The Frederick Center, Inc.
Embracing Our LGBTQ+ Community
Mission
The Frederick Center exists to support and advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people and our families so we thrive, accepted and affirmed, in the broader Frederick community.
Notes from the nonprofit
The Frederick Center is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2012. The mission is to support and advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people and our families so we thrive, accepted, and affirmed in the broader Frederick community. The first program, founded by an Urbana High School graduate, was a weekly youth group designed to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth from ages twelve to twenty-five to congregate, share stories, offer peer support, learn about resources, and enjoy life in an affirming, supportive space. Since the launch of this signature program, TFC has been on a meteoric rise in its peer support programming, growing to eleven support programs by 2021 and with plans to add three more support programs in 2022.
Ruling year
2014
Executive Director
Kris Fair
Treasurer
Peter Brehm
Main address
322 W Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21701 USA
EIN
46-1705400
NTEE code
Lesbian/Gay Rights (R26)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Central Maryland currently does not affirm the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) communities. Responses to the LGBTQ community often range from hostile to indifferent. Through statewide and local initaitives, The Frederick Center identifies key areas where LGBTQ+ people are not being affirmed by organizations that include schools, medical institutions, behavioral health facilities, and other civic and governmental organizations.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Youth Group
Youth Group is a peer community group for LGBTQ+ youth, ages 14 to 18. Meetings are topic-driven, including education, support, friendship-building, skill-sharing, and more. This is a great place to make connections in a safe, affirming, and welcoming environment. You can join by video, audio or chat - whatever you're comfortable with! Group meetings are always led by an LGBTQ+ identified facilitator. Some meetings may include a licensed social worker and/or an adult volunteer to assist the facilitator.
Young Adult Group
Young Adult Group is a peer community group for LGBTQ+ young adults, aged 18 to 26. Meetings are topic-driven, including education, support, friendship-building, skill-sharing, and more. This is a great place to make connections in a safe, affirming, and welcoming environment. You can join by video, audio or chat - whatever you're comfortable with! Group meetings are always led by an LGBTQ+ identified facilitator.
Healing Pride
Healing Pride is an open and ongoing free support group specifically for adult (ages 18+) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer (LGBTQ) survivors of sexual assault, sexual abuse, and/or intimate partner violence. It is a partnership between The Frederick Center and Heartly House.
💜 Meetings are facilitated by licensed therapists from Heartly House.
💜 Participants must perform an telephone intake with Heartly House.
💜 Please call 301-662-8800 to complete the intake.
💜 Location and time will be shared after the intake process.
TransFamilies
TransFamily is a free, biweekly support group for parents/caregivers/family members of gender-expansive people facilitated by Kate MacShane, LCSW-C, director of the Maryland Center for Gender & Intimacy. It is a warm, welcoming, nonjudgmental space for people at all stages of their journeys to receive support, share resources, and connect with other adults in similar situations. The group meets on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10-11:30 am via Zoom. For more information and/or to request the Zoom information, contact facilitator Kate MacShane, LCSW-C, at [email protected].
Trans and Gender Non-Binary Support Group
Trans & Gender Non-Binary Community Group is free group for transgender and gender nonbinary adults. We provide a safe space to discuss topics of interest including identity, coming out, transition, supporting one another in gender exploration, and building connections with one another. Topics and activities will largely be determined by group interest. We are committed to respect, direct communication, gentleness, exploration, and confidentiality. Group meetings are always facilitated by a trans/GNC identified facilitator. Ages 18+ only. Accompanied significant others are also welcome.
Frederick HIV Coalition
The Frederick Center runs an HIV Test Kit Distribution Program to provide the OraQuick Home HIV test kits to central Maryland individuals who want to take a test in the privacy of their own home. Email [email protected] for more info.
This program also supports Frederick County Health Department outreach testing and support groups for people living with HIV, organizes the local World AIDS Day events, and tables at public and private events to distribute HIV kits and information. Various generous partners contribute and fund this program.
Frederick Pride
The Frederick Center organizes the annual Frederick Pride celebration. Pride provides an environment for LGBTQ people, allies, and families to interact and celebrate LGBTQ pride. It serves as the means to coordinate the actions of our community for the coming year. Typically it takes place last Saturday in June. Started in 2012 with an attendance of about 300, attendance reached 8,000 in 2017. For latest info see our web page www.frederickpride.org
Adult Services - Ally of the Year
Each year nominations are accepted for the Central Maryland LGBTQ Ally of the Year award, one individual and one organization receives the award. Allies are very important to the LGBTQ community. Not only do they perform advocacy for LGBTQ, they typical are involved in circles outside of the LGBTQ community. It is often those actions outside the community that are most effective, but often unrecognized within the community. This award recognizes those actions.
