Search Through Frederick Grants for Nonprofits in Maryland

Accounting Back-Office Support Program

Designed to build the capacity of nonprofits by strengthening back-office functions, these grants will help nonprofits increase efficiencies, lower operating expenses, increase employee retention and ensure compliance while allowing more time to be dedicated to mission related activities. In this first phase, AFF will focus on bookkeeping including bill processing, bill paying, payroll processing, and general accounting supports. In future phases, additional solutions may be available.

What to Know Before Applying:

Accounting Back-Office Support Program and Timeline

• AFF has contracted with LSWG on their Book$mart Program.
• The grant is considered a phase-down program, meaning that in year one, all expenses for LSWG’s Book$mart program are funded at 100% by AFF. In year two, the program will be funded at 50% by AFF. Organizations may continue to participate in the Book$mart program, beyond the end of their second year, at full cost.
• There is no application deadline, but only a limited amount of these grants will be awarded during this first phase of the pilot. We will be selecting four organizations through a competitive grant application process for the first year. Based on the success of the first year of Phase 1, AFF envisions adding additional nonprofits in subsequent years to expand the capacity and service delivery of numerous nonprofit organizations throughout our community.

Areas of Interest

What We Fund:

• Children, Youth & Families:
  • Organizations or programs that provide enrichment and increased opportunity to children and youth as well as organizations or programs that strengthen families.
  • Programs and activities included are scouting, mentorships, youth leadership, youth community service clubs and job training, parent engagement, college access, academic enrichment, and arts activities.
• Health & Human Services:
  • Human Services programs and services that provide basic welfare to help individuals, families, and communities to prevent, alleviate, or better cope with crisis, change, and stress.
    • This includes the following sub-categories: crime and delinquency prevention, legal services, employment/jobs, food, housing/shelter, and women’s issues.
  • Health services include treatment and rehabilitative programs relating to physical and mental health.
  • Programs and services include but are not limited to the following sub-categories: mental health and crisis intervention, diseases, disorders and related medical disciplines, nutrition, and dental care.
• Arts & Culture:
  • Organizations or activities that promote enjoyment or understanding of the visual, performing, folk, or media arts; communication organizations (film, video, publishing, journalism, radio, television); and organizations or activities that promote the appreciation or understanding of historical events.
  • Included are organizations which support artists, performers, entertainers, or writers, art and performing art schools, centers, studios, and historical societies and museums.
• Public/Society Benefit:
  • Organizations or programs that contribute to the public good and benefit society including, but not limited to, the following sub-categories: Beautifying public spaces, civic organizations and institutions, community/neighborhood development and improvement, and philanthropy, volunteerism, and grantmaking foundations.

Overview

Capacity Building Grants assist nonprofits in achieving new levels of effectiveness. Our purpose is to strengthen the leadership and management of Frederick County’s nonprofit organizations by helping them build systems and find resources such as consultants to facilitate the organization’s progress in achieving the goals.

Grants may be awarded for:

Planning activities:

e.g., organizational assessments, strategic planning, fund raising assessment & development, program evaluations, communications/ marketing, or business planning. 

Board and leadership development:

May include activities such as leadership training, defining the role of the board, strengthening governance, assistance with an executive transition, succession and search process.May include activities such as leadership training, defining the role of the board, strengthening governance, assistance with executive transition, succession, and search process.

Strategic Relationships:

providing technical assistance / consultant support to help two or more organizations work through collaboration and strategic restructuring; positioning for merger or affiliation; or business planning for social enterprise.

Internal operations:

improvements to financial management, internal controls and chart of accounts, human resource or volunteer management; or facility planning.

Technology Improvements:

IT capacity through upgrades to hardware and software, networking, websites, and staff training to optimize the use of technology.

What We Fund

Children, Youth, & Families

Organizations or programs that provide enrichment and increased opportunity to children and youth as well as organizations or programs that strengthen families. Programs and activities included are scouting, mentorships, youth leadership, youth community service clubs and job training, parent engagement, college access, academic enrichment, and arts activities.

Health & Human Services

Human Services programs and services that provide basic welfare to help individuals, families, and communities to prevent, alleviate, or better cope with crisis, change, and stress. This includes the following sub-categories: crime and delinquency prevention, legal services, employment/jobs, food, housing/shelter, and women’s issues.

Health services include treatment and rehabilitative programs relating to physical and mental health. Programs and services include but are not limited to the following sub-categories: mental health and crisis intervention, diseases, disorders and related medical disciplines, nutrition, and dental care.

