Word Among US Inc
Word Among US Inc is a public charity based in Frederick, Maryland. It publishes Catholic magazines and other resources focused on prayer, Scripture, and discipleship, and makes grants to other charitable and religious organizations.
Word Among US Inc at a glance
In short: Word Among US Inc gave $1.2M across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $120K), mostly in Maryland. 40% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,195,500
- -12.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $119,550
- -12.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $45,500
- Total assets
- $23,607,774
- +15.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (4 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (90% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Word Among US Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 7115 Guilford Drive Suite 100, Frederick, MD 21704
Phone: (800) 775-9673
Website: https://wau.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Word Among US Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Patty'a Place ($450K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 33 grants of 52 (63%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland. The remaining reported shares were Michigan, 6%; Florida, 1%; Louisiana, 1%; and Washington, DC, 1%. The listed grants also included $10,000 to St Paul Outreach in Minnesota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Word Among US Inc open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 10 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $121K; repeat grants $119K. How we count
Medians: $12K first-time, $103K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−1%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $905K (2020) to $1.7M (2022). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Patty'a Place Baltimore, MD | Transitional Housing | $450,000 |
| The Love of Christ Foundation Frederick, MD | Dist Other Charities | $250,000 |
| Partners in Evangelism Frederick, MD | General Operations | $226,000 |
| Archdiocese of Baltimore Baltimore, MD | Vocations | $130,000 |
| The Sword of the Spirit East Lansing, MI | General Fund | $76,000 |
| Jacksonville Catholic Community St Augustine, FL | General Operations | $15,000 |
| Triumph of the Cross Community Frederick, MD | General Operations | $15,000 |
| The Vigil Project Covington, LA | Missionary Work | $13,500 |
| Archdiocese for Military Services Washington, DC | Operations | $10,000 |
| St Paul Outreach Mendota Heights, MN | Operations | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Word Among US Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The organization reported 10 grants in each of the three filing years shown.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $23,607,774 | $15,285,637 | $14,883,491 | $1,195,500 | 10 | $336,656 |
| 2023 | $20,529,287 | $15,665,894 | $16,268,270 | $1,361,588 | 10 | $294,133 |
| 2022 | $19,102,609 | $15,562,529 | $16,055,720 | $1,652,490 | 10 | $227,768 |
| 2021 | $22,622,798 | $15,315,908 | $14,549,094 | $1,209,000 | 12 | $235,213 |
| 2020 | $20,248,853 | $13,728,929 | $13,823,156 | $904,500 | 10 | $194,952 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization says it helps people encounter Jesus Christ through daily prayer and Scripture. Its 2024 filing describes magazines, books, pamphlets, and digital resources for Catholics at different stages of discipleship, including English- and Spanish-language magazines.
The 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including transitional housing, charitable giving, evangelism, vocations, and missionary work. For example, Partners in Evangelism describes its own mission as providing free copies of The Word Among Us and other resources to prisoners, military service members, women at crisis pregnancy centers, college students, seminarians, and other groups. The Sword of the Spirit describes its mission as promoting the Gospel through evangelism, Christian community formation, instruction, ecumenism, and programs for people who are poor or disadvantaged.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Word Among US Inc reported 10 grants totaling $1,177,500. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $450,000, with a median of $45,500. Its largest grants were $450,000 to Patty’a Place for transitional housing; $250,000 to The Love of Christ Foundation for distribution to other charities; $208,000 to Partners in Evangelism for general operations; and $130,000 to the Archdiocese of Baltimore for vocations.
Other 2024 grants included $76,000 to The Sword of the Spirit, $15,000 to Jacksonville Catholic Community, $15,000 to Triumph of the Cross Community, $13,500 to The Vigil Project, and $10,000 each to the Archdiocese for Military Services and St Paul Outreach.
