Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc
The Tourism Council of Frederick County, Inc., which does business as Visit Frederick, is based in Frederick, Maryland. It is listed as a public charity and describes itself as a public-private partnership dedicated to enhancing tourism’s economic benefit for Frederick County’s businesses, attractions, local governments, and residents.
Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc at a glance
In short: Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc gave $880K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $38K), mostly in Maryland. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $880,371
- +32.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +43.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $38,277
- -8.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $18,649
- Total assets
- $3,833,330
- -10.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (7 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc
- Review Cycle
- March 31, 2026, for FY27 TRIPP applications.
- Deadline
- March 31, 2026, for FY27 TRIPP applications.
- Contact
Mailing address: 151 S East Street, Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: (301) 600-4041
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc
Who Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Downtown Frederick Partnership ($239K). Together the top 10 received $727K.
Grant Size Distribution
85 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 69 grants of 85 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The grant programs described by the council serve Frederick County, Maryland. The Main Street fund is limited to eligible Main Street Maryland communities whose boundaries are within the county. In filing year 2025, all reported grant dollars went to Maryland recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 23 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $50K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $40K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $284K (2021) to $880K (2025). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $880K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Frederick Partnership Frederick, MD | Tripp Advertising, Tripp Development, & Main Street Programs | $238,854 |
| Weinberg Center for the Arts Frederick, MD | Tripp Advertising & Tripp Development | $89,189 |
| Brunswick Main Street Brunswick, MD | Tripp Advertising & Main Street Programs | $66,522 |
| National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Emmitsburg, MD | Tripp Advertising, Tripp Development, & Tripp Group | $58,140 |
| Main Street Middletown Middletown, MD | Tripp Advertising, Tripp Development, & Main Street Programs | $56,703 |
| Thurmont Main Street Thurmont, MD | Tripp Advertising & Main Street Programs | $54,278 |
| National Museum of Civil War Medicine Inc Frederick, MD | Tripp Advertising | $49,078 |
| The Great Frederick Fair Frederick, MD | Tripp Advertising | $40,800 |
| Catoctin Furnace Historical Society Thurmont, MD | Tripp Advertising & Tripp Development | $38,221 |
| Maryland Ensemble Theatre Frederick, MD | Tripp Advertising | $35,040 |
Ready to take the next step with Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,833,330 | $3,328,078 | $3,742,113 | $880,371 | 23 | $29,865 |
| 2024 | $4,293,624 | $3,367,862 | $3,148,724 | $666,134 | 16 | $23,663 |
| 2023 | $4,105,610 | $3,422,537 | $3,145,584 | $616,889 | 15 | $16,664 |
| 2022 | $3,912,533 | $3,502,296 | $2,650,458 | $531,793 | 17 | $2,171 |
| 2021 | $3,460,577 | $2,391,435 | $2,247,584 | $283,926 | 14 | $1,200 |
| 2020 | $3,278,091 | $2,603,082 | $2,551,639 | $439,223 | 15 | $8,694 |
| 2019 | $3,312,140 | $2,979,182 | $2,875,879 | $316,083 | 12 | $6,722 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to enhance the economic benefit of tourism for Frederick County’s businesses, attractions, local governments, and residents. Its activities include destination marketing, visitor services, and destination development. Its filing describes advertising and general marketing, operation of its website and databases, operation of the Frederick Visitor Center, and support for attractions, events, and festivals.
Its grants support tourism-related promotion and development. Among the 2025 recipients, Downtown Frederick Partnership describes its mission as enhancing, promoting, and preserving the vitality, livability, and diversity of downtown Frederick. The Weinberg Center for the Arts says it provides professional arts programs to entice, educate, and enchant patrons. The Great Frederick Fair says it promotes agriculture and youth education about the industry. Catoctin Furnace Historical Society describes its work as studying and preserving the history of the industrial village and interpreting the heritage of enslaved people and other workers.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the council reported 23 grants totaling $880,371. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $238,854, with a median grant of $18,649. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland.