Arts & Culture

Organizations or activities that promote enjoyment or understanding of the visual, performing, folk, or media arts; communication organizations (film, video, publishing, journalism, radio, television); and organizations or activities that promote the appreciation or understanding of historical events. Included are organizations which support artists, performers, entertainers, or writers, art and performing art schools, centers, studios, and historical societies and museums.

Public/Society Benefit

Organizations or programs that contribute to the public good and benefit society including, but not limited to, the following sub-categories: Beautifying public spaces, civic organizations and institutions, community/neighborhood development and improvement, and philanthropy, volunteerism, and grantmaking foundations.

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Sgt. David J. Smith Veterans Relief Fund Grant

This grant application will allow nonprofit organizations to apply on behalf of a household for support for veterans and their families who are faced with unforeseen financial distress. Beneficiaries of this support must be residents of Frederick County, Maryland, with an honorable military discharge. Applications for support will be accepted and reviewed as they are received for as long as funding is available. A veteran may receive support under this grant once every 12 months.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Impact Grants

The Community Foundation’s Impact Grant program provides grants for any purpose, including a wide range of field of interest and special purpose funds, and support for individuals served by nonprofits or government agencies. Nonprofit organizations providing programs that impact health and human services, historic preservation, the arts, agriculture, civic causes, animal well-being, education, youth programs, and more should apply.

Impact Grant Funds: Rotary Service Partnership Grants 

Founded by Rotary Club of Frederick, The Rotary Club of Frederick desires to create service  partnerships with Frederick County nonprofits whose missions enhance our local communities by awarding grants between a minimum request of $2,000 and a maximum of $10,000. Projects should align with one or more of the following focus areas: Veteran Services, Education and Literacy, Disease Prevention and Treatment. Projects may not involve the support of another Rotary Club.

Impact Grants

The Community Foundation of Frederick County is accepting applications for Impact Grants. Nonprofits providing programs that impact health and human services, historic preservation, the arts, agriculture, civic causes, animal welfare, education, youth programs, and more should apply.

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

Program Areas

Since our founding, we have awarded more than $60 million in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Today, we award approximately $2.5 million in grants each year across five program areas:

Arts & Humanities

Our founders valued arts and humanities for the well-rounded education it brings to humanity and the role it can play in strengthening a community.

Today the Foundation supports performing, visual and instructional arts programs in the community.

Catholic Activities

The Catholic faith and the Catholic Church community were of central importance to our founders – it was their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Knott responded to the needs of the clergy both out of gratitude for the compassion their own family had received, and a desire to support the work of men and women of integrity whom they saw serving the needs of the broader community. They supported the development of clergy and lay leaders to strengthen the Catholic Church, the reputation of the Catholic Church, and the Catholic community.

Our founders’ devotion to the Catholic faith and support of the Catholic Church has its roots in family history. Mr. Knott’s grandmother died young, and his own mother and aunt were raised and schooled by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. That act of kindness made a huge impression on Mr. Knott and he felt indebted to repay their generosity. Mr. Knott desired to support the Catholic Church in part because of what the Church had done for his family, and also because of the role that faith played in his life.

The Foundation honors this legacy by supporting organizations and programs that espouse the values and doctrines of the Catholic Church. Through our focus on Catholic activities, we support churches, faith communities, religious orders, retreat houses and spiritual centers.  

Education

• Catholic Schools and Private Schools
• Private colleges and universities

Henry and Marion Knott, our founders, believed that education was the key to success. They sought to support both students who were excelling academically and students who had limited access to opportunity. They believed that hard work combined with access to a quality education was the foundation from which all people could succeed in life.

Mr. and Mrs. Knott prioritized Catholic education both because of their personal faith and because they valued both the character development it nurtured in students and the moral stability it provided to the community. And though they primarily supported Catholic education, their interests were not exclusive. They sought to support the greater Baltimore community by providing opportunity to motivated students in and outside the Catholic faith.

When investing in education, Mr. Knott had high standards for schools and students alike. He supported schools that were producing leaders, and that were well-run institutions. He expected that schools would be financially sound, have excellent academics, and show successful outcomes for students. His expectation was that students, after benefitting from educational opportunity, would emerge as active citizens, ready to give back and become leaders in their communities.

Today, the Marion I. and Henry J. Knott Foundation continues our founders’ commitment to education by prioritizing Catholic education. We also support special needs schools, private colleges and universities, out-of-school-time programs, and other education-related activities that provide opportunity for students and produce lasting outcomes within the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Health Care

Our founders raised a family during an era where good medical care was hard to come by. Hospitals were just beginning to be built as pillars within communities and were not as accessible as they are today. Mr. and Mrs. Knott saw the potential that accessible, quality care had for strengthening the community, and they were also empathetic towards the strife that illness and death causes in a family.

