The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County’s (CFAAC) Fund for Anne Arundel (FFAA) recently awarded $439,832 to nine local nonprofits.  To date, CFAAC has distributed 36 grants to 21 unique nonprofits totaling $1,209,954 through the Fund for Anne Arundel. 

This year, as in years past, grants made through the FFAA were directed to nonprofits that prioritize the physical, mental, and behavioral health of children and families; a grantmaking focus decision made by a committee of members of the CFAAC Board of Trustees and community leaders guided by CFAAC’s most recent community needs assessment report, Poverty Amidst Plenty VII: Moving Forward Together. 

“The Fund for Anne Arundel grants will empower local nonprofits recipients who are dedicated to improving the lives of our county’s children and families,” said CFAAC President and CEO Mary Spencer. “By ensuring equitable access to healthcare, mental health support, educational opportunities, and nutritious food, we aspire to create a community where every child has the opportunity to succeed. This funding will enable nine dedicated organizations to continue their vital programs and launch new initiatives that prioritize children’s health and well-being, making a lasting positive impact on our community.” 

The most recent Fund for Anne Arundel grant recipients include Anne Arundel County Food Bank, Charting Careers Inc., Eta Eta Lambda Foundation,  HOPE For All, Severna Park Community Center, Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) – Annapolis, Inc. , Superior Future, The Complete Player Charity, and Walk the Walk Foundation. 

Here is a brief description of each nonprofit and the programs funded through the FFAA:

Anne Arundel County Food Bank (AACFB) is using this funding to keep 27 baby pantries and one mobile pantry stocked for low-income families throughout Anne Arundel County. The AACFB baby pantries provide everything needed to help an infant grow and thrive, including diapers, wipes, formula, and baby food.

Charting Careers Inc. is using this grant to expand its long-term educational, wraparound, and wellness support to a total of 75+ children and 45+ families facing inequities and overcoming trauma. This grant will help fund three key positions including a Family Partnership Coordinator, High School Coordinator, and Launch & Beyond Coordinator, who all play critical roles in supporting children and families as they move towards increased physical, mental and behavioral wellness, and self-sufficiency.

Eta Eta Lambda Foundation is using this funding to mentor 30 young men bi-weekly at Annapolis High School giving them the tools and experiences to be successful in life and active members of their communities. The “Alpha Academy Youth Mentor Program,” will pair the young men with mentors who are established in various vocations. Many of these students have experienced trauma as a result of rising crime in the Annapolis area; connecting with a mentor can help with their social and emotional well-being, instilling a sense of hope.

Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) – Annapolis, Inc. is using this grant to provide the program support it needs to provide literacy intervention services to at-risk children and help them succeed in their educational journey and live fulfilling, successful lives.

HOPE For All is using this grant to provide partial funding for its clothing initiative. Funding will help them maintain staff and purchase clothing for its three core programs: Turning Houses into Homes, Head to Toe, and Next Step Clothing, and help them to achieve their anticipated needs of clothing nearly 2,000 individuals in the next fiscal year.

Severna Park Community Center  is using the funding to ensure that approximately 700 youth with disabilities, ages 5-21, can continue to benefit from its adaptive swimming and fitness sports program free of charge. Youth with disabilities face similar health gaps as youth without disabilities but with fewer resources and opportunities available.

Superior Future is using this grant to connect with more than 100 families in Annapolis through a collaborative effort with other organizations. The project will ensure that youth are receiving adequate after-school and summer camp programs. These programs will provide them with educational and recreational programs, ensuring they will develop mentally, socially, and cognitively during a two-year span.

The Complete Player (TCP) Charity is using the grant to help sustain its Academic & Emotional Mentoring program at Brooklyn Park and Woodside Elementary Schools, which currently serves 60 students directly between the two schools and is impacting roughly an additional 40 students indirectly. Through this grant, TCP anticipates serving and impacting the same number of students during next school year.

Walk the Walk Foundation is using the funding to provide 16 baby pantries with diapers and wipes every month for a full year, providing essential support to 400 low-income families in Anne Arundel County.

Since its inception in 2017, CFAAC has received 209 donations to support the FFAA and has raised a total of $2,686,218 in gifts, half of which was placed into the fund’s endowment to ensure its grantmaking power will continue. The FFAA is growing in its impact as interested community members continue to pool together their resources to support it. 

Those wishing to contribute can:

• Make a secure, tax-deductible online donation through www.cfaac.org.
• Mail a check payable to “CFAAC” with “Fund for Anne Arundel” in the memo line to CFAAC, 900 Bestgate Road, Ste. 400, Annapolis, MD, 21401.