The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County’s Fund for Anne Arundel, continues its focus on healthy, thriving, successful children, by awarding grants to programs that address the needs of children and families. There are tremendous unmet needs that remain consistent in Anne Arundel County (AAC) as outlined in the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County’s (CFAAC) 2022 Community Needs Assessment, Poverty Amidst Plenty VII: Moving Forward Together. The Fund for Anne Arundel was established to offer flexible and dynamic support to nonprofits doing vital work to address the most pressing needs of Anne Arundel County residents. 

Fund for Anne Arundel History

One of CFAAC’s primary goals is to increase the dollars that the foundation has available to strategically align grantmaking with the most critical needs in the county. The Fund for Anne Arundel is a fund created to help meet critical needs and improve the quality of life for all county residents, now and in the future.

As federal, state, and local funding to support nonprofits continues to decline for countless reasons, individual donors and community foundations are being called on to fill the gaps so that nonprofits can continue to provide essential community services.

In 2017, CFAAC was awarded a $300,000 Challenge Grant from the Deerbrook Charitable Trust to begin building the Fund for Anne Arundel. In 2018, CFAAC Board Trustee Jim Humphrey added another $150,000 to the challenge, which effectively turned this opportunity into a 3:1 match. Fueled by this matching challenge, CFAAC quickly raised over $600,000 to support the Fund for Anne Arundel. As of 2024, the Fund for Anne Arundel has raised $2.51 million.

Fund for Anne Arundel Grantmaking in 2024

In 2024, the Fund for Anne Arundel will make grants to programs that prioritize the health of children and families. This includes access to physical, mental, and behavioral health programs. Examples include, but are not limited to, programs that:

• Ensure equitable access to comprehensive primary health care services for children that are family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally competent,
• Foster healthy social and emotional development and support positive parent-child relationships,
• Improve caregiver understanding of what it means to support optimal child health, as well as social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development,
• Promote an understanding of and treatment for improved mental health, focusing on loneliness, anxiety, depression and/or suicide prevention,
• Encourage regular preventative health, developmental, and behavioral screenings to learn about and celebrate developmental milestones, identify any delays and challenges early, and provide families with supports and services as needed so all children stay on track for success,
• Support families in accessing healthy food, nutrition education, and other resources.

Grants will be considered for school-based or non-school-based programming, including summer programs, with the intent to help close gaps both within and outside the school environment.

The Fund for Anne Arundel will award three to five 12-month grants between $25,000 and $50,000. Successful grant applicants will demonstrate:

• Strategic and data-informed solutions, aligned with community needs and your organization’s mission
• Innovative or creative solutions with replicable models
• A successful track record in service delivery
• Credibility in the field or project
• An established sustainability plan
• The ability to collaborate in a way that provides greater leverage for philanthropic investments
• The ability to create a measurable impact through evidence-based and evidence-informed services and support

Programs for which the grant will apply must be used to serve only Anne Arundel County residents. An organization may file only one application.  To be eligible to apply, organizations must also meet all of the following criteria:

• Located and operating in Anne Arundel County, Maryland; and/or at least 50% of the population served by the organization must reside in Anne Arundel County;
• Provides direct services to children and/or families with children under the age of 21;
• Have a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation from the Internal Revenue Service that has been active for 2 years as of January 1, 2024;
• Be in good standing with the Maryland Department of Assessment and Taxation;
• Be in compliance with the Maryland Secretary of State Charitable Organization Registration Requirements.

Fund for Anne Arundel 2023 grant recipients may apply in 2024, however, must demonstrate in their budget a 100% commitment of the funds awarded in the 2023 grant, and complete the final follow-up report.  If for some reason there are funds remaining from the 2023 Fund for Anne Arundel grant, the nonprofit must provide an explanation of what percentage is uncommitted and why, and the relationship to the program for which you are applying in 2024.

TIMELINE:

• Grant applications open on March 18, 2024 and close on April 26, 2024. Awards in July 2024.
• May/June 2024: After the committee reviews applications, finalists will be selected. Fund for Anne Arundel Committee members will perform an interview with all finalists. Grants will be awarded at the conclusion of the process.
• Note: A mid-year and final evaluation assessing project outcomes is required for all grant projects within six weeks of completion. Report formats will be provided.

QUESTIONS: See www.cfaac.org under Nonprofits/Grants, or Email/call grants@cfaac.org / 410.280.1102 x 104.

Why Children? Their Success is Our Community’s Obligation.

Children represent the future of our community, and their well-being is a direct reflection of our collective values and priorities. The state of child welfare in Anne Arundel County presents both significant challenges and opportunities for meaningful impact. 

Anne Arundel County’s Children- Determined, Hopeful, Focused, Empowered

The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County is dedicated to working with donors who wish to make an impact through their philanthropic support. A gift made in support of the Fund for Anne Arundel will be combined with the generosity of others to have a true and lasting impact on the lives of children in Anne Arundel County. 

Application Questions: Contact grants@cfaac.org or 410-280-1102 x104