Youth Group Jr
Youth Group Jr is a peer community group for LGBTQ+ youth, ages 9 to 13. Meetings are topic-driven, including education, support, friendship-building, skill-sharing, and more. This is a great place to make connections in a safe, affirming, and welcoming environment. You can join by video, audio or chat - whatever you're comfortable with! Group meetings are always led by an LGBTQ+ identified facilitator. Some meetings may include a licensed social worker and/or an adult volunteer to assist the facilitator.
Adult Services - Sensitivity and Awareness Training
Training for central Maryland businesses, government agencies, social service organizations, and non-profits on LGBTQ awareness and do's/don'ts when interacting with the LGBTQ community. The format can include formal speaking presentations, informal discussions, interactive scenario sessions, best practices implementation, or simple policy consultation. We can cover basic sex/gender/identity/expression explanations, terminology, keywords to listen for to identify LGBTQ, and industry-specific practices.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
CenterLink 2013
Frederick County Chamber of Commerce 2019
MD LGBT Chamber of Commerce 2019
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of programs documented
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
LGBTQ people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2020 - 1 new support group added 2021 - 2 new support groups added 2022 - 2 new support groups added and one ended. 2023 - 2 support groups were expanded from bi-weekly to weekly.
Number of diversity training courses conducted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
LGBTQ people
Related Program
Adult Services - Sensitivity and Awareness Training
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
COVID slowed down the number of LGBTQ+ trainings we could provide.
Number of attendees present at rallies/events
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
LGBTQ people
Related Program
Frederick Pride
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Frederick Pride was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID.
Number of clients who report general satisfaction with their services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
LGBTQ people
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Goal: 80% or more of Climate Assessment survey attendees report improvement in personal mental and behavioral health.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
A key goal of The Frederick Center (TFC) is to provide affirming safe spaces for LGBTQ+ peers and their families for educational and behavioral health support. A second goal is to provide research, advocacy, training, and education to the broader community in order to help make central Maryland a more affirming community. Finally, we are also working to codify the rights of LGBTQ+ people through local and state policies and regulations.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Frederick Center (TFC) has taken a multi-prong approach to tackling both current and systemic issues facing the LGBTQ+ Community.
1) Support Groups - TFC offers a series is support groups to assist LGBTQ+ people and their allies live in a more affirming and welcoming space. These programs are facilitated in small, structured groups specially designed for a target audience including youth, trans, survivors, etc.
2) Education - TFC provides free in-service training to governmental and non-governmental organizations to help them affirm LGBTQ+ adults and children.
3) Advocacy - TFC promotes affirming LGBTQ+ policies and regulations on city, county, and state levels to assure the equal protections of LGBTQ+ residents.
4) Visibility - TFC uses Frederick Pride and the Ally of the Year programs to raise the level of positive visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. Those programs bring in thousands of people from across the country to celebrate LGBTQ+ culture and history.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Through our activist board, a cadre of volunteers, and ongoing grant support, The Frederick Center is capable of completing these critical tasks over time to affirm the LGBTQ+ community. Hundreds of volunteers assure the success of programs like Frederick Pride, Welcoming Frederick, Carnival and Ally of the Year. Many passionate leaders facilitate and develop our weekly programming targeting LGBTQ+ youth, young adults, trans, gender expansive, IPV and SA survivors, HIV+, and allied communities.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
1. Supported trans/non binary Frederick County Public School youth in getting the School Board to approve Policy 443 that affirms trans and non-binary youth in the school system.
2. Supported approval by Frederick County Council of an amendment to Frederick County's non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
3. Helped the City of Frederick obtain a 100% rating through the Human Rights Campaign Metropolitan Equality Index (MEI); caused the City to identity a liaison between the police and LGBTQ+ community as part of this effort
4. Initiated a task force in partnership with the Frederick County Heath Department and Frederick Health Hospital to help the Frederick medical community become more of affirming of LGBTQ+ patients
5. Have initiated and continue to provide LGBTQ+ 1010 sensitivity /cultural awareness events to hundreds of Frederick residents
6. Have launched numerous free programs meeting the behavioral health needs of our community, including Youth Group Jr., Youth Group, Young Adult Group, TransFamily, Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Community Group, Healing Pride, and the Frederick HIV Coalition.
7. For the last nine year, organize and present an annual Frederick Pride Festival to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and reach out to allies and others in central Maryland about the LGBTQ+ community
8. Joined and participate in numerous panels, task forces, and coalitions in order to provide LGBTQ+ perspectives, including the Frederick County Homelessness Coalition; Child Fatality Review; School Health Council, United in Kindness Coalition, Downtown Safety and Services Initiative, and City of Frederick Chief of of Police Forum, and Tobacco and Alcohol Task Force.
9. Supported statewide legislative efforts to allow non-binary markers ("X" in addition to "M" and "F") on drivers licences.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
The Frederick Center, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 01/29/2024
Mx. Johanna Dolan
Dolan Research International
Term: 2023 - 2025
Mx. Amilynn Adams
NOAA
Term: 2022 - 2024
Amilynn Adams
Johanna Dolan
Jessica Tuel
Peter Brehm
Wil Graham
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/16/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
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