Insight. A trip and a baby sea lion changed Andrea Beegle’s life perspective.

Before she attended University of California, Berkley, to pursue a lacrosse scholarship, Andrea hadn’t traveled much out of her close-knit Anne Arundel County neighborhood. In fact, her family and friends were wondering how long she would last in California. She made it, graduating cum laude in Mass Communications. After graduation, Andrea and her friends set out to “save the world,” backpacking in parts of South America including the Galapagos Islands.

“I was sitting on a rock [in the Galapagos] and a baby sea lion came all the way up and jumped on my lap and began snuggling and kissing me. I thought, ‘what just happened? This is what life is when you don’t live in fear. This is harmony.’ That moment really changed my perspective and actually inspired my career path; I knew I wanted to foster life-changing opportunities for more people. ”

 Andrea describes herself as “a financial advisor with a nonprofit heart.”  

Andrea returned east and launched a 15-year career in nonprofit management, working at National Geographic, the United Nations Foundation, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, and ultimately starting a 501c3 focused on maternal and early childhood nutrition. She has raised millions for causes; mobilized hundreds of thousands of supporters around issues of health, sustainable development, and social justice; and managed partnerships with celebrities, media, Fortune 500s, governments, and more. However, she always had a dream to work with her life-long mentor and father. In 2019, that dream came true. Andrea is working as a financial advisor beside him at Compass Wealth Strategies.

 A Google search brought Andrea to the Community Foundation. After that, it was love at first sight.

“There are so many issues and causes that it’s hard to pick just one. So, when I was looking to get involved in my community and where to spend my time and resources, I wanted to find an organization that was at the heart of them all. I found the Community Foundation. I literally sent a cold-call email and was delighted when that email was answered with a warm response and invitation to learn more and get involved.”

Andrea got involved immediately with the Celebration of Philanthropy, subsequently joining the CFAAC board. “The Community Foundation has broadened and deepened my sense of community. I feel more aware, more committed, more engaged. Really, I want to thank the Community Foundation for giving me a way to be a better neighbor.”

In 2021, Andrea, her husband, and their three young kids opened a Donor Advised Fund. “The issues facing our community are interconnected, so it makes sense to invest in an organization that is at the intersection of them all. When your head and your heart are in the same place, that’s how you know that you are on a good path."