Inspiring life-long giving and connecting people, places and organizations to worthy causes across Howard County and beyond.
A $5.3 million grant to Community Homes Housing Inc stands out in The Community Foundation of Howard County Inc’s recent record and points to the scale of its place-based giving. The foundation’s grantmaking is centered on Howard County and nearby Maryland communities, with awards that support housing stability, human services, food access, education, arts, environment, disaster response, and local nonprofit capacity. It also administers scholarship programs for Howard County students pursuing higher education, including awards tied to local schools, athletics, and intended fields of study. Recent grants show a mix of large community investments and smaller targeted awards. Community Action Council of Howard County received multiple grants across human services and food support, while Howard Community College Educational Foundation appears in both education and food-related funding. The foundation also funds donor-advised grants, so some awards are shaped by donor interests rather than a single institutional program. Its stated work includes connecting people, places, and organizations to worthy causes across Howard County and beyond, and the grant record reflects that local, community-based approach.
Housing and shelter are a clear priority. In 2025, the foundation gave $73,350 to Bridges to Housing Stability for housing and shelter, and it also supported Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center Inc with $39,850 in 2023 and $31,900 in 2025 for the same broad area. Food security is another repeated theme. Howard Community College Educational Foundation received $73,350 in 2023 and $52,225 in 2024 for food and nutrition, while Akshaya Patra Foundation USA was awarded $69,500 in 2025 for food and nutrition after earlier community and human-service grants. The foundation also backs disaster response and recovery. In 2023, it made a series of $33,000 grants to Ellicot City Historic District Partnership Incorporated, Central Maryland Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Columbia Partnership, Howard County Tourism Council, and Howard County Chamber of Commerce for disaster relief. On the youth side, Ohana of Howard County Inc received $46,300 in 2025 for youth development, alongside scholarship programs for Howard County students.
$1.4M
$38.6M
$4M
$2.9M
Most grants fall between $9K and $26K, with a median of $13K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$13K
75th Percentile
$26K
BEVERLY WHITE-SEALS
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Typical grant size is modest relative to the foundation’s largest awards: the 25th percentile is $9,000, the median is $12,617, and the 75th percentile is $25,500. That distribution suggests many grants are sized for program support and local operating needs, with some much larger outliers. The same recipient can appear across multiple years, including Community Action Council of Howard County, Howard Community College Educational Foundation, Akshaya Patra Foundation USA, Neighbor Ride Inc, and Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center Inc. Grantmaking comes from both the foundation’s own community programs and donor-advised grants, and donor-advised awards are driven by donor interests. Several programs accept unsolicited applications, including Community Grants, Mini Grants, and scholarship programs.
Grant dollars are heavily concentrated in Maryland, with 91% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Columbia appears often, including Community Action Council of Howard County, Howard Community College Educational Foundation, Bridges to Housing Stability, Neighbor Ride Inc, Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, and the Community Ecology Institute. Other Maryland recipients include Ellicott City, Baltimore, Odenton, and Canoga Park is outside the state only in one of the recent grants listed. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based in the data provided.
The median grant size is $12,617, with a 25th percentile of $9,000 and a 75th percentile of $25,500. That points to a grant portfolio anchored in smaller local awards, alongside some much larger community investments.
Yes. Several recipients appear more than once in the recent grants list, including Community Action Council of Howard County, Howard Community College Educational Foundation, Akshaya Patra Foundation USA, Neighbor Ride Inc, and Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center Inc.
Its active programs and recent grants cover housing stability, food security, disaster response, youth development, human services, environmental protection, arts and culture, local nonprofit capacity, and scholarships for Howard County students.
Yes for some programs. Community Grants and Mini Grants both accept unsolicited applications, and scholarship programs such as the John C. Clegg Scholarship and the CFHC Scholarship Program also accept applications through the foundation’s scholarship process.
Maryland receives 91% of the grants in the dataset, and many awards go to Howard County recipients in Columbia and Ellicott City. The grant record is entirely U.S.-based in the data provided.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Community Foundation of Howard County that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applicants must be registered nonprofits meeting IRS charitable guidelines and serving Howard County. Each program has unique eligibility and application requirements.
