William E Cross Foundation Inc
William E Cross Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Frederick, Maryland. Its 2025 filing reports 51 grants totaling $405,100, with nearly all grant dollars going to recipients in Maryland and the listed award restriction requiring recipients to be nonprofit entities.
William E Cross Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: William E Cross Foundation Inc gave $405K across 51 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Maryland. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $405,100
- -2.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 51
- +6.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,943
- -8.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $7,987,682
- +4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (4 of 50, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to William E Cross Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Submit a written request describing the organization’s activities and charitable status.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists December 1 and does not specify a year.
- Deadline
- The filing lists December 1 and does not specify a year.
- Contact
Application contact: Donald Linton
Mailing address: 2631 Mill Race Road, Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: (301) 696-0467
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who William E Cross Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was United Way of Frederick County ($77K). Together the top 10 received $234K.
Grant Size Distribution
367 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 359 grants of 367 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland, 1% to Florida, and less than 1% to Tennessee, as reported in the filing. Many of the listed Maryland recipients are based in Frederick.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 51 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is William E Cross Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 50 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 84% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 94% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 100% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $405K (2025) to $6.9M (2022). In 2025 it made 51 grants totaling $405K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| United Way of Frederick County Frederick, MD | For Program Services | $77,000 |
| Frederick Health Hospital Inc Frederick, MD | For Program Services | $28,000 |
| Brethren Disaster Ministries New Windsor, MD | For Program Services | $25,000 |
| Fred Community College Foundation Inc Frederick, MD | For Program Services | $25,000 |
| The Community Foundation of Frederick County Maryland Inc Frederick, MD | For Program Services | $20,500 |
| Mission of Mercy Frederick, MD | For Program Services | $15,000 |
| The Historical Society of Frederick County Inc DBA Heritage Frederick Frederick, MD | For Program Services | $11,600 |
| Frederick Rescue Mission Inc Frederick, MD | For Program Services | $11,000 |
| Salvation Army- Frederick CO Frederick, MD | For Program Services | $11,000 |
| Beyond Shelter Frederick Frederick, MD | For Program Services | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with William E Cross Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,987,682 | $971,761 | $599,566 | $405,100 | 51 | $405,100 | $777,295 | $405,501 |
| 2024 | $7,615,487 | $656,758 | $618,235 | $416,500 | 48 | $416,500 | $455,023 | $390,252 |
| 2023 | $7,576,964 | $339,265 | $1,503,894 | $1,319,056 | 52 | $1,319,056 | $154,427 | $382,564 |
| 2022 | $8,741,593 | $796,148 | $7,290,486 | $6,895,168 | 108 | $6,895,168 | $400,830 | $713,451 |
| 2021 | $15,766,451 | $2,252,929 | $1,668,632 | $1,298,000 | 108 | $1,298,000 | $1,882,297 | $838,408 |
| 2020 | $15,182,154 | $1,102,428 | $1,130,555 | $796,000 | 110 | — | $767,873 | $600,297 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William E Cross Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $406K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose own missions address community well-being, poverty, hunger, health care, education and training, victim services, cultural storytelling, and downtown vitality. For example, United Way of Frederick County describes its mission as mobilizing the community to improve lives, while Frederick Rescue Mission says it works to rescue people from hunger, poverty, and substance addiction. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 51 grants totaling $405,100. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $77,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed grants included $77,000 to United Way of Frederick County, $28,000 to Frederick Health Hospital, $25,000 each to Brethren Disaster Ministries and Frederick Community College Foundation, and $20,500 to The Community Foundation of Frederick County Maryland.
The 2025 filing lists a written request that includes a description of the nonprofit’s activities and charitable status. It names Donald Linton as the person to contact and states that awards must go to nonprofit entities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Donald C. Linton as president and director, Rebecca Linton as treasurer and director, and David Linton as vice-president and director.
William E Cross Foundation Inc is led by Donald C. Linton, President & Director on every filing since 2020; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Donald C. Linton
President & Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$60K (2020) → $75K (2025)
Rebecca Linton
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$29K (2020) → $43K (2025)
David Linton
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$2K (2023) → $3K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Arthur B. Brisker (2020–2022) — Vice President & Director
- Former: Hazel Brisker (2020–2022) — Secretary & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $75K, to Donald C Linton (President/Dire). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about William E Cross Foundation Inc
How much does William E Cross Foundation Inc give each year?
William E Cross Foundation Inc gave $405K across 51 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $417K across 48 grants.
What is William E Cross Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
William E Cross Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,943, across 51 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William E Cross Foundation Inc that year got $5K on average.
Where does William E Cross Foundation Inc give grants?
William E Cross Foundation Inc gives mostly in Maryland: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Frederick, MD (36 grants), Thurmont, MD (3 grants) and Walkersville, MD (2 grants).
Does William E Cross Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 51 grants with a stated purpose on William E Cross Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "For Program Services" (51 grants).
Who are William E Cross Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
William E Cross Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include United Way of Frederick County ($77,000), Frederick Health Hospital Inc ($28,000) and Brethren Disaster Ministries ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is William E Cross Foundation Inc?
William E Cross Foundation Inc reported $8.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $405K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $406K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does William E Cross Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose own missions address community well-being, poverty, hunger, health care, education and training, victim services, cultural storytelling, and downtown vitality. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William E Cross Foundation Inc?
Submit a written request describing the organization’s activities and charitable status. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is William E Cross Foundation Inc's EIN?
William E Cross Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1220528. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in William E Cross Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). William E Cross Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-e-cross-foundation-inc-morg_c4e4e38507ed4992b41d135373b4f2ef
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201220528_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{William E Cross Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-e-cross-foundation-inc-morg_c4e4e38507ed4992b41d135373b4f2ef},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 William E Cross Foundation 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.
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