May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust

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Can you tell us a bit about the May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust?

May Smith started the Trust in 1989. She was born in China to a well-connected family and attended boarding school. Stanley Smith was Australian by birth and had been working as an information attaché for Britain during World War II in Southeast Asia where he met May. They both experienced hardships in their lives during the war. Following the war in 1948, Stanley became part owner of Eastern Metals and Mining Corporation (EMMCO). The company produced iron ore, tin, and aluminum, one of the largest mining companies in Southeast Asia. He owned EMMCO until 1965 and passed away in 1968. May continued living in Nassau, Bahamas until her death in 2006. The Trust reflects the Smiths’ philosophy rooted in humility in philanthropy and an understanding that “there is no substitution for kindness."

Where do you fund?

We fund in 14 Western states and British Columbia.

What are your current funding priorities?

Our current priority areas are elders, foster youth, military veterans and families (Post 9/11), and transition-age youth and young adults with disabilities.

Now let’s talk about you and your work. How long have you been with the Trust?

Almost 4 years.

Where were you before?

Heading a national LGBTQ housing initiative for elders for the SAGE organization.

We’re all aging personally, but how did you get involved in aging professionally?

I’ve been affected both personally and professionally. I was doing a great deal of work around supportive housing for Vietnam-era homeless veterans at the time for Corporation for Supportive Housing. I learned a lot about the various struggles veterans had as they aged. About the same time, my father and mother were both dealing with separate health issues, and as my sister and I assisted them in navigating the maze of bureaucracy it really struck me how those without a support system or economic resources would be at a serious disadvantage as they age. That led me to start doing coursework in gerontology in the evenings to better understand the service needs of the aging population. I have been focused on housing and health needs of this population for about 10 years.

Tell us about an older person who had an impact on you.

There have been many older adults who have had deep influences in my life and my father was one. Helping him navigate his journey with dementia and metastatic cancer taught me much about caregiving.

Tell us about a recent grant that excites you.

There is a great deal of exciting work taking place across our country. It is hard to choose one, but I would highlight the great intersectional systems change work that Caring Across Generations is doing to advocate around caregiving. I am also proud of the systems change work we fund around the serious issue of elder homelessness, which is expected to double in the next eight years in our country. It is not only a moral failing on our part, in my opinion, to allow our elders to live on the streets, but it is also a racial and economic social justice issue. Ultimately, people of color make up the largest segment of people experiencing homelessness and the largest segment of those who provide care to our loved ones. This is in part due to the way we have structured and provided access to our economy, education, and housing systems. Having grantees addressing these difficult systemic issues that are multi-faceted and deeply engrained is both necessary and a sincere privilege to help support.

Now let’s talk about us. What about GIA’s mission really motivates you?

The idea of thought partnership with my colleagues doing this work around the country excites me based on the possibilities of shared knowledge and the potential to come together to serve communities and older people more holistically. This work includes patient-centered care, long-term services and support, self-determination around aging in place, and the growing issue around elder justice and elder abuse.

What are you currently reading, binge-watching, or listening to on repeat?

I have been doing a lot of binge-watching of documentaries, mostly from the late 60s, 70s, and 80s era. The cultural inflection points during those decades so inform where we are today. I also have gone back and binged shows I already watched, like “West Wing” and “Schitts Creek.” I also enjoy stand-up comedy a great deal. With the weight of everything in the world over the past two years, I needed to carve out space to laugh more. Netflix has a large library of great standups. It would be difficult for me to choose one that is my favorite.

With what character from a cartoon, book or movie do you most identify?

That is a great question. I would say it isn’t a book or movie but rather a speech titled “Citizenship in a Republic” given by Theodore Roosevelt when he visited the Sorbonne in Paris, France in 1910. Within that speech, there is a section that has become known as “The Man in the Arena” which my father had me read as a child and it has been instrumental to me in my life.