SOURCE OF WEALTH: Smith Capital Management, Smith Research Associates
FUNDING AREAS: Arts & Media, Health & Scientific Research, Education, Mormon Causes
OVERVIEW: George and Camilla Smith move their philanthropy through the George D. Smith Fund, which available tax filings reveal, gave away $6.85 million in 2018. The couple are active in the Mormon community. They’ve given large sums to select arts, health, and educational causes.
BACKGROUND: George D. Smith graduated from Stanford University and received an MBA from NYU. He got his start managing investment portfolios at Citibank. Smith founded two companies—Smith Capital Management and Smith Research Associates. He went on to cofound Signature Books, an independent publisher of Mormon-related history and literature.
ISSUES:
ARTS & MEDIA: The Smiths have directed seven-figure sums to National Public Radio Foundation, where Camilla has sat on the board. She’s said that she’s particularly interested in public education and science education. Camilla is a trustee of PBS, which the couple supports. Other grantees have included WGBH Educational Foundation.
HEALTH & SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: Grantees have included Stanford University Medical Center, which has received seven-figure sums, and Planned Parenthood. Stanford Medicine is home to the George D. Smith Professor in Molecular and Genetic Medicine and Professor of Pathology and of Genetics. The couple are also involved with the Leakey Foundation, a nonprofit “dedicated to funding scientific research that explores the many facets of human origins and sharing the results of this research through our innovative educational programs.”
EDUCATION: Smith has a passion for literacy and Camilla is a poet involved with the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley. Grantees have included UCSF Foundation, University of Utah and its library, and Teachers College Columbia University. Camilla received her master’s degree from Columbia University. The couple have supported Council for Secular Humanism, whose mission is to “advocate and defend a nonreligious lifestance rooted in science, naturalistic philosophy, and humanist ethics and to serve and support adherents of that lifestance.”
MORMON CAUSES: Smith is a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Camilla grew up Mormon in Utah. Smith launched the Smith-Pettit Foundation, which focuses on developing scholarship and education concerning Mormon studies.
OTHER: The Smiths have directed seven-figure sums to The Carter Center.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the couple to dig into their unique interest areas. In recent years, the couple’s giving through their foundation has focused on a handful of outfits. Perhaps money will be spread more widely down the line.
CONTACT:
The George D. Smith Fund does not provide a clear avenue of contact but below is an address:
George D. Smith Fund
620 8th Street, #3200
New York, NY 10018
