The Ferree Foundation concentrates its giving in Lancaster, PA, supporting civic engagement at higher education alongside local arts, cultural institutions, and youth-focused heritage organizations. A large portion of its budget goes to a single regional college for civic programs, while the remainder funds historic theaters and museum-type groups that preserve community culture and serve young people. The foundation favors locally rooted organizations and appears invested in sustaining civic and cultural life in its home region.
Ferree Foundation’s most distinctive pattern is its repeated support for civic engagement at Franklin & Marshall College, including two $400,000 grants in 2024 and 2025 for the Ware Institute of Civic Engagement and civic engagement work. That scale sits alongside steady support for Lancaster-based arts and heritage organizations, showing a local funder with a narrow geographic footprint and a mix of major institutional awards and smaller community grants. The foundation’s recent grants also point to a strong interest in preserving civic and cultural life in Lancaster County through organizations that serve students, audiences, and residents across generations. Beyond the college relationship, the foundation has backed the Fulton Opera House Foundation and Fulton Theatre with six-figure and near-six-figure awards, and it has supported World of Scouting Museum Inc. for general operating needs. Recent grants also include Lancaster County nonprofits working in education, health, human services, and community development, which suggests a broad local remit even when the dollar amounts are concentrated among a few recurring recipients. The overall picture is of a Lancaster-centered grantmaker that funds both anchor institutions and smaller community-serving organizations.
In civic engagement and civic education, Ferree Foundation gave $400,000 in 2024 and another $400,000 in 2025 to Franklin & Marshall College for the Ware Institute of Civic Engagement and civic engagement work. That is the clearest theme in the recent record and the largest recurring commitment in the list. Arts, culture, and history also appear consistently. The foundation awarded $100,000 to Fulton Theatre in 2025 and $100,000 to Fulton Opera House Foundation in 2024 for general operating support, plus a $40,000 grant to North Museum in 2025. In youth engagement and heritage preservation, World of Scouting Museum Inc. received $100,000 for general operating support. Health and human services show up as well, including $50,000 to Hospice of Lancaster County for expansion of pediatric palliative care services and $50,000 to Union Community Care for mobile healthcare.
Ferree Foundation’s typical grant size sits at $7,950 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile, which shows a spread from smaller local awards to larger institutional grants. The recent list also shows repeated support for the same organizations across multiple years, including Franklin & Marshall College and Fulton Opera House Foundation, indicating ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is a regular funder, and it funds individuals. Its active grant programs accept unsolicited LOIs, including an LOI cycle and an LOI-to-formal application track for tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations.
$1.1M
$21.8M
$2.4M
$1.4M
Most grants fall between $8K and $50K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Concentrated, locally focused giving: few, relatively large grants with repeated multi-grant support to a flagship grantee (Franklin & Marshall College) and sizeable one-off or repeat grants to local arts and cultural organizations.
Notable grantees: Franklin & Marshall College, Fulton Opera House Foundation, Fulton Theatre, World of Scouting Museum Inc
Ferree Foundation gives overwhelmingly in Pennsylvania: 98% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. Lancaster dominates the recipient map, with multiple grants to organizations in Lancaster, PA, plus additional awards in nearby Pennsylvania communities such as Valley Forge, Philadelphia, Willow Street, Elizabethtown, Summerdale, and Lyndell. The geographic pattern is local rather than regional or national, with Lancaster County as the main area of activity.
The foundation supports tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with emphasis on arts, culture, history, education, youth engagement, health, human services, environment, and local economic and community development. Recent awards include colleges, theaters, museums, healthcare providers, and community development organizations.
Yes. Its active grant programs state that they accept unsolicited submissions, including a general grantmaking program and an LOI cycle. One program also describes a path from a one-page Letter of Inquiry to a formal application after review.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution centers around $20,000 at the median, with $7,950 at the 25th percentile and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include larger six-figure grants for a few recurring institutional partners.
It gives most often in Pennsylvania, with 98% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The recent grants list is concentrated in Lancaster, PA, and the active grant programs are focused on Lancaster County.
Yes. The foundation is marked as funding individuals, although the recent grants listed here are all to organizations rather than people.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Ferree Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Grants are only made to organizations that are tax exempt under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation does not make grants to individuals or loans.
