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Smartbank Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Smartbank Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$30k
Granted FY2025still arriving
2
Grants FY2025still arriving
2
States reached
$20k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Education$135kCommunity Improvement$60kHealth$25kHuman Services$20kYouth Development$10kHousing & Shelter$1k
02FY2025 · 2 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$20,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$177k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
SABAN CENTER$20,000
Individual grant recipient$10,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY21–24, $21k) land where the poverty rate runs at 12%, against an area that typically sits at 12%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 12%Purpose Point Learning Academy: $10k → 12%Purpose Point Learning Academy: $10k → 12%SHEPARDS ARMS RESCUE MISSION: $1k → 12%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
04

Where the work is directed

The same grants placed two ways: where each recipient sits, and where its stated purpose sends the money.

About 35% of Smartbank Foundation’s grant dollars are earmarked for a different county than the recipient’s own address.

Smartbank Foundationlessmore of its giving
Placed by recipient address
How this is measured
Recipient view: each grant at its grantee’s ZIP, mapped to a county. Directed view: each grant at the county its stated purpose names, falling back to the recipient’s county when the purpose names no place; US grants only. A county shows only if it carries the top 95% of that view’s dollars. Purposes are read from the funder’s own 990 grant descriptions.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

50%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$125k · 4 repeat orgs$126k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +98% since the first grant, against -9% for those funded once.

4 repeat relationships: 1 still active in FY2025, 3 since wound down; 1 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

4
10

Total granted

$125k
$116k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+98%
-9%

Still filing today

75%
70%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 67% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $10k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Community ImprovementHuman ServicesEducationYouth DevelopmentPublic BenefitHealthOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • TR
    THE RIVERCITY COMPANY
    4× · 2017–2021 · $35k · revenue +134%
  • SC
    SEVIER COUNTY PARTNERS IN PROGRESS EDUCATION FOUNDATION
    6× · 2019–2024 · $30k · revenue +15%
  • PP
    PURPOSE POINT COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER
    2× · 2021–2022 · $20k · revenue +98%

Funded once

  • UO
    UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
    one grant, 2023 · $25k
  • MH
    MOUNTAIN HOPE GOOD SHEPHERD CLINIC INCgraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $25k · revenue +133%
  • SC
    SABAN CENTER FOUNDATIONgraduated
    one grant, 2023 · $20k · revenue +290%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Tennessee Geographic Alliance

Education

Education
2
Appalachian Highlands Economic Development Partnership Inc

The advancement of business conditions and overall economic prospertii of an eight county area of northeast tn, comprise of johnson, unicoi, carter, washington, sullivan, green, hawkins and hancock counties by (i) supporting existing…

Community Improvement
3
Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce

To serve as a catalyst for business and community development in the tri-state area. accomplished through the commercial, financial, civic, agricultural, industrial and general interests of the community.

—
4
Tri-Rivers Waterway Development Association Inc

Promotion of the effective development, utilization, and maintenance of the appalachian-chattahoochee-flint inland waterway and river system.

—
5
Georgia Mountain Trails Partnership Inc

A mission to create outdoor recreation opportunity, connect communities and trails, promote quality of life, and to protect our natural resources.

Recreation & Sports
6
Oconee Area Resource Council Inc

To bring community partners together to develop, implement, and evaluate plans that address the challenges facing oconee county residents.

Education
7
Appalachian Resource Conservation & Development Council

The conserving of natural resources and improving rural economies through leadership and education.

Environment
8
Chattanooga Technology Council Inc

Our mission is to connect chattanooga's technology sector to drive regional economic growth.

Community Improvement
9
Southern Middle Tennessee Entrepreneur Center Inc

Smtec supports entrepreneurs by providing mentoring, education and training, strategic and technical support, and assistance identifying sources of capital.

—
10
Cyber Huntsville

Build a national cyber center with global reputation and global reach, leveraging the unique synergies amongst government, industry, and academia across the tennessee valley and building upon our proven capabilities in rdt&e to address…

Community Improvement
11
Wayne County Development Alliance Inc

Enhance economic development

Community Improvement
12
Metropolitan Housing and Community Development Corporation

The organization seeks to raise the economic, educational, and social level of residents of the southeastern united states and expands the opportunities available to these residents to own and manage businesses and purchase affordable…

Housing & Shelter
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Purpose Point Community Resource Center; the most unlike its peers is Top of Georgia Economic Development. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
05the grantee network

10 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 10 of the 15 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
5
Early backer (in before they grew)
10/10
Grantees still filing
6/10
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

SABAN CENTER: $40,000 · OtherSABAN CENTERUNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE: $25,000 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEESevier County High School Foundation: $10,000 · OtherSevier County High School FoundationIndividual grant recipient: $10,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientIndividual grant recipient: $5,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientTHE RIVERCITY COMPANY: $35,000 · Community ImprovementTHE RIVERCITY COMPANYTOP OF GEORGIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: $10,000 · Community ImprovementTOP OF GEORGIA ECONOMI…URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER CHATTANOOGA: $5,000 · Community ImprovementURBAN LEAGUE OF GREATE…SEVIER COUNTY PARTNERS IN PROGRESS EDUCATION FOUNDATION: $30,000 · EducationSEVIER COUNTY P…CHATTANOOGAHAMILTON COUNTY PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND: $5,000 · EducationCHATTANOOGAHAMI…MOUNTAIN HOPE GOOD SHEPHERD CLINIC INC: $25,000 · HealthMOUNTAIN HO…PURPOSE POINT COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER: $20,000 · Human ServicesPURPOSE P…THE SHEPHERD'S ARMS RESCUE MISSION INC: $1,000 · Human ServicesSABAN CENTER FOUNDATION: $20,000 · Public BenefitSABAN CEN…MOUNTAIN WAYS INC: $10,000 · Youth Development
Other$90,000Community Improvement$50,000Education$35,000Health$25,000Human Services$21,000Public Benefit$20,000Youth Development$10,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetTHE RIVERCITY COMPANY: $35,000 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetSEVIER COUNTY PARTNERS IN PROGRESS EDUCATION FOUNDATION: $30,000 over 6y, 1.9% of budgetMOUNTAIN HOPE GOOD SHEPHERD CLINIC INC: $25,000 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetSABAN CENTER FOUNDATION: $20,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetPURPOSE POINT COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER: $20,000 over 2y, 1.1% of budgetMOUNTAIN WAYS INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTOP OF GEORGIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: $10,000 over 1y, 5.2% of budgetURBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER CHATTANOOGA: $5,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetCHATTANOOGAHAMILTON COUNTY PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE SHEPHERD'S ARMS RESCUE MISSION INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Donor Advised Charitable Giving IncCO4.3× affinity4 shared granteesties to 2 of 2Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Smartbank Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Smartbank Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%3%6%10%funder's share of their income ↑0%3%5%8%10%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    5report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–10%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to Smartbank Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Smartbank Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

    Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 15 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Smartbank’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home