The filing states that contributions are made only to organizations recognized under IRC 501(c)(3), with IRS approval letters and EINs verified in advance. It says grant monitoring includes retaining acknowledgment letters. The filing also states that the majority of contributions are made through The Love of Christ Foundation, a corporation founded by Word Among US Inc to contribute to other IRS-recognized charitable organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jeffrey Smith as president; Joseph M Difato as VP operation; Susan Heuver as VP mission; Leo Zanchettin as editorial director; Nancy Clemens as production manager; John Roeder as general manager; Michael Difato as chief marketing officer; Kevin Page as IT manager; Jamie Smith as CFO; and James Mannarino as assistant publisher. The organization’s staff information also identifies Jeff Smith as president and CEO, John Roeder as general manager, and Leo Zanchettin as editor.
Word Among US Inc is led by Jeffrey Smith, President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 14 of 15 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jeffrey Smith
President
President, CEO & Director → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
38 hrs/week
$304K (2020) → $385K (2024)
Joseph C. Difato
Vice President Operations & Director
Director - Operations, Technology & Director → Vice President Operations & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$159K (2020) → $244K (2024)
Michael Shaughnessy
Director
Director & Chairman → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$16 (2022) → $9K (2024)
Susan Timoney
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$9K (2020) → $9K (2024)
Gregory Erlandson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$9K (2021) → $12K (2024)
Reina Irene Mejia Chacon
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
$9K (2024)
James Mannarino
Assistant Pu
Assistant Publisher-Press → Assistant Pu, 2022
On filings since 2020
$53K (2020) → $0 (2024)
John J. Difato
CIO
Chief Information Officer → CIO, 2023
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
$126K (2020) → $121K (2024)
John Roeder
General Mana
Gm & Director of Marketing → General Mana, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$142K (2020) → $169K (2024)
Kevin Page
It Manager
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$120K (2020) → $160K (2024)
Leo Zanchettin Jr.
Editorial Di
Editorial Director-Magazine → Editorial Di, 2022
On filings since 2020
39 hrs/week
$175K (2020) → $190K (2024)
Michael Difato
Chief Market
Chief Marketing Officer → Chief Market, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$141K (2020) → $168K (2024)
Nancy Clemens
Production M
Production Manager → Production M, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$158K (2020) → $212K (2024)
Susan Heuver
Vice President Mission
Director & Managing Editor → Vice President Mission, 2022
On filings since 2020
38 hrs/week
$155K (2020) → $228K (2024)
Jamie Smith
CFO
Controller, Assistant Secretary & Assistant Treasurer → CFO, 2022
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$126K (2021) → $184K (2024)
Former officers (9)
- Former: David Fitzsimmons (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth McNamara (2020–2023) — Publisher
- Former: David Hughes (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Bryan Keilty (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Patrick Sullivan (2020–2021) — CFO, Secretary & Treasurer
- Former: David Crosson (2021) — Art Director
- Former: Elizabeth Roeder (2021) — Telemarketer
- Former: Orlando Barros (2021) — Director of Fundraising
- Former: Greg Erlandson (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $385K, to Jeffrey Smith (President). 15 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Word Among US Inc
How much does Word Among US Inc give each year?
Word Among US Inc gave $1.2M across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 10 grants.
What is Word Among US Inc's typical grant size?
Word Among US Inc's median grant in 2024 was $45,500, and its average grant was $119,550, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Word Among US Inc that year got $121K on average.
Where does Word Among US Inc give grants?
Word Among US Inc gives mostly in Maryland: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Michigan (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Frederick, MD (3 grants) and Baltimore, MD (2 grants).
Does Word Among US Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 40% of Word Among US Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Word Among US Inc's largest grantees?
Word Among US Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Patty'a Place ($450,000), The Love of Christ Foundation ($250,000) and Partners in Evangelism ($226,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Word Among US Inc?
Word Among US Inc reported $23.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $15.3M.
What does Word Among US Inc fund?
The organization says it helps people encounter Jesus Christ through daily prayer and Scripture. Its 2024 filing describes magazines, books, pamphlets, and digital resources for Catholics at different stages of discipleship, including English- and Spanish-language magazines. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Word Among US Inc?
Word Among US Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check wau.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Word Among US Inc's EIN?
Word Among US Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1320592. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Word Among US Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/word-among-us-inc-morg_98645863f1434e5c855a68082aedd052
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521320592_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Word Among US Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/word-among-us-inc-morg_98645863f1434e5c855a68082aedd052},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Word Among US 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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