Program participant
Youth program, 2025
"This program gave me a place to belong. I learned how to lead and how to help others."
More Than A Smile Foundation · Louisville, KY
Every young person deserves to belong, lead, and shape the future of their community.
More Than A Smile Foundation is a Louisville-based, community-led nonprofit partnering with immigrant, refugee, and underserved youth and families. Through education, mentorship, sports, wellness, leadership development, and culturally responsive family support, we remove barriers and create pathways to belonging and opportunity.
Empowering Youth. Strengthening Families. Building Community.
EIN 93-4726853 · View funder info →Need support? 502-956-1414·Mon–Thu 4–8 pm · Fri by appointment · Sat–Sun 1–8 pm
Get support resources 12,000+
Program and community engagements annually
Includes program sessions, outreach, events, and family support touchpoints
250+
Youth and family members reached monthly
Through core programming each month
85
Volunteers
Supporting programs and community events
6
Active programs
Advancing wellness, education, leadership, and belonging
Figures reflect program participation, outreach, family engagement, and community-event records. Some individuals participate in more than one activity.
Founded 2023 · Louisville, KY
Who we are
Built from Lived Experience. Strengthened by Community Leadership.
More Than A Smile Foundation is a community-led nonprofit serving immigrant, refugee, and underserved youth and families in Louisville, Kentucky.
Our work began in 2016 with volunteer tutoring and grassroots youth support. In 2023, More Than A Smile Foundation became a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Today, we provide coordinated programming across youth development, education, sports, wellness, leadership, disability inclusion, family support, and global cultural exchange.
We believe communities do not need to be fixed. They need to be trusted, resourced, and included in the decisions that shape their futures.
01
Listen First
Youth and families help identify priorities and shape our response.
02
Remove Barriers
We address transportation, language, cost, information, and access challenges.
03
Develop Leadership
Participants are supported in becoming volunteers, advocates, mentors, and decision-makers.
04
Build Lasting Relationships
Our support extends beyond a single program, event, or referral.
What we do
Three commitments. Six programs. One community.
Empowering Youth
Every young person deserves a voice, a skill, and a future they believe in.
We invest in young people before the world tells them what they cannot do. Through mentorship, sports, civic engagement, and leadership training, we build the confidence and skills to lead — in their schools, their families, and their communities.
Strengthening Families
When families are stable and supported, young people can truly thrive.
We walk alongside families — connecting them to food, health care, education, and social services, and providing the wellness and economic support that turns survival into flourishing. Healing looks different in every culture. We meet families in theirs.
Building Community
Community is not something we find. It is something we build together.
We create spaces where neighbors connect, contribute, and lead — across cultures and generations. From the Annual International Cup to community engagement nights, we bring people together through shared celebration, sports, service, and partnership.
Global activities delivered through international partners
What we do
Six programs. One connected mission.
Fun & Play: Youth Wellness and Leadership
Sports, mentoring, creative activities, and wellness experiences that help young people build confidence, healthy relationships, and belonging.
Learn moreBeyond the Field
Leadership, teamwork, service, and personal development that help young athletes succeed beyond competition.
Learn moreShe Leads
A supportive leadership program helping girls and young women strengthen their voices, develop confidence, and pursue their goals.
Learn moreHuman First Initiative
Culturally responsive navigation, inclusion, and family support for immigrants and refugees with disabilities.
Learn morePathways to Success
Academic, career, and life-navigation support connecting young people to mentors, information, resources, and opportunity.
Learn moreSmiles Without Borders
A partnership-based cultural exchange connecting young people in Louisville with youth in Kakuma and Dadaab, Kenya, through shared learning and leadership.
Delivered through international partners
Learn moreDid you know?
The facts behind the work
Understanding the community we serve starts with understanding the challenges they navigate.
Refugee youth1 / 8
More than 1 in 3 refugee children experience symptoms of PTSD within their first year of resettlement.
Source: UNHCR, 2023
Our impact
Immigrant and refugee youth deserve the same access to belonging, leadership, and opportunity as every other young person.
Since 2023, More Than A Smile Foundation has worked alongside Louisville's immigrant and refugee communities; not for them. Our programs are shaped by the people we serve, grounded in cultural respect, and designed to remove the barriers that stand between young people and the futures they deserve.
For funders & investors
Four ways to invest in our work.
Program Funding
Fund programs that work.
Direct grants to youth development, mental health, and family empowerment programs. Measurable outcomes, transparent reporting, and a community that feels your investment.
Learn moreCapacity Building
Help us grow our reach.
Operational and infrastructure investment that lets us serve more families, hire more staff, and expand to new neighborhoods — without compromising quality.
Learn moreEvent Sponsorship
Sponsor a signature event.
The Annual International Cup, Youth Conferences, and Engagement Nights reach thousands. Sponsorship puts your brand alongside community, joy, and impact.
Learn moreGrant Opportunities
Apply for a grant partnership.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 93-4726853) with documented outcomes, a Theory of Change, and grant-ready program summaries for every initiative.
Learn more501(c)(3) Nonprofit — EIN 93-4726853
Grant-ready — Theory of Change, program summaries, and outcome data available
Transparent reporting — Annual impact reports provided to all funders
Accountability
What we measure
We evaluate our work by looking beyond attendance. Our developing evaluation framework measures outcomes that reflect real change in the lives of young people and families.
In 2026, we strengthened our data-collection practices to improve how we measure outcomes, learn from participants, and report results to funders and community partners.
See our impact data- Increased confidence and sense of belonging
- Youth leadership and volunteer participation
- Continued engagement and program retention
- Successful family connections to trusted resources
- Parent and participant satisfaction
- Educational, career, and civic-engagement milestones
- Increased access to wellness and supportive relationships
Program participation and outcome data available upon request.
Our partners
20+ organizations standing with us
Community voices
What our community says
Gathered from program participants, families, and volunteers.
Parent
Family services, 2025
"They helped our family find resources we didn't know existed. We felt supported and respected."
Volunteer
Community volunteer, 2025
"Volunteering here changed how I see my community. These young people have so much to offer."
The next chapter
The next chapter requires all of us.
When young people are trusted, supported, and given meaningful opportunities to lead, entire communities become stronger. Invest in a future where immigrant, refugee, and underserved young people are recognized for the leadership, knowledge, and possibility they already carry.
Invest in Our MissionGet In Touch
Let's start a conversation
Have questions, ideas, or want to get involved? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out and a member of our team will be in touch.
Program locations
2750 S. 7th Street, Louisville, KY 40215 ───────────────────── 3847 Cane Run Rd, Louisville, KY 40211 ───────────────────── 3232 Oleanda Ave, Louisville, KY 40215
Phone
502-956-1414Hours
Monday – Thursday 4:00 PM – 8:30 PM EST
We also operate a Mobile Walking Office, meeting immigrant and refugee families in their homes, neighborhoods, and trusted community spaces throughout Louisville.