SOURCE OF WEALTH: Alden Global Capital
FUNDING AREAS: Health, Arts & Culture, Education & Youth, Jewish Causes, Florida community
OVERVIEW: Randall and Barbara Smith and family conduct their philanthropy through the Randall & Barbara Smith Foundation. According to available tax filings, the foundation awarded just over $2 million in grants in 2017. Interests include health, the arts, and education.
BACKGROUND: Randall D. Smith graduated from Cornell University in 1965 and received an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1967. He was a partner at Bear Stearns and established and ran RD Smith & Co., which was both a principal investor in distressed and a broker-dealer for distressed securities. Smith is now chief of investments at Alden Global Capital.
ISSUES:
HEALTH: Barbara sits on the leadership council of New York Stem Cell Foundation, which the couple supports. Other grantees include Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Ovarian Cancer Foundation.
ARTS & CULTURE: Grantees include The Society of the Four Arts, The Met, and Central Park Conservancy.
EDUCATION & YOUTH: The Smiths have supported USC Thornton School of Music, Center for Creative Education, and Duke University.
JEWISH CAUSES: Grantees include Jewish Life at Duke and American Friends of Shalva, which supports Shalva Children’s Center.
FLORIDA COMMUNITY: The couple live in South Florida, where they have funded Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach and Historical Society of Palm Beach County.
LOOKING FORWARD: The couple have not said much publicly about their philanthropy, as far as we can tell, but expect them to stick with their established interests.
CONTACT:
The Randall & Barbara Smith Foundation
885 3rd Ave., 19th Fl.
New York City, NY 10022
Telephone: (646) 779-4400
