“John and I have benefitted so much from our educations. We have been able to do more than we ever imagined because we had good educations. We want to give that gift to as many people as we can.”
— Cindy Lee Smet
The Smet Foundation
When John and Cynthia Lee Smet established their family foundation in 1992, its goals reflected the Smets’ broad interests in various charitable causes: religious, scientific, literary, and educational. Over the years, the Smets further recognized and appreciated how education shaped their lives at work, at home, and in the community. With that in mind, they aim to give the gift of an excellent education to as many young people as they can.
Catholic education, which offers a balance of academic rigor and Christian values in nurturing school environments, has been an area of special interest for The Smet Foundation. The Smet Foundation partners with the Department of Catholic Schools in Los Angeles in various programs that benefit students, teachers, principals, and staff in the Los Angeles area: Onward Readers, Onward4Educators, Onward4Excellence, Onward Leaders, Onward2HighSchool, and Onward Scholars. The Onward Scholars Program currently operates at St. Pius X - St. Matthias Academy in Downey, St. Mary’s Academy in Inglewood, Salesian High School in Los Angeles, Cathedral High School in Los Angeles, Sacred Heart High School in Lincoln Heights, and St. Anthony High School in Long Beach.
The John H. and Cynthia Lee Smet Foundation supports a number of other educational initiatives and organizations in the region, including the tuition assistance program of the Catholic Education Foundation, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in the MacArthur Park area of Los Angeles, The California Science Center, The Natural History Museum, and Vistamar School in El Segundo. The Foundation regretfully cannot consider unsolicited proposals, preferring instead to initiate projects at a small number of organizations over a sustained period of time to effect meaningful change.