The Ferris Family Foundation
The Ferris Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 1992, based in Franconia, New Hampshire. The foundation operates as a trust and provides grants to various educational, scientific, and charitable organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$8.0M
-0.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$626K
+2.6% YoY
Grant Count
42
+2.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$15K
+0.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ferris Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $695K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's purpose is to provide grants to various educational, scientific, and charitable organizations. Primary funding focus areas include:
- Education
- Youth services and youth development
- Human services
- Philanthropy and voluntarism
- General charitable purposes
- Historic preservation
Grantmaking
No specific format required for grant applications.
Grant Range
s:**
Average Grant
$13,000–$14,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
- Virginia
These three states account for 76% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 16 states total.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Income (2024):
- Total assets: $7,993,288–$8,000,000
- Total revenues: $733,129
- Total expenses: $704,886
- Annual income: $1.1 million
Asset Growth: Total assets have grown from $3.5 million in 2011 to approximately $8 million in 2024.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $7,993,288 | $8,018,875 | $7,433,209 |
| Revenue | $733,129 | $1,276,795 | $1,387,535 |
| Expenses | $704,886 | $722,129 | $706,462 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $625,985 | $610,000 | $636,950 |
| Net Investment Income | $720,568 | $1,267,145 | $1,366,258 |
| Distributable Amount | $694,692 | $610,186 | $633,682 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
219 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington Inc(bgcgw) ($344,279), Trinity College ($26,000), Noyes Childrens Library Foundation ($25,500).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A WIDER CIRCLE SILVER SPRING, MD | GENERAL PURPOSES | $25,000 |
| AM INDIAN COLLEGE FUND ATLANTA, GA | GENERAL PURPOSESGENERAL PURPOSES | $500 |
| AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR STUTTERING (AIS) NEW YORK, NY | EDUCATION | $1,000 |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER WASHINGTON INC(BGCGW) WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL PURPOSES | $344,279 |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF SANTA BARBARA WANTA BARBARA, CA | GENERAL PURPOSES | $9,856 |
| C & O CANAL TRUST WILLIAMSPORT, MD | GENERAL PURPOSES | $1,000 |
| CENTER FOR INSPIRED TEACHING WASHINGTON, DC | EDUCATIONAL | $25,000 |
| CENTRAL UNION MISSION WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL PURPOSES | $10,000 |
| CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION ANNAPOLIS, MD | GENERAL PURPOSES | $2,000 |
| COMMUNITY OF HOPE WASHINGTON, DC | HEALTHCARE/HOMELESSNESS | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Karen Beardsley – Trustee
- WB Ferris – Trustee
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAREN BEARDSLEY | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| WB FERRIS | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
Contact Information
- Address: PO Box 726, Franconia, NH 03580-0726
- Phone: (301) 922-2700
- EIN: 52-1774631
- IRS Ruling Year: 1992
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Ferris Family Foundation fund?
The foundation's purpose is to provide grants to various educational, scientific, and charitable organizations. Primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Youth services and youth development • Human services • Philanthropy and voluntarism • General charitable purposes • Historic preservation
How do I apply for a grant from The Ferris Family Foundation?
**Grant Sizes:** • Smallest grant: $250 • Median grant: $1,800–$4,000 • Average grant: $13,000–$14,000 • Largest grant: $344,279 **Recent Activity:** • Total giving in 2024: $625,985 • Made 39–42 grants in 2024 • Historical grantmaking peaked in 2021 with $663,000 distributed across 47 grants • Annual giving has ranged from $507,000 (2020) to $637,000 (2022) • The foundation has made 141 grants totaling $1.8 million across its history • Has supported 73 unique organizations **Application Proces…
Where does The Ferris Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Maryland • District of Columbia • Virginia These three states account for 76% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 16 states total.
What size grants does The Ferris Family Foundation award?
In 2024, The Ferris Family Foundation awarded 42 grants totaling $626K — an average of about $15K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Ferris Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Ferris Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $695K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Ferris Family Foundation's EIN?
The Ferris Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1774631. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ferris Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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