Deadline: Runs in the fourth quarter each year; 2026 process expected in September.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMMUNITY ACTION COUNCIL OF HOWARD COUNTY | COLUMBIA, MD | $204,300 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| HOWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | COLUMBIA, MD | $124,500 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| BRIDGES TO HOUSING STABILITY | COLUMBIA, MD | $73,350 | 2025 | HOUSING, SHELTER |
| AKSHAYA PATRA FOUNDATION USA | FREMONT, CA | $69,500 | 2025 | FOOD, NUTRITION |
| NEIGHBOR RIDE INC | COLUMBIA, MD | $67,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| WHEELS GLOBAL FOUNDATION | MCLEAN, VA | $66,000 | 2025 | HEALTH, GENERAL |
| COLUMBIA CENTER FOR THEATRICAL ARTS | COLUMBIA, MD | $56,000 | 2025 | ARTS, CULTURE |
| OHANA OF HOWARD COUNTY INC | COLUMBIA, MD | $46,300 | 2025 | YOUTH DEVEL |
| PROVINCETOWN ART ASSOCIATION AND MUSEUM | PROVINCETOWN, MA | $35,000 | 2025 | ARTS, CULTURE |
| COMMUNITY ECOLOGY INSTITUTE (THE) | COLUMBIA, MD | $33,500 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL |
| GRASSROOTS CRISIS INTERVENTION CENTER INC | COLUMBIA, MD | $31,900 | 2025 | HOUSING, SHELTER |
| YMCA OF CENTRAL MARYLAND | BALTIMORE, MD | $31,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| CENTER FOR REDEMPTIVE EDUCATION | ANNANDALE, VA | $30,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| MCRC INC | COLUMBIA, MD | $25,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| VILLAGE IN HOWARD | COLUMBIA, MD | $20,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| EQUIPMENT CONNECTIONS FOR CHILDREN INC | COLUMBIA, MD | $20,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| CHINESE AMERICAN PARENT ASSOCIATION OF HOWARD COUNTY CORP | COLUMBIA, MD | $20,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| MARIAN HOUSE INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $20,000 | 2025 | HOUSING, SHELTER |
| TEMPLE ISAIAH | FULTON, MD | $16,951 | 2025 | RELIGION |
| MARYLAND FOOD BANK INC | HALETHORPE, MD | $15,000 | 2025 | FOOD, NUTRITION |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF CENTRAL MARYLAND | BALTIMORE, MD | $15,000 | 2025 | YOUTH DEVEL |
| HOCOPOLITSO | COLUMBIA, MD | $14,595 | 2025 | ARTS, CULTURE |
| HOWARD COUNTY YOUTH PROGRAM INC | ELLICOTT CITY, MD | $12,769 | 2025 | YOUTH DEVEL |
| COLLEGEBOUND FOUNDATION INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $12,500 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL PTA | ROCKVILLE, MD | $12,500 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| HOWARD COUNTY CONSERVANCY INC | WOODSTOCK, MD | $12,104 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL |
| COLUMBIA HOUSING CENTER | SIMPSONVILLE, MD | $11,500 | 2025 | HOUSING, SHELTER |
| RUNNING BROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | COLUMBIA, MD | $11,500 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| THE ARC OF HOWARD COUNTY | ELLICOTT CITY, MD | $11,185 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| JEWISH NATIONAL FUND -KEREN KAYEMETH LEISRAEL- INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,797 | 2025 | RELIGION |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| CRADLEROCK CHILDREN'S CENTER (CCC) | COLUMBIA, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | FOOD, NUTRITION |
| THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | HEALTH, GENERAL |
| FAMILY TREE INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| JEWISH SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY | ROCKVILLE, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| HUMANIM | COLUMBIA, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| HOUSE OF RUTH MARYLAND INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| WATER FOR GOOD | BENTONVILLE, AR | $9,742 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL |
| HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM | ELLICOTT CITY, MD | $9,236 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS HOWARD COUNTY | COLUMBIA, MD | $9,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| COLUMBIA ORCHESTRA | ELLICOTT CITY, MD | $9,000 | 2025 | ARTS, CULTURE |
| VOICES FOR CHILDREN | ELLICOTT CITY, MD | $9,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | WASHINGTON, DC | $9,000 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $8,750 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| AUTISM SOCIETY OF MARYLAND | COLUMBIA, MD | $8,500 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| HOPEWORKS OF HOWARD COUNTY | COLUMBIA, MD | $8,400 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF HOWARD COUNTY | COLUMBIA, MD | $8,300 | 2025 | RELIGION |
| FRIENDS OF THE HOWARD COUNTY LIBRARY | ELLICOTT CITY, MD | $8,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| LEADERSHIP HOWARD COUNTY | COLUMBIA, MD | $8,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| GILCHRIST HOSPICE CARE | HUNT VALLEY, MD | $7,500 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE |
BRIDGES TO HOUSING STABILITY
$73,350HOUSING, SHELTER
NEIGHBOR RIDE INC
$67,000HUMAN SERVICE
WHEELS GLOBAL FOUNDATION
HEALTH, GENERAL
COLUMBIA CENTER FOR THEATRICAL ARTS
$56,000ARTS, CULTURE
OHANA OF HOWARD COUNTY INC
$46,300YOUTH DEVEL
COMMUNITY ECOLOGY INSTITUTE (THE)
$33,500ENVIRONMENTAL
CENTER FOR REDEMPTIVE EDUCATION
$30,000EDUCATIONAL
MCRC INC
$25,000HUMAN SERVICE
VILLAGE IN HOWARD
$20,000HUMAN SERVICE
EQUIPMENT CONNECTIONS FOR CHILDREN INC
$20,000HUMAN SERVICE
CHINESE AMERICAN PARENT ASSOCIATION OF HOWARD COUNTY CORP
$20,000HUMAN SERVICE
TEMPLE ISAIAH
$16,951RELIGION
HOCOPOLITSO
$14,595ARTS, CULTURE
HOWARD COUNTY YOUTH PROGRAM INC
$12,769YOUTH DEVEL
MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL PTA
$12,500HUMAN SERVICE
HOWARD COUNTY CONSERVANCY INC
$12,104ENVIRONMENTAL
COLUMBIA HOUSING CENTER
$11,500HOUSING, SHELTER
RUNNING BROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
$11,500EDUCATIONAL
THE ARC OF HOWARD COUNTY
$11,185HUMAN SERVICE
CRADLEROCK CHILDREN'S CENTER (CCC)
$10,000FOOD, NUTRITION
HUMANIM
$10,000HUMAN SERVICE
HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
$9,236EDUCATIONAL
COLUMBIA ORCHESTRA
$9,000ARTS, CULTURE
VOICES FOR CHILDREN
$9,000HUMAN SERVICE
AUTISM SOCIETY OF MARYLAND
$8,500HUMAN SERVICE
HOPEWORKS OF HOWARD COUNTY
$8,400HUMAN SERVICE
JEWISH FEDERATION OF HOWARD COUNTY
$8,300RELIGION
FRIENDS OF THE HOWARD COUNTY LIBRARY
$8,000EDUCATIONAL
LEADERSHIP HOWARD COUNTY
$8,000EDUCATIONAL
