Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc
The Tourism Council of Frederick County, Inc. (operating as Visit Frederick) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization based in Frederick, Maryland. Founded in 1976, it functions as the recognized Destination Marketing Organization for Frederick County. The organization is structured as a public-private partnership dedicated to enhancing the economic benefit of tourism for the county's businesses, attractions, local governments, and residents.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.3M
+4.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$666K
+8.0% YoY
Grant Count
16
+6.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$42K
+1.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Tourism Council of Frederick County is a public-private partnership dedicated to enhancing the economic benefit of tourism for Frederick County's businesses, attractions, local governments, and residents.
Primary Activities:
Destination Marketing: In fiscal year 2024, the organization invested $705,470 in advertisements placed across various media outlets promoting Frederick County as a visitor destination. These efforts generated 10,534 requests for visitor information packets. An additional $90,061 was spent on general marketing, meetings, conferences, trade shows, and market research. The organization also invested $115,783 to operate its website and associated databases.
Visitor Services: Operation of the Frederick Visitor Center, which hosted 20,317 visitors in fiscal year 2024 from 50 states and 44 international countries. The organization produces brochures and visitor guides.
Destination Development: Expenditures totaled $344,838 in fiscal year 2024, including support for the Great Frederick Fair, the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area, and various regional festivals.
Grantmaking
The Tourism Council of Frederick County administers the Tourism Reinvestment in Promotion and Product (TRIPP) Grant Program, which supports tourism-focused advertising and product development projects that strengthen Frederick County as a visitor destination.
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Frederick County, Maryland. In 2023, visitors spent $539 million in Frederick County.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2024 (Year Ending June 2024):
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Revenue | $3,367,862 |
| Total Expenses | $3,148,724 |
| Net Income | $219,138 |
| Total Assets | $4,293,624 |
| Total Liabilities | $1,280,031 |
| Net Assets | $3,017,593 |
Revenue Composition (FY24):
- Contributions: $3,245,028 (96.4% of total revenue)
- Program Services: $88,500+ (2.6% of total revenue)
Staffing: 16 employees as of 2024
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,293,624 | $4,105,610 | $3,912,533 |
| Revenue | $3,367,862 | $3,422,537 | $3,502,296 |
| Expenses | $3,148,724 | $3,145,584 | $2,650,458 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $23,663 | $16,664 | $2,171 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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
77 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Dave Ziedelis – Executive Director
- Becky Bickerton – Assistant Director
- Jake Wynn – Senior Marketing and Communications Manager
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROB JUDGE | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| MONICA PEARCE | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| MICHAEL HENNINGSEN | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| ELIZABETH DEROSE | 1ST VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| MIKE IRONS | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| MONIQUE PASQUALE | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| BARBARA LICCIONE | 2ND VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| ASHLY WRIGHT | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| ABBY BRUSCO | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| MAYOR MICHAEL O'CONNOR | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| COUNTY EXECUTIVE JESSICA FITZWATER | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| ANGEL WHITE | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| CHRIS CLEMONS | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| AMIE ST ANGELO | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| SHERIF SALEM | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| DAVID PRICE | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| SCOTT WISNOM | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| RANDY JONES | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| PHIL BOWERS | PAST PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| ROBERT BLACK | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| BARBARA HILLER | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| KARA NORMAN | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| RICK SLADE | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| LOUISE KENNELLY | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| DAVID ZIEDELIS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 55 | $146,348 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**FY27 TRIPP Grant Program Launch (January 2026):** Visit Frederick announced the launch of the FY27 Tourism Reinvestment in Promotion and Product (TRIPP) Grant Program with $500,000 in available funding for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. The announcement included the recommended selection committee and program updates for the upcoming fiscal year.
Visit Frederick Announces FY27 TRIPP Grant Funding ProgramData last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc on Grantable?
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