Nominated by Historic Annapolis, Inc.

Community support can take many forms, and at CovingtonAlsina, a registered investment advisor and financial planning firm, it shows up as a sustained, personal commitment to the causes and institutions that shape Anne Arundel County, built under the leadership of founder and CEO Ann Covington.

Historic Annapolis has counted the firm among its premier sponsors of the Paca Girlfriends Party since 2018. Ann herself has served on the organization's Board of Trustees for six years, holding roles as Governance Chair, Treasurer, and now Board Chair, and she has provided pro bono financial training and wealth management consulting to Historic Annapolis staff along the way.

That same generosity has extended to other institutions across the county, according to letters of support submitted on the firm's behalf. "Ann has helped so many organizations build relationships, inspire others to give, and invest in organizations they believe will make Anne Arundel County a better place for everyone," said Kelly Swart, Vice President of Development at the Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park. CovingtonAlsina has sponsored the museum's Oyster Roast & Sock Burning, Tides & Tunes Summer Concert Series, and Boatyard Beach Bash for years, and the firm recently invested in the museum's Phase II Capital Campaign, an investment recognized when the museum named its new waterfront boat stage after Covington. Each year, Ann also charters the museum's historic skipjack, Wilma Lee, to host client breakfasts that introduce guests to the Chesapeake Bay firsthand.

That same generosity carries through in other partnerships as well. "CovingtonAlsina is our only corporate supporter who gives without solicitation year after year," said Peter Nesbett, director of the Elizabeth Myers Mitchell Art Museum at St. John's College, where CovingtonAlsina hosts tri-annual brunch tours that pair her own clients with the museum's programming to connect the institution with new potential funders.

At the Summit School, an independent school serving students in grades one through eight with learning differences, that support has been just as steady. "Ann leads by example," said Dr. Joan Mele-McCarthy, the school's Executive Director. "As founder and CEO of CovingtonAlsina, she has created a culture in which philanthropy is not simply encouraged; it is woven into the fabric of the firm's identity." Firm advisors volunteer weekly to teach financial literacy to Summit School students, a program that culminates in a field trip to an investment firm in Pennsylvania, and CovingtonAlsina has served as presenting sponsor of the school's Purse Bingo fundraiser for more than a decade.

Beyond direct giving, CovingtonAlsina donates its signature "Purse Power Package," a handbag, book, and financial planning consultation certificate, to auctions supporting organizations such as Hospice, CASA, and Maryland Therapeutic Riding, while also encouraging employees to serve on nonprofit boards; staff currently sit on the boards of the Summit School and the Ballet Theatre of Maryland.

As the firm has grown, so has the reach of its giving, with the same values now guiding a satellite office in Jacksonville, Florida, and nearly 10% of firmwide revenue donated to nonprofits each year. Still, Anne Arundel County remains the heart of CovingtonAlsina's story, one built not on marketing lines but on decades of showing up for the institutions that make this community what it is.

Join us in celebrating the CovingtonAlsina and all of the honorees at the 2026 Celebration of Philanthropy Awards on November 12, 2026 at Live! Casino & Hotel.

Corporate Philanthropist of the Year

This award is presented to a local business or corporation that has a proven record of exceptional generosity and demonstrates outstanding civic and philanthropic responsibility through direct financial support to Anne Arundel County nonprofits. The local business or corporation encourages and motivates its employees to take leadership roles toward philanthropy and community involvement with local nonprofits.