During his lifetime, Mr. Knott used his business acumen and builders experience to purchase and then donate land to Johns Hopkins for their west campus expansion, as well as to other institutions. He knew that having world class medical facilities would bring recognition and strength to the Baltimore community.

Today the Foundation continues our founders’ commitment in health care by supporting compassionate care needs of families and their caregivers. We concentrate on programs that provide curative, preventative, rehabilitative, and palliative care, as well as patient support services.

Human Services

Mr. and Mrs. Knott both came from humble beginnings and did not grow up wealthy. As a result, they had sincere compassion for others in need. Mrs. Knott, whose parents died when she was a young teen, had incredible compassion for people undergoing hardships in life. Mr. Knott started out driving a tomato truck, then spent time learning about construction, and eventually launched his own building business. He was given opportunities that changed the trajectory of his own life, and he wanted to do the same for others. They both believed in supporting people who wanted to help themselves and get ahead, and they hoped it would engender in them a spirit of giving and opportunity to pass on to others. 

While they prioritized creating opportunity for people, our founders weren’t above meeting basic needs. While living on their family farm and after having achieved success, they worked the land and donated the fruits of their labor to those in need. At another time, Mr. Knott’s children recalled their father being particularly happy. Reportedly he had just gone to a coat manufacturer to buy out the remaining inventory at the end of season, and was on his way to donate the hundred or so coats to Catholic Charities to give to the homeless.

Compelled by their own life experiences and their faith, our founders had sincere compassion for the poor, the hungry, the sick, and in particular for women, children and families in crisis.

The Foundation continues this support by meeting many human service needs within the community. Our grants touch numerous areas -- from helping to meet people’s basic needs, to housing and homelessness, to workforce development, to family and children’s services.

Projects

Within these Program Areas, we currently fund the following projects:

• Capital expenses
• Development
• New and/or ongoing programs
• Operating expenses
• Technology

Funding

Our work in these areas includes distinct funding opportunities: 

Grants

We generally award grants under $100,000 but remain open to opportunities for greater impact with larger sums. 

Discretionary Grants

We provide a limited number of discretionary grants on a rolling basis throughout the year. These grants, most often ranging in amounts from $500 to $2,500, are designed to diversify our grantmaking options as well as enhance our responsiveness to community needs.  

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

Background

The Women’s Giving Circle of Frederick County Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation, provides grants that support programs that empower women ages 18 and over in challenging situations to improve the quality of their lives. The grants will support women’s efforts to become self-sufficient, understanding that encouragement and financial assistance are compelling factors in restoring stability and hope.

Funding Priorities

• Furthering women’s ability to care for herself and, subsequently, her dependents. Such as:
  • Furthering workforce and educational opportunity, including but not limited to:
    • Direct provision of workforce development programs
      • Job training and placement services
      • Trade and technical certifications
      • Apprenticeship programs
    • Direct support, such as scholarships, for post-secondary, apprenticeship, or workforce development programs
    • Indirect support of workforce or educational program participation or betterment
      • Mentoring and life skills programs
      • Support of transportation and/or childcare to facilitate participation in workforce development or education programs
  • Furthering economic capacity, including but not limited to:
    • Emergency financial assistance due to changed circumstances
      • Homelessness prevention support
      • Emergency and transitional housing support
      • Transportation support
    • Access to income supports
      • Systems navigation -- creating access to benefits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), medical insurance, housing vouchers, etc.
    • Training in financial literacy
      • Household budgeting, credit scores
      • First time homebuyers’ programs
    • Financial assistance for next steps
      • Recovery housing costs
      • Low-income homebuyer supports

Funding

A minimum proposal of $1,000.00. Each proposal may not exceed $40,000. Organizations may seek up to $40,000 total.

Shepherd University Foundation

The Shepherd University Foundation receives and administers private funds for student scholarships, academic and program support, faculty excellence awards, and other initiatives at Shepherd University. It was incorporated in 1961 as a 501C(3), non-profit educational organization.

Foundation Mission

To ensure educational opportunities for deserving students and to enhance the academic excellence of Shepherd University

Women Investing in Shepherd Nonprofit Grants

Women Investing in Shepherd (WISH) is offering two community nonprofit grants. Grants from WISH are made possible by the generosity of its members who are committed to high-impact philanthropy. Grants are voted on by the active membership on an annual basis.

