The Community Foundation of Howard County, which raises, manages and distributes funds to support nonprofit organizations, gave $245,300 in grants to 36 nonprofits in Howard County. Grants come from the foundation’s community grants program, which combines operational and project requests into one funding cycle.

“This year’s grantees serve a wide range of Howard County needs, from education to arts to leadership and more,” said Beverly White-Seals, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Howard County.

Arts and Cultural Activities

  • B&O Railroad Museum: Ellicott City Station – $6,000 supporting the operations and programs at Ellicott City Station Museum that preserve the physical legacy and experience of American railroading
  • Candlelight Concert Society – $9,000 supporting chamber music ensemble and soloist performances and providing young people with a stimulating introduction to the performing arts in Howard County
  • Chesapeake Shakespeare Company – $6,000 supporting the free Shakespeare for Kids summer program, which introduces children to stage performances of Shakespeare at no cost for children
  • Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts – $6,000 supporting mission to make theater accessible to children from all walks of life and to educate children through the arts by creating theatrical experiences that inspire thought, action, creativity and change
  • Columbia Festival of the Arts – $6,000 supporting mission to present a celebration of the arts and entertainment that attracts, engages and inspires the broad and diverse community it serves
  • Columbia Orchestra – $6,000 supporting mission to provide high-quality musical performances by a locally based symphony orchestra; resources to area students, teachers and educational institutions; and classical musicians with an opportunity to explore and perform
  • Howard County Arts Council – $2,000 supporting arts programming that provides children participating in Howard County Head Start programs hands-on artistic experiences
  • Kinetics Dance Theatre – $5,500 supporting mission to develop and present contemporary dance as a living art form in the community through dance education, community outreach, workshops, performances and collaborations with other artists throughout the region

Civic and Leadership

  • Association of Community Services of Howard County – $6,000 supporting mission to provide Howard County nonprofits with education, training, advocacy and community connection that advance the capacity and effectiveness of nonprofits providing direct services and for the development of a consolidated human services center
  • Girls on the Run of Central Maryland – $5,500 supporting services to empower girls to be healthy, joyful and confident using experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates mentoring and running
  • Leadership Howard County Inc. – $6,000 supporting the mission to empower individuals to strengthen and transform the Howard County community

Education

  • Bright Minds Foundation – $9,000 supporting programs and services that address equity, equality and access to educational offerings and develop skills that serve students throughout their lives
  • Cradlerock Children’s Center – $5,500 supporting program to provide qualified families with access to quality preschool education and child care
  • HC DrugFree – $6,000 supporting mission to provide prevention, treatment, recovery, health and wellness resources to help Howard County residents develop knowledge and skills to understand and address behavioral health disorders
  • Howard Community College Educational Foundation – $5,000 supporting students attending Howard Community College through the Educational Foundation’s scholarship programs
  • Junior Achievement of Central Maryland – $5,000 supporting the expansion of JA programs in Howard County from elementary through high school
  • MakingChange: Financial Wellness Programs – $5,500 supporting services designed to empower individuals and families to achieve financial stability

Environment

  • Howard County Conservancy – $9,000 supporting education for children and adults about the natural world, preservation of land and its legacy for future generations as well as promotion of responsible environmental stewardship

Human Services

  • American Red Cross Greater Chesapeake Region – $5,000 supporting the Disaster Response Program for Howard County which provides residents immediate help after a fire or other disaster, including mental health counseling, prevention of homelessness, food, shelter and clothes
  • Arc of Howard County – $5,000 supporting mission to achieve full community life for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
  • Bridges to Housing Stability – $8,000 supporting mission to prevent homelessness by providing services and advocacy that result in housing stability for Howard County residents
  • Camp Attaway Inc. – $7,300 supporting a summer day camp treatment program for children ages 7–13 with emotional and behavioral disorders
  • Community Action Council of Howard County – $12,000 supporting a volunteer coordinator position that provides program support to the council services centered on food security, which includes the Howard County Food Bank, the work of the Community Garden and the management of more than 2,000 volunteers
  • FIRN Inc. – $11,000 supporting the mission to create a community in which foreign-born individuals feel welcomed and have the tools they need to be successful contributors to the local, national and international community
  • Gilchrist Hospice Care (corporate office) – $5,000 supporting quality, compassionate hospice care to terminally ill adults and children who receive services at Gilchrist’s Howard County Inpatient Center
  • Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center Inc. – $12,000 supporting mission to provide 24-hour crisis intervention services, suicide prevention services, shelter programs and outreach services to individuals and families experiencing a personal, situational, mental health or shelter crisis
  • HopeWorks of Howard County – $11,000 supporting mission to reduce the harm and effects of domestic violence and sexual assault while working toward their elimination in Howard County
  • Howard County Autism Society – $8,000 supporting mission to serve individuals on the autism spectrum, their families and their communities by providing information, support and advocacy and promoting awareness of autism that values the dignity and uniqueness of each individual as well as improving the quality of and access to services and educational opportunities
  • Living in Recovery – $8,000 supporting mission to provide affordable housing and a supportive environment free of drugs and alcohol for persons in recovery from alcohol and/or drug addiction
  • Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland (main office) – $6,000 supporting the home-delivered meals program to housebound individuals in Howard County
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness- Howard County – $5,000 supporting mission to improve the lives of individuals with mental illness and their families through education, advocacy and support to increase awareness of mental illness in Howard County
  • National Family Resiliency Center – $5,000 supporting mission to help children and adults preserve a sense of family and foster healthy relationships regardless of family configuration as they navigate the legal requirements and emotional experience of a parental separation or divorce
  • Neighbor Ride Inc. – $11,000 supporting the organization’s transportation services that enable seniors to remain a vital and productive part of their community
  • Rebuilding Together Howard County – $6,000 supporting mission to bring volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners in Howard County
  • Voices for Children – $6,000 supporting mission to ensure the best interest of children who have been abused and neglected who are living in foster care and are represented in the Howard County Court
  • Winter Growth Inc. – $5,000 supporting efforts to provide community-based services for older and disabled adults that allow them to achieve their highest potential for independence, dignity and life satisfaction

The Community Foundation of Howard County, founded in 1969 as The Columbia Foundation, has awarded more than $14 million in grants to Howard County nonprofit organizations. Money for the grant programs comes primarily from income generated by the foundation’s endowment supported by more than 300 funds established by Howard County businesses, families and individuals. For more information, visit www.cfhoco.org or call 410-730-7840.