About

Mission Statement

Delaplaine Foundation, Inc., is a private family foundation based in Frederick, Maryland, dedicated to the enrichment of communities, families, and quality of life for all. We do so by supporting programs to strengthen the arts and culture, educational advancement, health, and human services in Frederick County, as well as historical preservation and spiritual enlightenment in Frederick County and surrounding areas.

Marlene B. Young, Presidentletter from the president

Dear Friends and Associates,

Welcome to Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. online. As a private family foundation firmly rooted in Frederick, MD, we continue to strive to make a positive difference in our own community and in other communities we are able to impact through grant funding. We carry out our philanthropic mission by forging synergistic relationships with dedicated nonprofit organizations whose respective goals are closely aligned with our own. . .to enrich families and communities and quality of life for all.

As we look forward, we acknowledge the best of our past.

In the tradition of our founder George B. Delaplaine, Jr.’s own philanthropic interests, the mission of Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. is to support initiatives that alleviate human hardship and enrich quality of life. Since our inception in 2001, Delaplaine Foundation has deepened its strategic focus in support of education, the arts, health, human services, historic preservation and spiritual enlightenment.

As we examine our stewardship, we acknowledge and respect the many opportunities we have to “move the needle” through the support of programs, projects and services that address community needs, their underlying causes, and enhance the quality of life. We measure our return on investment in terms of results, outcomes and impact we are able to achieve along with others in our communities. There is no group of individuals more committed to respecting the dignity of our most vulnerable citizens than our partner nonprofits. By joining forces in shared purpose, we transform problems into opportunities. Working together in the spirit of enlightened collaboration, Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. remains deeply committed to directing our resources to meet the ever increasing and diverse needs of our community and beyond.

I’m very excited about what the future holds for Delaplaine Foundation itself, for those whom we serve through our partnerships in philanthropy and for a philanthropic impact focused on a perpetual greater good for the communities involved. I invite you to check out our section on Impact to view a list of past grantee organizations. Collectively, we serve as a powerful force for positive change. It’s a vibrant and ever evolving story that belongs to all of us.

Yours in giving,

Marlene B. Young, President

OUR LEGACY

George B. Delaplaine, Jr. Chairman George B. Delaplaine, Jr. Chairman

Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. is committed to the enrichment of communities and families by helping Frederick County and the region move forward with the greatest possible quality of life. So too has the Delaplaine family for the past 275 years.

John Thomas Schley, a Delaplaine ancestor, was one of Frederick’s earliest town and religious leaders. He built the first house in Frederick and left an indelible mark on the community’s educational, spiritual, cultural and charitable development.

A century later in 1880, William T. Delaplaine–grandfather of Foundation Chairman George B. Delaplaine, Jr.–established a print shop in 1880 that in 1883 evolved into a newspaper publishing house, which produced The News, a local newspaper. In 1888, he incorporated the business as the Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company. The Delaplaine family purchased rival newspaper, The Post, in 1916 and published both under the same management. The Delaplaine association with the media industry was not limited to The Frederick News-Post or its print business. Fifty years later, in 1966, George B. Delaplaine, Jr., introduced Frederick County to cable television. Launched as Frederick Cablevision, Inc., and later renamed GS Communications, Inc., the cable company grew to serve more than 120,000 subscribers in four states.

The assets of the Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company were family owned and operated until the cable division and newspaper/commercial printing division was sold in 2001. Whether in print or onscreen, the Delaplaine family has consistently endeavored to operate its business enterprises from the perspective of “the public good.” As a means of maintaining and sustaining that benevolent philosophy, George B. Delaplaine, Jr., his wife, Bettie, and their four sons established Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. in 2001. The Foundation awarded it first official grants in 2002. Since then, Delaplaine Foundation has distributed more than 2,000 grants totaling close to $30 million dollars to more than 300 nonprofit organizations.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. acknowledges that our mission is most effectively fulfilled when we value and respect the many differences that comprise thriving communities and seek diversity, equity and inclusion to ensure that a range of perspectives, opinions, and experiences are recognized and acted upon in achieving our mission. We strive to partner with qualified nonprofit organizations whose missions align with ours and incorporate the values of diversity, equity and inclusion into their missions and those whom they serve. We will maintain an ongoing dialogue to examine, assess, and refine our work through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusiveness. It is our intention to promote a fully equitable philanthropic sector that justly represents and serves all constituencies.

Impact

Since its inception in 2001, Delaplaine Foundation has provided grant assistance to the following organizations: