Skip to content

Photo: Rebuilding Together

Photo: Saint Joseph's University

Photo: Murphy's Giving Market

Photo: Thomas Jefferson University, Researcher – Jason Choi, Ph.D.

Photo: LUCY Outreach

The W. W. Smith Charitable Trust is a private foundation dedicated to supporting basic needs, higher education scholarships, maritime education, and medical research primarily for Heart Disease, Cancer, and AIDS. With few exceptions, grants are limited to organizations within the five-county Greater Philadelphia area (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia counties) and Camden, NJ.

Our Areas of Interest

Medical Research

Grants for basic medical research primarily related to heart disease, cancer, and AIDS. Funding is limited to nonprofit institutions located in the five-county Greater Philadelphia region or the City of Camden, NJ.

Learn More

Scholarships

We award Scholarship Program grants to accredited colleges and universities in the Greater Philadelphia region; each institution then awards scholarships to full-time undergraduate student who meet our eligibility requirements.

Learn More

Basic Needs

The Trust awards grants to nonprofits that provide direct assistance to those in our community who need food, clothing or shelter. We prioritize requests that benefit disadvantaged and vulnerable children and older adults who reside within the five-county Greater Philadelphia region and City of Camden.

Learn More

Maritime Education

Maritime grants provide funding support to nonprofit organizations in the Philadelphia Delaware River area for maritime educational activities designed to increase awareness and appreciation of local waterways or to teach basic maritime skills.

Learn More

Quick Links

Apply for Funding Recent Grants and Grantees Grantee Login

“Your support has been transformational for us at Mitzvah Circle. We can provide new quality clothing and so much more – simply because we see the unmet need and, together, we are able to meet that need.”

– Fran Held, Founder
Mitzvah Circle Foundation

“It genuinely feels good to do what is right. To see the faces of those being served, to feel their hearts’ delights, and to know that we are making a difference and impacting lives in a meaningful way. The support of W. W. Smith helps us to provide culturally relevant food and continue our mission to allow community members to shop with a choice and a voice, with possibilities that work for them.”

– Desireé LaMarr-Murphy, Founder
Murphy’s Giving Market

“Urban Resources Development Corporation (URDC) is a northwest Philadelphia-based interfaith organization working to stabilize housing and communities by repairing of homes for seniors and low-income residents and providing resources to support their wealth transfer goals for their future generations. The support of W. W. Smith helped URDC enhance its efforts to have a more profound impact on the residents we serve.”

– Joseph Waldo, Executive Director
Urban Resources Development Corporation

“Supporting Camden’s youth on their journey to become community leaders, innovators and socially responsible adults is the core of LUCY’s mission, and witnessing the current growth, development and success of LUCY’s youth demonstrates the ongoing need for support, resources and a safe and supportive space where this potential is realized, daily. We’re grateful for continued support that makes this vision achievable.”

– Kristin Prinn, Executive Director & Founder
LUCY Outreach

“We just want to do our best to make a difference. We are dedicated to nurturing the dignity and respect of all our neighbor, especially the youth, our leaders-in-development! W. W. Smith’s support helps us serve in a manner that puts the well-being and self-esteem of our community members first. We appreciate building meaningful relationships with partners who will walk this journey with us.”

– Ronald Toles, Executive Director & Founder
Ordinarie Heroes

Grantee News

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Researchers Find Promising New Immunotherapy Target in Neuroblastoma and Other Cancers

Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced significant findings in the treatment of neuroblastoma, a cancer of the peripheral nervous system that usually occurs as a solid tumor in a child’s chest or abdomen. The study offers insights that could lead to new, personalized medicine approaches in immunotherapy treatment.

Learn More

For LUCY Outreach, massive expansion will benefit 1,500 families.

LUCY Outreach, a nonprofit aimed at “Lifting Up Camden’s Youth,” will be able to do a lot more of that now. The organization recently cut the ribbon on a 10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in East Camden that will enable it to triple the number of Camden City youth and families it serves annually: from 500 to 1,500 within the first two years.

Learn More

College of Medicine researchers discover different types of bladder cancer cells share common genetic ancestry.

Why are some bladder cancers resistant to a type of immunotherapy called immune checkpoint inhibitors? Penn State College of Medicine researchers have found that the genetic and pathologic diversity of cells within the tumor may be part of the challenge.

Learn More

Gwynedd Mercy University named a ‘Hunger-Free Campus’ for work with Catherine’s Cupboard food pantry.

Gwynedd Mercy University has been named to the list of Hunger-Free Campuses by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Learn More

Northeast Hub comes to Castor and Hellerman

A grand-opening ceremony took place last week for Northeast Services Hub, 6434 Castor Ave.

Learn More

Department in good health after a year.

Delaware County Health Delivers collects nonperishable food, clothing, and essential needs and delivers them personally to the community through Murphy’s Giving Market.

Learn More

William Wikoff Smith

Bill Smith (1919-1976) will always be remembered by many as a quiet, generous friend — an able leader with extraordinary foresight. In his will, he created The W. W. Smith Charitable Trust to carry on his work.

Learn More