How to Apply

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Fund for Anne Arundel was established to address the greatest needs in Anne Arundel County. Thanks to increased funding, in 2025, the Fund for Anne Arundel will provide grants dedicated to each of the following categories:

• Physical, Mental and Behavioral Health of Children
• Mental Wellness Programs and Initiatives
• Homeless Prevention Programs and Initiatives
• School and After-School Programs

Fund for Anne Arundel will award grants between $25,000 and $50,000 each. Applicants have the option of requesting either a one-year grant or a renewable grant of up to $25,000 per year for two years. If awarded, the grantee will be required to submit a report on the success of the first year’s program in order to receive the second year’s funding. Successful applicants will provide an explanation of how the extended timeline will allow for a more successful, sustainable program. 

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

Guidelines/Recommendations for a strong application:

• The review committee is a diverse group of caring community leaders, with varied knowledge of and experience with your organization. Avoid using industry-specific abbreviations and acronyms, and provide sufficient context and background for anyone unfamiliar with your organization.
• The application is structured to provide background about your organization and the specific project proposed. Please ensure that you’re answering the specific question asked, as that will build the reader’s understanding in the most consistent and logical format. Make sure you clearly explain how you specifically plan to use this grant funding.
• We typically receive many more applications for this grant than we are able to fund. The strongest applications are those that build a compelling case for the ability to utilize the funding in an efficient and impactful way, with appropriate management and oversight in place.

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
• 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

Prior CFAAC grant recipients may apply, however, they must have completed all follow-up reports by the required deadline. If there are funds remaining from the prior grant, the nonprofit must provide an explanation of what percentage is uncommitted and why, and the relation to the program for which they are applying now.

TIMELINE:

• Grant applications open on March 17th, 2025 at 9:00am, and close on April 22, 2024 at 5:00pm.
• June 2025: 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.
• The funding period is July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
• 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 “Apply: For Nonprofits: Grants”, or email/call Rosalind Calvin at rosalind@cfaac.org/410-280-1102 x104.

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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.

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Make a Tax-Smart Impact

Many people like you are making tax smart donations with appreciated stocks and bonds, qualified charitable distributions (QCD) from an IRA, or a variety of planned gifts. For more information, please email John@CFAAC.org or call 410-280-1102 ext. 103.

Should you wish to make a non-cash donation, CFAAC accepts gifts of appreciated stock for the benefit of this fund. To initiate this transaction, contact your broker with the number of shares of each security you wish to give. All gifts of stocks and bonds which are “DTC Eligible” can be transferred to CFAAC using the information below:

• Pershing, LLC Depository Trust Company (DTC) #0443 For the credit to: Pershing, LLC #4S2117401
• Account name: The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County

PLEASE NOTE: Donor names are rarely provided when securities are transferred electronically. To ensure your gift is correctly allocated, please email Kathy@CFAAC.org with the gift amount and the name of the fund your gift will support.