FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CFAAC CONTACT: Mary Spencer
mary@cfaac.org | 410.280.1102
CFAAC Grants a Total of More Than $106,000 to 16 Local Nonprofits Through Environment Anne Arundel Fund, the Most Ever Awarded
(Annapolis, MD, April 29, 2025) The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) recently awarded $106,396 — the largest amount it’s ever granted from its Environment Anne Arundel Fund — to 16 local nonprofits. Thanks to the contributions of generous donors, the maximum grant size has doubled from $5,000 up to $10,000. These local organizations are dedicated to protecting and improving the environment in Anne Arundel County and the Chesapeake Bay, through a variety of impactful programs, projects, and initiatives.
CFAAC awarded the following local nonprofits:
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay; Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park; Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy, Inc.; Arundel Rivers Federation; CSH20 Charitable Foundation Corporation; Chesapeake Bay Journal; Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating; Children’s Theatre of Annapolis; Coastal Conservation Association Maryland; Farm Unity Limited; Langton Green, Inc.; Maryland Reentry Resource Center; Providence of Maryland, Inc.; Scenic Rivers Land Trust, Inc.; Severn River Association, Inc.; and Skipjack Heritage, Inc.
- Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay will use the funds to help bring back at least two stormwater practices back to their fully functioning operating status while providing rewarding and sustainable work for local residents.
- Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park (AMM) will use the grant to support AMM’s Bay Discovery Club, a hands-on environmental education program that engages youth ages 8-14 in oyster restoration, water-based skills, and Chesapeake Bay conservation efforts.
- Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy, Inc. will use the funds to expand its RePlant program, which trains grassroots leaders to plant and maintain trees in historically marginalized communities, aiming to restore forest canopy in urban areas.
- Arundel Rivers Federation will use the grant to produce a Water Quality Report Card to inform community members of the water quality and bacteria data results from our 2024 monitoring season as well as recent restoration projects and other organizational highlights.
- CSH20 Charitable Foundation Corporation will use the funds from this grant to take its unique environmental programming into 50 - 60 classrooms in Anne Arundel County Public Schools and reach 1,200 to 1,500 students with environmental programs.
- Chesapeake Bay Journal will use the funds to provide high quality, independent reporting on environmental concerns in the Chesapeake Bay region – available free of charge to teachers, students, faith groups, watershed organizations, scientists, policymakers, farmers and many others who care about our shared natural resources.
- Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) will use this grant to fund the construction of a new break wall in front of a damaged, exposed bulkhead, which will consist of a living shoreline. This living shoreline will be built using rock, sand, and plantings and will prevent further erosion of CRAB’s property.
- Children’s Theatre of Annapolis (CTA) will use the funds to construct a rain garden that will transform its space by not merely a landscaping feature but a vital tool in sustainable urban development.
- Coastal Conservation Association Maryland will use the grant to add a third trailer for its Living Reef Action Campaign (LRAC), which engages students and community partners through hands-on STEM programs building artificial oyster reefs. The trailers are used to build oyster reef balls and coordinate deployment of the reefs at Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative approved sites.
- Farm Unity Limited will use the grant to maintain its existing gardens and build new gardens.
- Langton Green, Inc. (LGI) will use the funds to provide additional garden spaces on its rear farm acreage. This will provide additional opportunities for community members to work together with LGI residents to learn about agriculture and the environment while providing increased erosion control on agricultural spaces.
- Maryland Reentry Resource Center will use the grant to clear land at the American Legion to create a healing garden — a space for returning citizens, veterans, and the community. This project will provide ongoing educational webinars, nature-informed therapy, therapeutic services, and a gathering place for healing and connection.
- Providence of Maryland, Inc. will use the funds to increase the capacity for Providence Greenhouses to establish two greenhouses as seed houses for native plants through the use of aquamats. This would allow them to supply more straight species, which is desirable for environmental restoration.
- Scenic Rivers Land Trust, Inc. will use the grant to purchase licenses for staff and volunteers to conduct essential stewardship operations, conduct two educational outreach events, further advertise its volunteer opportunities, and purchase necessary supplies for our public volunteer workdays for two projects — the Healthy Forests Invasive Control and Volunteer Land Stewards Programs.
- Severn River Association, Inc. will use the funds to help them expand their Marylanders Grow Oysters program by mailing outreach materials to waterfront homeowners and hosting a cage building workshop. These efforts are to recruit more participants to help grow and raise baby oysters during their first year of life.
- Skipjack Heritage, Inc. will use the grant to hold "Champions of the Chesapeake,” a hands-on activity area at the two-day MD Seafood Skipjack Heritage Festival, where local environmental organizations will showcase their work and provide family-friendly hands-on activities to educate, spark curiosity and inspire action on the Bay's environmental challenges.
About CFAAC:
The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3), publicly supported philanthropic organization with the long-term goal of building permanent funds that provide support to local nonprofit organizations through grants and special projects. Our mission is to inspire and promote giving in Anne Arundel County by connecting people who care with causes that matter. Established in 1998, CFAAC is one of the largest funders of nonprofit organizations in Anne Arundel County. CFAAC distributes $5-$7 million annually to a variety of nonprofit organizations. Learn more at www.cfaac.org.
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