connection to the founders or through organizations in their existing grantee network: Community Partners International (humanitarian aid in Asia and Africa), Reach for Equity (health equity in Seattle), Northwest Harvest (food security in Washington State), Center for Science in the Public Interest (consumer advocacy in DC), and SoCal Grantmakers (Los Angeles philanthropy network). Any one of these organizations' leaders who knows the founders personally is a potential warm introduction.

The informal giving progression likely looks like this: mutual-contact introduction → exploratory conversation → brief concept note → donation commitment. There is no formal LOI stage, no grant portal, no review committee in the institutional sense. Both officers are directly reachable at the Los Angeles address (3560 Wasatch Ave, 90066) and by phone at (310) 201-3549, though unsolicited cold calls are unlikely to be productive without a prior relationship anchor.

Total documented grantmaking from the foundation's 2021 inception through FY2024 stands at approximately $1.6 million across roughly 13 grant transactions. Annual giving has grown consistently: $110,000 in 2021 (partial first year), $257,000 in 2022, $493,000 in 2023, and approximately $636,000–$736,000 in 2024. This trajectory reflects strong investment performance — the foundation reported $4.67 million in net investment income in FY2023 alone — and a deliberate ramp-up in grantmaking as the founders establish philanthropic priorities.

Grant sizes span a wide range. The average grant across all recorded transactions is $125,889, but the modal single-grantee grant appears in the $75,000–$200,000 band. The largest documented single-year grant is $400,000 (to Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund/DAF in 2024), while the smallest is $1,100 (to SoCal Grantmakers in 2024). Community Partners International has received the highest cumulative allocation at $500,000 across three grants. Northwest Harvest has received recurring gifts of $25,000–$35,000 per year, demonstrating that the foundation also makes smaller relationship-maintenance gifts alongside major commitments.

By program area, based on grantee analysis: - International humanitarian aid and community development: ~30–35% of direct grants (Community Partners International) - Health equity: ~15–20% (Reach for Equity) - Consumer/science/nutrition advocacy: ~7–10% (Center for Science in the Public Interest) - Food security: ~4% (Northwest Harvest) - Re-grantmaking via donor-advised fund: ~35–40% (Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund — end use not publicly traceable)

Geographically, California-based organizations receive approximately 41% of direct grant dollars, New York 44%, Washington DC 11%, and Washington State 4%. The New York concentration is notable given the founders' Los Angeles base, suggesting significant east-coast philanthropic networks. With $21.74M in assets, the IRS-mandated 5% annual payout requires approximately $1.09 million distributed per year — meaning giving must nearly double from current levels or has accelerated in ways not yet captured in available filings.

The five peer foundations identified by asset size and NTEE category all operate in the $21.5M–$22.4M asset range within Human Services — the same tier as Smith Edmonds. None maintain public-facing application processes or detailed websites, consistent with family foundation norms at this asset level.

Smith Edmonds stands apart from its peer cohort in two meaningful ways. First, it has a genuinely international portfolio — Community Partners International's Southeast Asia and East Africa work is atypical for a Human Services family foundation of this size, which more commonly funds domestic social services. Second, the Goldman Sachs DAF routing reflects a level of financial sophistication uncommon among newly established family foundations, suggesting the founders have prior experience with structured philanthropy. The Carolyn Lake Claremont Foundation in California is the most geographically proximate peer and may share overlapping networks in the Los Angeles–Southern California philanthropic ecosystem.

The most significant recent development is the addition of Reach for Equity — a Seattle-based health equity and racial justice organization — as a new grantee in FY2024, receiving $200,000. This represents the foundation's first documented entry into health equity as a distinct focus area, alongside its established commitments to international humanitarian aid and food security. The 2024 grant to SoCal Grantmakers ($1,100), while small, signals active engagement with the Los Angeles regional philanthropy infrastructure and may reflect a membership or convening relationship.

The FY2024 990 was filed November 5, 2025. No press releases, new program announcements, board expansions, or leadership changes have been identified for 2025 or 2026 through public records. The foundation's website (smithedmonds.org) remains essentially a placeholder with no publicly accessible content on any sub-page tested (about, grants, contact pages returned 404 errors), consistent with a private family foundation that has not sought public visibility.

The foundation's asset base grew from $14.88M (2021) to $21.74M (2024) — a 46% increase in three years — primarily through investment returns. The FY2023 net investment income of $4.67M on a $14.9M asset base represents an extraordinary return rate (~31%), likely reflecting unrealized appreciation or a particularly strong year in the equity markets. This growing endowment provides the financial foundation for continued giving growth through at least the late 2020s, barring major market corrections.

Because Smith Edmonds operates as a true invitation-only family foundation with no public application infrastructure, conventional grant-writing tactics are largely irrelevant. What matters is relationship access and mission alignment. The following guidance is specific to this funder:

Build a network bridge first. The five organizations the foundation has funded repeatedly — Community Partners International, Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, Reach for Equity, Northwest Harvest, and Center for Science in the Public Interest — are the most direct conduits to Linda Smith and Joseph Edmonds. Identify mutual contacts at these organizations (board members, executive directors, senior program staff) and request an introduction. A warm introduction from a trusted grantee is worth more than any proposal document.

Use SoCal Grantmakers as an access point. The foundation's small grant to this Los Angeles regional philanthropy network suggests active participation in local funder convenings. SoCal Grantmakers hosts events, roundtables, and working groups where foundation officers interact with nonprofits. Joining or attending these events puts you in the same room as the founders.

Align on focus, not just geography. The clearest funding signals from 990 filings point to: international community development (particularly Asia/Africa), health equity for underserved populations, food security and basic needs, and evidence-based consumer/science advocacy. Lead with whichever of these most authentically describes your work — do not stretch your mission to fit a category you can't credibly claim.

Right-size your first ask. For a first-time relationship, a request of $75,000–$150,000 is most appropriate. The foundation's modal direct grantee gift falls in this range, and a lower initial ask reduces perceived risk for both parties. Frame it as the start of a relationship, not a one-time transaction.

Optimal timing is Q1–Q2 cultivation, Q3 ask. Based on 990 filing patterns, the foundation appears to make grant decisions in the second half of the calendar year. Cultivating the relationship in January–June and surfacing a giving opportunity in July–September aligns with this internal cycle.

Skip the formal proposal. Prepare a 2-3 page concept note (organization overview, specific program, evidence of impact, budget, ask) rather than a 10-20 page formal grant proposal. The founders are making personal philanthropic decisions, not institutional investment decisions, and brevity signals respect for their time.