# The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation

The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Cleveland, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Cleveland, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 30100 Chagrin Boulevard, Suite 150, Cleveland, OH 44124, United States
- **Founded:** 1955
- **Assets under management:** $150M - $250M (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** kesmithfoundation.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-kelvin-and-eleanor-smith-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation was established in 1955 as a privately run organization. It supports non-profit groups in Cleveland, United States. The foundation invests in Private Equity, Private Real Estate, Private Infrastructure, Private Debt, and Private Secondaries, with a focus on biotech and life science in the PE sector.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Private Credit
- Secondaries & Special Situations

## People

- Ellen Stirn Mavec — President and Chair
- Vanessa Mavec King — Treasurer and Trustee
- Madelaine C. Mavec — Trustee

## Questions

### Who controls investment decisions at the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation?

The foundation is governed by a board of family trustees. Ellen Stirn Mavec, granddaughter of founders Kelvin and Eleanor Smith, serves as President and Chair. Great-granddaughters Vanessa Mavec King and Madelaine C. Mavec serve as Treasurer and Trustee respectively. Investment decisions flow through this family governance structure, though the specific internal investment committee composition and any external OCIO relationships are not publicly disclosed.

### Where does the foundation's endowment originate?

The endowment was seeded by Kelvin Smith, who co-founded Lubrizol Corporation — the Wickliffe, Ohio-based specialty-chemical company now a publicly traded component of the S&P 500. Lubrizol was sold to Berkshire Hathaway in 2011 for approximately $9 billion, though the Smith family's wealth had already been largely diversified into the foundation and other holdings by that point.

### What asset classes does the foundation invest in?

The foundation's investment posture spans buyout, early-stage venture, growth equity, fund of funds, secondaries, and turnaround strategies. It also holds direct commercial real estate in North America, a corporate stock portfolio, and corporate bonds. The foundation's 990-PF filings provide the most granular public disclosure of specific fund commitments and direct holdings.

### How is the foundation connected to the Cleveland Museum of Art?

Ellen Stirn Mavec serves as Board Chair of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The foundation donated the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Collection to the museum, cementing a multi-decade cultural partnership. This relationship is a cornerstone of the foundation's arts-and-culture grantmaking focus in Northeast Ohio.

## Related profiles

- [The Griffith R. Harsh IV and Margaret C. Whitman Charitable Foundation](https://altss.com/profile/the-griffith-r-harsh-iv-and-margaret-c-whitman-charitable-foundation)
- [UNITE HERE HEALTH](https://altss.com/profile/unite-here-health)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/the-kelvin-and-eleanor-smith-foundation

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