Our Story
Who We Are
More Than A Smile Foundation is a registered nonprofit serving immigrant, refugee, and underserved families in Louisville, KY since 2023.
Louisville-first
We build with immigrant, refugee, and underserved communities in our home city.
2023
More Than A Smile Foundation was incorporated as a registered nonprofit.
Community-led
Our work begins with listening, trusted relationships, and shared action.
Founder & Executive Director
Amina Shale
Our founder
Built from lived experience
More Than A Smile Foundation was founded by Amina Shale, who came to Louisville as an immigrant and experienced firsthand the isolation, barriers, and gaps in support that so many families face when navigating a new country and community.
Driven by her own journey and a deep belief that every person deserves to belong, Amina built an organization rooted in cultural humility, community voice, and the conviction that the people closest to the challenges are best positioned to lead the solutions.
In 2023, More Than A Smile Foundation became a registered nonprofit, expanding its community-centered mission into year-round youth, family, wellness, and leadership programming.
"Behind every smile is a story, a struggle, a dream, and the potential to become something greater. Our work begins by seeing the person behind the smile."
From lived experience to lasting impact
A community-informed model built to grow responsibly
Our founder’s lived experience remains the starting point not the limit of our work. We turn community insight into responsive programs, strengthen the systems that sustain them, and use learning to improve outcomes over time.
Lived experience
Firsthand understanding of the barriers immigrant and refugee families navigate informs where we begin.
Community-informed model
Families, youth, volunteers, and partners help shape programs around real needs, culture, and access.
Organizational systems
Staff leadership, board stewardship, partnerships, and practical infrastructure make the work consistent and accountable.
Measurable results
We track participation, feedback, access, and progress so we can learn, improve, and communicate impact responsibly.
Scalable approach
What works can be strengthened, documented, and expanded through sustainable investment and trusted collaboration.
Our Programs
6 programs. One community.
Every program we run was born from a real need we heard from a real family. This is what it looks like when a community builds for itself.
Global Initiative
Smiles Beyond Borders
Our international work lives under the Smiles Beyond Borders program — a commitment to proving that belonging has no borders. Through cross-cultural exchange, international youth sports, and global partnerships, we connect communities across 3 countries.
The Annual International Cup is our flagship Smiles Beyond Borders event — bringing youth teams from the US, Africa, and beyond to compete, celebrate, and build friendships that outlast the final whistle.
We also support community health, education, and resource access initiatives in partner countries — because the families we serve here often have roots, relatives, and communities that extend far beyond Louisville.
Smiles Beyond Borders
Annual International Cup · 3 Countries
How We Work
Our Approach
We don't design programs for communities; we design them with communities. Every initiative is shaped by the families we serve.
Community Co-Design
Every program is built with input from the families we serve. We listen first, then act. Our volunteers and staff are drawn almost entirely from the communities we work with.
Mobile Walking Office
We meet families where they are — in their homes and neighborhoods. Our Mobile Walking Office removes transportation and language barriers that prevent access to support.
Joy as a Tool
Sports, arts, and celebration are not extras — they are essential tools for healing, connection, and belonging. When communities play together, walls come down.
Holistic Support
We address the whole person — mental health, food security, education, leadership, and cultural identity. No single program can do it all, so we built five.
Rapid Response
When a community need surfaces, we move fast. From idea to active program in months — not years. Our lean, community-led model lets us adapt without bureaucracy.
Measured Outcomes
We track what matters: families served, youth enrolled, food distributed, volunteers retained. We report transparently and use data to improve — not just to impress funders.
Built to Last
Why More Than A Smile
is the solution
Hundreds of nonprofits start with good intentions. Few build the infrastructure to sustain impact over time. Here is what makes More Than A Smile different — and why the work we do today will still be here in a decade.
Community ownership
Our programs are designed by the families we serve — not for them. When a community owns its solutions, those solutions last. Our volunteer base of 85+ is drawn almost entirely from the communities we work with.
A coalition, not a silo
20 partner, donor, and business organizations share resources, referrals, and reach with us. We are embedded in Louisville's social infrastructure — which means we don't disappear when one grant ends.
Diversified funding
We pursue support from individual donors, corporate sponsors, foundation grants, and event-based revenue to strengthen the resources available for community programming.
Measured outcomes
We track what matters: families served, youth enrolled, food distributed, volunteers retained. We report transparently and use data to improve — not just to impress funders.
Growing demand, growing capacity
Louisville's immigrant and refugee population is growing. The need for what we do is not going away. We are building the infrastructure now to meet the community where it will be in 5 years — and our 6 active programs are proof we already are.
Our Milestones
Partnered with Louisville Development Club to deliver educational services to over 200 youth — combining sports and academics to build a foundation for long-term success.
Selected for the Ford Philanthropy Fellowship via Watson Institute. Our six-week summer program launched, bringing arts, sports, and leadership to youth across Louisville.
Community Pantry opens, providing food security to hundreds of families. Beyond the Field extends into winter break. Joined the Hello Neighbor Network Fellowship.
Named a Semi-Finalist for MIT Solve — a global recognition of our community-led model for social innovation.
Named a Finalist for the Echoing Green Fellowship — one of the most competitive social innovation awards in the world. 20,000+ community engagements since 2023 across six active programs and three countries connected through defined partnerships.
Join the Movement
Be Part of the Story
Whether you volunteer, donate, or partner with us — you become part of a community committed to building a more equitable and welcoming Louisville for everyone.