Deadline: LOIs accepted on a rolling basis from December 1 through July 31 each year; organizations are notified between May and November if selected for a grant.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE | LANCASTER, PA | $400,000 | 2025 | WARE INSTITUTE OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT |
| FULTON THEATRE | LANCASTER, PA | $100,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE | LANCASTER, PA | $100,000 | 2025 | WARE COLLEGE HOUSE PROGRAM ENDOWMENT |
| LANCASTER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | LANCASTER, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| LANCASTERLEBANON HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | LANCASTER, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| LANCASTER COUNTY FOOD HUB | LANCASTER, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| SAMARITAN COUNSELING CENTER | LANCASTER, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| NORTH MUSEUM | LANCASTER, PA | $40,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| CENTRAL MARKET TRUST | LANCASTER, PA | $30,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| HOPE INSPIRE LOVE | LANCASTER, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVERKEEPER ASSOCIATION | LANCASTER, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| LANCASTER SCIENCE FACTORY | LANCASTER, PA | $22,880 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| OXFORD AREA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | OXFORD, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN | LANCASTER, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| GOOD SAMARITAN SERVICES | EPHRATA, PA | $16,920 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| AARONS ACRES | LANCASTER, PA | $15,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| VISIONCORPS | LANCASTER, PA | $15,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| ECHOS | ELIZABETHTOWN, PA | $15,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| ARCH STREET CENTER | LANCASTER, PA | $15,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| CROSSNET MINISTRIES | NEW HOLLAND, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| PARISH RESOURCE CENTER | LANCASTER, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| LANCASTER CONSERVANCY | LANCASTER, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| SERVANT STAGE | STRASBURG, PA | $8,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| LANCASTER COUNTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | LANCASTER, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| MT HOPE NAZARENE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY | MANHEIM, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| LONG'S PARK ART FESTIVAL | LANCASTER, PA | $4,000 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| POGIL | LANCASTER, PA | $3,588 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| SCHREIBER PEDIATRIC REHAB CENTER | LANCASTER, PA | $3,250 | 2025 | 2024 GRANT |
| FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE | LANCASTER, PA | $400,000 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT |
| FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE | LANCASTER, PA | $100,000 | 2024 | HOUSE PROGRAM |
| FULTON OPERA HOUSE FOUNDATION | LANCASTER, PA | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| FULTON OPERA HOUSE FOUNDATION | LANCASTER, PA | $60,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| LANCASTER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | LANCASTER, PA | $50,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| LANCASTER CLEFT PALATE CLINIC | LANCASTER, PA | $40,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| ALLIANCE FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY | LANCASTER, PA | $35,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| HOSPICE OF LANCASTER COUNTY | LANCASTER, PA | $25,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| SWAN - SCALING WALLS A NOTE AT A TIME | LYNDELL, PA | $25,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| NORTH MUSEUM | LANCASTER, PA | $15,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| LANCASTER CONSERVANCY | LANCASTER, PA | $10,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| SERVANT STAGE | STRASBURG, PA | $7,950 | 2024 | PERFORMANCE SPONSOR |
| LANCASTER SCIENCE FACTORY | LANCASTER, PA | $7,500 | 2024 | DIRECTOR SALARY |
| MUSIC FOR EVERYONE | LANCASTER, PA | $5,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| LANCASTER SAFETY COALITION | LANCASTER, PA | $5,000 | 2024 | SURVEILLANCE CAMERA PURCHASE |
| AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL ALLIANCE | LANCASTER, PA | $5,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA (PA DUTCH COUNCIL) | LANCASTER, PA | $5,000 | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| WORLD OF SCOUTING MUSEUM INC | VALLEY FORGE, PA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| FULTON OPERA HOUSE FOUNDATION | LANCASTER, PA | $100,000 | 2023 | ANNUAL |
| COMMUNITY FIRST FUND | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $50,000 | 2023 | COMMUNITY FIRST FUND CREDIT UNION |
| SPANISH AMERICAN CIVIC ASSOCIATION | LANCASTER, PA | $50,000 | 2023 | TUITION FOR LOW-INCOME ENROLLEES AT TEC CENTRO |
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE
$400,000WARE INSTITUTE OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE
$100,000WARE COLLEGE HOUSE PROGRAM ENDOWMENT
LANCASTERLEBANON HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$50,0002024 GRANT
2024 GRANT
SAMARITAN COUNSELING CENTER
$50,0002024 GRANT
NORTH MUSEUM
$40,0002024 GRANT
CENTRAL MARKET TRUST
$30,0002024 GRANT
HOPE INSPIRE LOVE
$25,0002024 GRANT
LANCASTER SCIENCE FACTORY
$22,8802024 GRANT
OXFORD AREA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
$20,0002024 GRANT
PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
$20,0002024 GRANT
GOOD SAMARITAN SERVICES
$16,9202024 GRANT
ECHOS
$15,0002024 GRANT
ARCH STREET CENTER
$15,0002024 GRANT
LANCASTER CONSERVANCY
$10,0002024 GRANT
SERVANT STAGE
$8,0002024 GRANT
MT HOPE NAZARENE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
$5,0002024 GRANT
LONG'S PARK ART FESTIVAL
$4,0002024 GRANT
POGIL
$3,5882024 GRANT
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE
$400,000CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE
$100,000HOUSE PROGRAM
FULTON OPERA HOUSE FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING
FULTON OPERA HOUSE FOUNDATION
$60,0002023 GRANT
ALLIANCE FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
$35,0002023 GRANT
HOSPICE OF LANCASTER COUNTY
$25,0002023 GRANT
SWAN - SCALING WALLS A NOTE AT A TIME
$25,0002023 GRANT
NORTH MUSEUM
$15,0002023 GRANT
LANCASTER CONSERVANCY
$10,0002023 GRANT
SERVANT STAGE
$7,950PERFORMANCE SPONSOR
LANCASTER SCIENCE FACTORY
$7,500DIRECTOR SALARY
MUSIC FOR EVERYONE
$5,0002023 GRANT
LANCASTER SAFETY COALITION
$5,000SURVEILLANCE CAMERA PURCHASE
AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL ALLIANCE
$5,0002023 GRANT
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA (PA DUTCH COUNCIL)
$5,0002023 GRANT
WORLD OF SCOUTING MUSEUM INC
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING
FULTON OPERA HOUSE FOUNDATION
$100,000ANNUAL
COMMUNITY FIRST FUND
$50,000COMMUNITY FIRST FUND CREDIT UNION
TUITION FOR LOW-INCOME ENROLLEES AT TEC CENTRO