The largest grants included $238,854 to Downtown Frederick Partnership for TRIPP advertising, TRIPP development, and Main Street programs; $89,189 to the Weinberg Center for the Arts for TRIPP advertising and development; $66,522 to Brunswick Main Street for TRIPP advertising and Main Street programs; and $58,140 to the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton for TRIPP advertising, development, and group programs. Other notable awards included $56,703 to Main Street Middletown, $54,278 to Thurmont Main Street, $49,078 to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, and $40,800 to the Great Frederick Fair.
The competitive TRIPP program is open to Frederick County nonprofit organizations and government agencies promoting tourism. It offers Tourism Advertising Awards for marketing activities and Tourism Development Grants for tourism products, attractions, events, and activities. Applicants may apply for either award or both. The council also administers the Frederick County Main Street Communities Cooperative Fund, which allocates hotel rental tax proceeds by formula to eligible state-designated Main Street Maryland communities in the county. At least half of a community’s allocation received over 12 months must be used to market its Main Street outside Frederick County. The council requires grant recipients to submit a written report and copies of invoices showing how grant or assistance funds were used.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Rob Judge as president; Elizabeth DeRose as first vice president; Barbara Liccione as second vice president; Ashly Wright as secretary; and Michael Henningsen as treasurer. Directors listed are Monica Pearce, Mike Irons, Monique Pasquale, Abby Brusco, and Mayor Michael O’Connor. The organization’s website identifies Dave Ziedelis as executive director.
Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc is led by David Ziedelis, Executive Director since 2022 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 25 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David Ziedelis
Executive Director
Past President → Executive Director & Past President, 2021
Executive Director & Past President → Executive Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
55 hrs/week
$81K (2022) → $161K (2025)
Rob Judge
President
2nd Vice President → 1st Vice President, 2023
1st Vice President → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amie St Angelo
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Angel White
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Price
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mayor Michael O'Connor
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mike Irons
Director
Director → Secretary, 2021
Secretary → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Randy Jones
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Black
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott Wisnom
Director
President → Past President, 2022
Past President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Monica Pearce
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Monique Pasquale
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kara Norman
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rick Slade
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
County Executive Jessica Fitzwater
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Louise Kennelly
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Abby Brusco
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Clemons
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sherif Salem
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Chaiken
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Henningsen
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phil Bowers
Past President
1st Vice President → President, 2022
President → Past President, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Liccione
2nd Vice President
Director → 2nd Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Derose
1st Vice President
Director → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → 1st Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ashly Wright
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Barbara Hiller (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Jim Racheff (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Robert Brenengen (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Kristin Hanna (2021–2023) — 2nd Vice President
- Former: County Executive Jan Gardner (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Ellen Przybocki (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Kendall Tiffany (2019–2022) — 1st Vice President
- Former: Elizabeth Burmaster (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: John Fieseler (2019–2021) — Retired Executive Director
- Former: Michael Donaldson (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Daniel Zoberbier (2020) — Director
- Former: Mark Wright (2019) — 2nd Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $161K, to David Ziedelis (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc
How much does Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc give each year?
Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc gave $880K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $666K across 16 grants.
What is Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc's typical grant size?
Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc's median grant in 2025 was $18,649, and its average grant was $38,277, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc that year got $11K on average.
Where does Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc give grants?
Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc gives mostly in Maryland: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Frederick, MD (15 grants), Thurmont, MD (3 grants) and Emmitsburg, MD (2 grants).
Does Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Tripp Development" (7 grants), "Tripp Advertising" (6 grants) and "Tripp Advertising & Tripp Development" (3 grants).
Who are Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc's largest grantees?
Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Downtown Frederick Partnership ($238,854), Weinberg Center for the Arts ($89,189) and Brunswick Main Street ($66,522), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc?
Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc reported $3.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.3M.
What does Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to enhance the economic benefit of tourism for Frederick County’s businesses, attractions, local governments, and residents. Its activities include destination marketing, visitor services, and destination development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc?
Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc's EIN?
Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1057866. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 17, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 30, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tourism-council-of-frederick-county-inc-morg_caecde64b23f4d0f9f60ab950a55ac37
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521057866_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tourism-council-of-frederick-county-inc-morg_caecde64b23f4d0f9f60ab950a55ac37},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Tourism Council of Frederick County Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?