WISH inspires, educates, and develops the amazing potential of women’s philanthropy. Our high impact grants to Shepherd University and the tri-state community affect positive changes, bring new funding resources, and make philanthropy accessible.

To receive funding from WISH, a project should be at least one of the following:

• Response to urgent and critical needs
• Bold new venture; and/or
• New approach to ongoing challenges

Funding

Each nonprofit grant award (2 each) for this cycle will be $36,250. Applicants must show a need for use of the entire high impact amount in a time span of no greater than three (3) years.

About Us

For three decades, we have helped translate simple good intentions into powerful acts of philanthropy that build a stronger, more vibrant community not only for today but for the future.

We're Here to Help

We've guided thousands of generous Frederick County citizens, like you, in creating funds that capture their unique visions or contributing to existing funds that closely match their charitable intentions. These funds provide scholarships to students pursuing their educational dreams, and grants to area nonprofits.

The Community Foundation of Frederick County Rolling Grant

The Community Foundation’s Rolling Grant program provides grants for any purpose, including a wide range of field of interest and special purpose funds, and support for individuals served by nonprofits or government agencies.

Friends of The Great Frederick Fair Grant

Organizations providing agriculture education; renovating, constructing and/or maintaining buildings used to promote agricultural activities by nonprofit organizations; and/or promoting agriculture as an industry and as a way of life in Frederick County should apply.

$45,000 is available for this grant cycle.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Delaplaine Foundation, Inc., is a private family foundation based in Frederick, Maryland, dedicated to the enrichment of communities and families within Maryland, nearby states and the District of Columbia by supporting programs to strengthen the arts and sciences, historical preservation, educational advancement, spiritual enlightenment and well-being.

What We Support

We are committed to strengthening communities and families through the support of non-profit organizations whose missions are closely aligned with our own, related to the cultural arts, educational advancement, health, human services, historical preservation, and spiritual enlightenment. Approximately 70% – 75% of our grant funding is awarded annually in Frederick County with the balance distributed in other parts of Maryland, to nearby states, the District of Columbia, and even some discretionary national and international grants have been funded. Eligible applications must be a nonprofit organization as recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)3 and 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Cultural Arts

The arts enrich the quality of life for everyone and elevate the quality of life in the communities where they exist. Delaplaine Foundation supports cultural organizations that bring performances and exhibits to the public, and provide arts education experiences to those who may not otherwise have such access.

Education

Delaplaine Foundation is committed to the support of students, educators, academic programs, and institutions through the funding of educational initiatives, tuition assistance programs and operational support.

Health

Delaplaine Foundation is committed to helping meet the physical, mental and behavioral health needs of individuals, families and communities, ensuring that quality health care is accessible to all.

Historical Preservation

Delaplaine Foundation believes strongly in the importance of history and preservation for present and future generations. Learning from the past helps us to best respond to the present and prepare for the future. For this reason, we support historical programming, as well as archival and structural preservation.

Human Services

Delaplaine Foundation supports non-profit organizations whose programs and services provide critical support and enhance the quality of the life for children, youth and adults.

Spiritual Enlightenment

Delaplaine Foundation values spiritual enlightenment, which we believe positively impacts and deeply enriches the quality of life for everyone and the community-at-large.

Through strategic grants, the Community Foundation funds nonprofits that meet the areas of greatest need in Frederick County. These needs are identified in The Frederick County Human Needs Assessment Report.

Currently, we are funding high impact projects that address:

• Supporting families with children
• Preparing for a growing aging population
• Responding to Substance Use Disorder (SUD).

In 2022 an updated human needs assessment, conducted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, revealed additional areas of need, including:

• Supporting access to affordable housing
• Addressing mental health needs
• Alleviating disparities in service delivery

The focus of strategic grant funding may change as new data becomes available.

Our Mission

The Hansen Family Foundation provides opportunities to domestic, international, secular, and non-secular organizations that support the American way of life, which is defined by the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Causes

Children

The Hansen Family Foundation supports causes dedicated to helping children both home as well as abroad. Learn More

Education

The Hansen Family Foundation believes that a decent education should be made available to everyone, young or old, the world over. Learn More

Animals

The Hansen Family Foundation believes in helping those who cannot speak on their own behalf. Learn More

Environmental

The Hansen Family Foundation is dedicated to preserving the world we all share. Learn More

Humanitarian

The Hansen Family Foundation views the plight of our fellow man as an opportunity to actively engage and effect change. Learn More

Arts & Culture

The Hansen Family Foundation supports all forms of artistic and cultural endeavors. Learn More