Alex and Betty Smith Donor Advised Fund

In 1965, Atlanta philanthropists Alex and Betty Smith established a foundation to support the mission of the Catholic Church, the arts and other causes important to their family. Over the years, through their foundation, the Smiths financially aided numerous institutions primarily in the Atlanta area, including Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center, Christ the King Cathedral, Marist School, Buckhead Christian Ministry, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, and the University of Georgia.

Today, the foundation they established is now a donor advised endowment fund, managed by the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia. As the general counsel for The Archdiocese of Atlanta during the 1970 and 1980’s, Alex Smith proposed establishing a Catholic foundation in the community to offer professional management of charitable giving. It is fitting that the Smith Foundation became the first donor advised fund with the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia in 2009.

The Catholic Foundation worked with the Smith family to convert the fund to a donor advised endowment fund to ensure the family’s gifts to the community continue in perpetuity. Although Betty and Alex Smith are now deceased, five of their children (William Smith, chair, Clarence Smith, Ken Smith, Jimmy Smith and Elizabeth Smith Crew) meet annually and advise on where the grants are awarded in keeping with their parents’ original mission and vision to give back to their community.

Currently, grants are only made to organizations historically supported by the Alex and Betty Smith Donor Advised Fund or to organizations recommended by members of the Alex and Betty Smith Donor Advised Fund Grants Committee.