The William E. Schmidt Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in Evansville, Indiana, established in 1993. The foundation operates as a family foundation with a focus on supporting youth in the musical arts and education through grantmaking and strategic partnerships.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$34.4M
+0.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$413K
-7.9% YoY
Grant Count
35
-12.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$12K
+5.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on investing in inspiration by building better communities, nurturing young artists, and fostering access and excellence in education. The foundation supports motivated individuals and organizations through grantmaking and partnerships that facilitate learning, expand access, and empower growth.
Primary funding areas include:
- Vocal arts and classical singing
- Music and opera
- Arts and culture
- Performing arts
- Education and higher education
- Religion and Christianity
- Human services
- Youth development and youth services
Grantmaking
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds projects across multiple U.S. states, with particular focus on:
- Indiana (primary focus, especially Evansville area)
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Maryland
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
The foundation supports organizations in cities including Baltimore, Bethesda, and Bradenton, among others.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $34,389,588 (as of 2024 filing)
Annual Expenses: $2,190,718
Annual Revenue: $2,242,063
Total Giving (2024): $412,666
Total Giving (2023): $447,975
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $34,389,588 | $34,147,625 | $34,089,285 |
| Revenue | $2,515,926 | $2,242,063 | $5,274,784 |
| Expenses | $2,268,564 | $2,190,718 | $2,183,231 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,050,351 | $1,981,978 | $1,992,926 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,288,298 | $2,028,606 | $5,079,454 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,307,884 | $2,041,756 | $2,021,763 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
169 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Chester Schmidt – Chairman
- Douglas Schmidt – Treasurer
- J. Michael Small – Secretary
- Lisa Hamilton – President
Board members receive annual compensation of $12,000.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHESTER SCHMIDT | CHAIRMAN | 1 | $12,000 |
| DOUGLAS SCHMIDT | TREASURER | 1 | $12,000 |
| J MICHAEL SMALL | SECRETARY | 1 | $12,000 |
| LISA HAMILTON | PRESIDENT | 1 | $12,000 |
| CHESTER SCHMIDT IV | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $12,000 |
| JANET PETERSON | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $12,000 |
| CHRISTINE GOERKE HOLLOWAY | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $12,750 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In November 2024, the University of Evansville's UE Opera received a $32,400 grant from the William E. Schmidt Foundation. The funding supports the Schmidt Opera Series and Schmidt Opera Collaborative, enabling high-quality opera performances and community outreach initiatives across the Tri-State region. The grant also provides continued support for Community Conservatory Study Grants, designed to provide access to private music instruction for area students.
Sarasota Opera Winter 2025 Program Book - IssuuSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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