FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: John Rodenhausen, President & CEO, CFAAC
john@cfaac.org | 410.280.1102

CFAAC Grants More Than $87,600 to 12 Local Nonprofits Through Its Environment Anne Arundel Fund

(Annapolis, MD, April 22, 2026) The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) recently awarded $87,673 to 12 local nonprofits. 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:

Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park; Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy, Inc.; Arundel Rivers Federation; CSH20 Charitable Foundation Corporation; Chesapeake Bay Journal; Chesapeake Research Consortium; Center for Ecosystem Recovery; Education Foundation of Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS); Langton Green, Inc.; Maryland Reentry Resource Center; Sapphire RISE Inc.; and Severn River Association.

• Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park (AMM) will use the grant to support its Oyster Education Program assemblies and classroom presentations for AACPS, connecting students with local watermen and teaching oyster ecology, water quality, and Chesapeake Bay stewardship.
• Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy, Inc. will use the funds to purchase native plants and supplies to support the installation of three conservation landscapes in Northern AAC. The funds will also support diverse conservation plantings at congregations throughout the county.
• Arundel Rivers Federation will use its grant to support the Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) restoration program, which strives to restore underwater grass acreage in the South, West, and Rhode Rivers. The program also hopes to engage the general public in outreach and volunteer programs.
• CSH20 Charitable Foundation Corporation will use the grant to take the “field trip” to 50 to 60 AACPS classrooms and provide hands-on enrichment lessons to raise student awareness on environmental issues and their impact on the environment.
• Chesapeake Bay Journal will use its funds to continue to provide high-quality, independent coverage of environmental news in the Chesapeake Bay region. The Chesapeake Bay Journal is available free of charge.
• Chesapeake Research Consortium is using its grant for a collaborative intern cohort of 20-25 individuals from multiple Bay-focused organizations that benefits interns, NGO mentors, and the broader Chesapeake Bay restorations effort.
• Center for Ecosystem Recovery will use its grant to fund a one-day symposium to educate 75 residents about the ecological importance of North American beavers to local wetlands and waterways and equip them with strategies that support human-beaver co-existence. The symposium will support AAC’s Living with Beavers program.
• Education Foundation of AACPS will use the funds to ensure that 11 high-school students will be able to equitably access a comprehensive environmental summer program regardless of their families’ income.
• Langton Green, Inc. will use the grant to provide electricity to light, cool, and heat their farm building, which is used for sorting expired food for composting. Special Education high school students will work alongside Langton Green growers and volunteers.
• Maryland Reentry Resource Center will use the funds to support equipment, site preparation, processing supplies, and paid crew to pilot a composting initiative that converts invasive plant material removed from restoration sites into a useable soil amendment.
• Sapphire RISE Inc. will use the grant to support RISE EcoLabs: Youth Water And Garden Stewardship, a series of four 90-minute, hands-on environmental classes serving up to 100 Pre-K to Grade 5 students.
• Severn River Association will use its funds for a summer program to teach up to 45 underserved youth about the importance of conservation and how human actions impact the environment.

About CFAAC: The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) publicly supported philanthropic organization dedicated to inspiring and promoting 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 the county, distributing $6 to $9 million annually to support a wide range of local needs. Learn more at www.cfaac.org.

###