Delaplaine Foundation

What Delaplaine Foundation does

Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. is a private family foundation established in 2001 by George B. Delaplaine, Jr., his wife Bettie, and their four sons, following the sale of the family's media businesses (newspaper publishing since 1880 and cable television). Headquartered in Frederick, Maryland at 244 West Patrick Street, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (EIN 52-2278038) governed by a Board of Trustees with active family representation across two generations and an Associate Board involving third-generation family members.

The foundation's core offering is structured grantmaking across six funding sectors: Arts & Culture, Education, Health, Human Services, Historical Preservation, and Spiritual Enlightenment. Grant types include Programming Grants (the majority of funding), limited General Operating Grants for established grantees, Capacity Building/Installment Grants distributed over 2–3 years for capital requests, and Board-discretionary grants. Application intake is managed through the third-party Grantee Portal at grantinterface.com with three distinct application tracks (First-Time, Renewal, Returning) and an annual cycle keyed to a September 1 LOI deadline and October 1 full-application deadline. Operations are supported by a small staff — Executive Director Michele Corr, Director of Grantmaking Blair Wilson, and Executive Assistant Jessica Wareham — supplemented by a Community Advisory Council established in 2022.

The foundation's business model is grantmaking rather than commercial revenue generation; annual grant distributions are funded by an underlying family endowment (size undisclosed). Distributions grew from $2,712,700 (2023) to $3,226,600 (2025), and since 2001 the foundation has distributed over $30M to 300+ nonprofit organizations. Funding is geographically constrained — beginning with the 2024 grant cycle, Arts, Education, Health, and Human Services grants are limited to programs directly impacting Frederick County residents, while Historical Preservation and Spiritual Enlightenment retain a broader Frederick County and surrounding-area scope. Sponsorships ($250–$3,000) supplement grants. The foundation holds Candid Platinum Transparency 2025 status and is led post-2025 by Executive Director Corr following Marlene B. Young's retirement from operations after 24 years.

Name

Delaplaine Foundation

Legal name

Delaplaine Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://delaplainefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Delaplaine Foundation is a private family foundation based in Frederick, Maryland, established in 2001, that distributes roughly $3.2 million annually in grants across six funding sectors to more than 300 nonprofit organizations serving Frederick County and surrounding areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Private family foundation
• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Community grants
• Nonprofit funding
• Arts and education grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Grant Distribution: Delaplaine Foundation operates as a private family foundation that distributes grant funding to nonprofit organizations. The foundation has distributed over $30 million to more than 300 nonprofit organizations since its establishment in 2001. Annual grant totals have grown from $2,712,700 in 2023 to $3,226,600 in 2025.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Delaplaine Foundation is a private family foundation that distributes grants to nonprofit organizations across six funding sectors: Arts & Culture, Education, Health, Human Services, Historical Preservation, and Spiritual Enlightenment. Grants are primarily awarded to programs serving Frederick County, Maryland and surrounding areas through an annual cycle.

Product overview

Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. is a private family foundation that operates as a grant-making organization rather than a technology product company. The Foundation's primary offerings are its grant programs, including Programming Grants, General Operating Grants, Capacity Building/Installment Grants, and Discretionary Grants, which support six funding sectors: Arts & Culture, Education, Health, Human Services, Historical Preservation, and Spiritual Enlightenment. The Foundation provides these grants primarily to nonprofits serving Frederick County, Maryland and surrounding areas. Its operational infrastructure includes a Grantee Portal for online application submission and management, along with three distinct application processes (First Time Grant Applicant, Renewal, and Returning Applicant) to serve nonprofits at different stages of their grant history with the Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Programming Grants
• General Operating Grants
• Capacity Building/Installment Grants
• Discretionary Grants
• Sponsorships

Quantifiable outcome

• $30+ million distributed to 300+ nonprofits since 2001
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hood CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2026Hood College received a $23,000 grant from Delaplaine Foundation to fund Summer Reading Clinic and yearlong literacy tutoring programs for Frederick County youth. The partnership enables Hood undergraduate students to provide clinical training and literacy services.
• Boys & Girls Club of Frederick CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2026Partner organization in Hood College literacy tutoring programs. Delaplaine Foundation grant enables partnership for providing yearlong literacy tutoring services.
• Housing Authority of the City of FrederickcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2026Partner organization in Hood College literacy tutoring programs. Grant enables services targeting Frederick County youth through this housing authority partnership.
• Community Advisory CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard-established council serving as supplemental source of specialized knowledge and expertise. Each member serves as Ambassador for one of six funding sectors: arts & culture, educational advancement, health, human services, historical preservation, and spiritual enlightenment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Kresge Foundation: A major national private foundation funding nonprofits across health, education, environment, and arts — comparable in multi-sector grantmaking philosophy but operating at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.

Regional players

• Middendorf Foundation: A Maryland-based private family foundation funding nonprofit projects in the mid-Atlantic region, including education and human services — comparable family-foundation grantmaking model in the broader Maryland ecosystem.
• The Abell Foundation: A Baltimore-based private foundation focused on Maryland communities, funding across education, health, and human services — a comparable family-style private foundation with similar grantmaking priorities and 501(c)(3) structure.
• The Helen J. Serini Foundation: A small Maryland family foundation making grants to community nonprofits — comparable in scale, family-ownership model, and local grantmaking focus.
• France-Merrick Foundation: One of the largest private foundations in Maryland, funding across health, education, arts, and community services — comparable in multi-sector grantmaking model but at meaningfully greater scale.
• The Zanvyl Krieger Foundation: A Maryland-based private family foundation funding education, arts, environment, and human services — comparable family-foundation structure, multi-sector mandate, and mid-Atlantic footprint.
• The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation: A Maryland-rooted private family foundation funding Jewish life, civil rights, education, and health — comparable in family-foundation governance and multi-sector grantmaking.

Others

• Candid (GuideStar): The nonprofit transparency and data platform that awarded Delaplaine its Platinum Seal — adjacent infrastructure provider enabling the foundation's accountability positioning rather than a direct funder peer.

Direct peers

• Ausherman Family Foundation: A Frederick County-based private family foundation making grants to local nonprofits across similar community impact areas — directly comparable family-foundation model operating in the same geography.
• The Community Foundation of Frederick County: The primary community foundation serving Frederick County, Maryland — directly comparable in geographic focus, grantee base, and mission of enriching the same community through grantmaking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/delaplainefoundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Delaplaine Foundation