Ausherman Family Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 20-4937263 · since 2006aushermanfamilyfoundation.org·Frederick County·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$699k

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$500 to $15,000

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$2,500

Typical grant (median)

97 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

A mix of rolling and fixed deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

Ausherman Family Foundation funds organisations that serve Frederick County, Maryland, so a group working elsewhere should look for a funder closer to its own area.
Applicants must be recognised as 501(c)(3) organisations or fiscally sponsored by one, and the foundation does not fund schools, animal welfare, the environment, athletics, religious missions or international projects, so check your work against that list first.
Most grants are modest: about 8 in 10 fall between $500 and $15,000 and the median is $2,000, though its largest grant was about $185,000, so a request in the low thousands is realistic, and requests under $2,500 are not accepted.
Start with the online Letter of Inquiry, which the foundation may follow with a request for more information and then an invitation to a full application; if your organisation is Black-led, its IDEA grants open for applications each year from July 1 to July 31.
Repeat grantees received 79% of its grant dollars in its most recent filing, so keeping in touch with the foundation after a grant is worth the effort.

Overview

Ausherman Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Frederick, MD.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The foundation provides general, capacity-building, multi-year and IDEA grants to organisations that serve Frederick County and are recognised as 501(c)(3) organisations or are fiscally sponsored by 501(c)(3)s. Its stated areas of interest are Children, Youth & Families; Health & Human Services; Arts & Culture; and Public/Society Benefit. General grants can support operating costs and the development, implementation or maintenance of an organisation’s projects and programmes. Capacity-building grants strengthen the leadership and management of Frederick County’s nonprofit organisations, helping them build systems and find resources to advance their goals. IDEA grants support Black-led nonprofits in Frederick County through funding, capacity building, coaching, mentorship and networking. Multi-Year Grants help sound organisations establish programmes that can become self-sustaining.

Themes

Children, Youth & Families
Health & Human Services
Arts & Culture
Public/Society Benefit

Geographic Focus

Frederick County, Maryland.

What They Don't Fund

Animal Welfare Organizations
Athletics, Leisure, Recreation
Environment
Areas considered government responsibility
Schools, including private, charter, or Frederick County Public Schools
Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness, and Relief
Individuals, including Political Support
Religious Missions
International Projects
Grant requests of less than $2,500

How to apply

Applicants begin with an online Letter of Inquiry (LOI). The foundation may request additional information, then invites selected organisations to submit a full application. The process describes an initial enquiry followed by a full application for applicants invited to proceed.

Deadlines: Traditional IDEA Grant Cycle applications are open annually from July 1 to July 31.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 79% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 264 grants to organisations were $2,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

Capacity Building requests must show potential to contribute to long-term organisational effectiveness.
Board membership should fall within the range specified by the organisation’s bylaws.
Staff should be willing to commit time and resources, be open to change and believe the grant will further the organisation’s mission.
IDEA applicants are encouraged to participate in AFF Capacity Building Trainings and Networking Events to become familiar with its grant-making process.
Multi-Year grantees submit grant reports at least every six months.
General Grant requests should be realistic, documented and clearly explain the funding need.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Maryland98%

Pennsylvania<1%

Montana<1%

Alabama<1%

Utah<1%

Texas<1%

6 other states: <1%

The largest single recipient received 12% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 79% of grant dollars went to organisations Ausherman Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

97 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $2,500

How much do they typically give?

Share of 97 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k25%

$1k–$2.5k23%

$2.5k–$5k12%

$5k–$10k18%

$10k–$25k15%

$25k–$50k4%

$50k–$100k3%

Median $2,500 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

L'Arche Frederick Maryland · Gap funding, dda deferred pymts, gap funding forgivable loan
$75,0002024 tax year
Spectrum Support · Youth empowerment program
$55,0002024 tax year
The Frederick Children's Chorus · Capacity building
$51,0002024 tax year
Centro Hispano de Frederick · Aff spanish class, back office support, esl coordinator, heritage festival
$45,4802024 tax year
Women Solve · 5th annual seed to roots, strategic blueprint, frederick's seed to roots
$30,0002024 tax year
African American Resources · General operations, living treasures projects
$27,0002024 tax year
Maryland Deaf Community Center · Mdcc bod training and fundraising
$25,0002024 tax year
Spanish Speaking Community · Bingo gala, critical intervention, general operations
$21,4752024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Ariel Rodriguez — Trustee
Jeremy Holder — Trustee
Tammie Workman — Trustee
Dr Denise Rollins — Trustee
Leigh Adams — Executive Director
Renee Ausherman — Trustee / Treasurer
Joseph S Welty — Trustee
Justin E Ausherman — Trustee / Vice Chair / Secretary
Marvin E Ausherman — Trustee / Chairman / Founder

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$2,022,869	$487,317	$19,407,412	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$2,110,668	$784,456	$20,899,943	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$2,036,473	$698,928	$23,129,936	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.