Each year, the Chamber offers a Leadership Frederick County (LFC) class with 40-50 of Frederick County’s brightest leaders. Class members include representatives from local corporations, government agencies and nonprofits. Members have displayed not only a proven ability to be at the forefront of their respective organizations, but also have a passion for Frederick County. That passion is what started the Leaders On Loan Program.

Applications for Leadership Frederick County are accepted annually . To participate in LFC or send a representative from your company, please complete an application located on this page.

The goal of the Leaders On Loan program is to make Frederick County a better place to live, work and play. Through a partnership between LFC and local nonprofits, class members receive experience working with nonprofits and develop an understanding of their scope and impact. In turn, these organizations receive assistance on a project.

The Application Process 

Applications for nonprofits to participate in the Leaders on Loan program are accepted annually between May and July. Applications can be completed and submitted via the form below. Each nonprofit may apply for one project each year.
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Once submitted, applications will be scored and all semi-finalists will present their project to the new LFC class in August. The class will select projects in early September, and the nonprofit will be notified by mid-September. The need of the nonprofit, coupled with the skills, talents and interests of the LFC class, will determine which organizations are selected.

Click here to apply

​Applications are open now through June 30

Timeline

• June 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM: Prospective nonprofit applicant's pre-application virtual information session. Missed the session? Watch it here!
• June 30, 2026: Project submission deadline
• Week of July 1, 2026: Nonprofit & LFC Review Committee Virtual Interview Discussions
• Week of July 13, 2026: Organizations will be notified of project status
• July 22, 2026 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: "Crafting Your Pitch 101" Free Training Session
• August 4, 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Office Hours for Pitch Review (optional)
• August 10, 2026: Project Pitches due

For questions,  please contact Kimberley Levine at [email protected]

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Eligibility & Expectations

The most successful projects are those that are defined and within a scope that can be accomplished by a small group of volunteers in a few hours a week over a 6–9-month period. A successful partnership relies on an understanding of the expectations upfront. To be eligible, an applicant must:

• Be a qualified 501(c)(X) as defined under the Internal Revenue Code
• Identify the organization’s current stage of development and ensure that the proposed project is appropriate for that stage. (Startup – Growth – Mature/Peak Performance – Decline - Renewal)
• State a specific project or program that is well-defined, with clearly stated deliverables that can be reasonably achieved in the time allowed
• Designate a person to work with the LOL project team. This person must have sufficient access to data and the ability to make decisions on behalf of the nonprofit for the LOL project
• Participate as a partner in the LOL project, with joint accountability for project success
• Meet with LOL project team at least once a month or as often as agreed for project success
• Participate in mid-project checkpoint with LOL project team including nonprofit executive director, and / or board president
• Actively contribute in strong two-way communication throughout the project, but especially during project formation and as concerns arise around scoping or timing of deliverables
• Contribute to the development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the nonprofit and LOL at the commencement of the project. The MOU will be signed by the organization’s board president or executive director.

Project Types

Proper project definition and communication have been identified as the two key success factors for the Leaders on Loan (LOL) projects.  To help with the process, the program is separated into the application categories outlined below. Included with the categories are some examples of possible programs.

Technology Support 

• Website design and upgrades
• Software training
• Computer training
• Information technology audit
• Social media training

Human Resources

• Sustainable volunteer program
• Board training
• Volunteer training      
• Diversity, equity and inclusion training
• Human resource policies handbook
• Recruitment and retention plan
• Compensation and benefits research
• Policies and procedures development

Marketing and Development

• Grant research
• Event concept development
• Sponsorship marketing & materials
• Case statement development             
• Membership drive development                                
• Survey development, collection and analysis
• Fundraising projects are not acceptable for Leaders on Loan. ​

Financial Planning

• Cash flow analysis & planning
• Budget analysis and/or creation​

​Innovator’s Category
This category is an “open” category.  It is intended to include a project/program not covered in any other category.    ​

Application & Selection Process

• Leadership Frederick County offered a virtual interactive session prior to application submission.  This will be an opportunity to hear an overview of the program, ask questions about the project you are considering, and prepare to write your proposal. You can watch the recording here!
• Interested and eligible nonprofit organizations will be invited to submit an application that must be complete and contain all requested information.
• Each nonprofit may apply for one project in a given LFC class year.
• Project applications will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Frederick Nonprofit Alliance and who will recommend a list of projects to the LFC Board for further consideration.
• Qualifying applicants will be given the opportunity to practice and receive professional feedback on their project pitch and receive assistance to video their pitch for presentation to the LFC class.

Scoring Criteria

• Project overview and goals (30%)
• Describe the level of need within your organization and/or how this project will show tangible impact on your agency itself. In other words, what will your agency be able to accomplish as a result of a successful LOL project? (30%)
• How will the LFC class members benefit by doing this project? (10%)
• What is the vision for this project once the LOL team has completed their work? For example: Will the project be sustained, shared with others, used to make future decisions, etc. (20%)
• What is the nonprofit’s capacity to manage a team of professional volunteers? (10%)

Previous Host Projects

• Asian American Center of Frederick
• American Cancer Society
• American Diabetes Association
• Arms & Legs Foundation
• Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County
• Celebrate Frederick
• ClearView Communities
• Community Living
• Downtown Frederick Partnership
• ​Frederick Arts Council
• Frederick County Child Advocacy Center
• Frederick County Citizens Corps Council
• Frederick County Literacy Council
• Frederick County Landmarks Foundation
• Frederick County Housing Authority / HOPE VI​
• ​Frederick Health Hospice
• Frederick Rescue Mission
• Fredericktowne Players
• Friends of Baker Park 
  
• Habitat for Humanity of Frederick County
  
• HealthWell Foundation

• Gale Recovery, Inc.
• Goodwill Industries
• LFC Alumni Committee
  
• Maryland STEM Festival
• Mental Health Association
• Mobilize Frederick
  
• Mount St. Mary's Division of Continuing Studies - Frederick Campus
• Partners In Care
• Platoon 22
• St. John Regional Catholic School
• ​Seton Center, Inc. 
• techfrederick
• ThorpeWood
  
• The Arc of Frederick County
• UNESCO Body & Mind Wellness
• United Way of Frederick County
• Woman to Woman Mentoring, Inc
• YMCA of Frederick County

UPCOMING EVENTS

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