The primary source of funds for The Columbia Foundation’s strategic grantmaking is our endowment income. Income from our donors’ unrestricted and field of interest funds goes directly to grantees in the form of grants. Donor-advised and scholarship and award funds provide support for those organizations recommended by donors and approved by our Board of Trustees.
2010 Operational Grants
Human Services
The sixteen human service grants total $95,000 and will help support groups addressing some of the more critical concerns of the community.
Alianza de la Comunidad - $5,000
Alianza de la Comunidad educates the Hispanic Community on various issues with the goal of improving their living and working conditions in Howard County. They seek operational support for their helpline, workshops, support groups, and classes.
Community Action Council of Howard County - $5,000
The Community Action Council provides programs to low-income residents of Howard County to alleviate the effects of poverty; to promote self-sufficiency as means of interrupting the cycle of poverty; and to stimulate increased awareness of, and responsiveness to, the needs of the low income population on the part of the larger community. They seek funding to continue their Head Start Summer Enrichment Program.
Bridges to Housing Stability (formerly Congregations Concerned for the Homeless) - $8,000
Bridges to Housing Stability's mission is to empower Howard County families to
maintain stability in their homes, and through community partnerships to end homelessness in Howard County.” They seek operating funds to support their housing and prevention programs.
Domestic Violence Center of Howard County - $15,000
The Domestic Violence Center is dedicated to reducing the harm and effects of domestic violence in Howard County while working towards its elimination. They are seeking operating support to serve the families impacted by domestic violence.
Family and Children's Services of Central Maryland - $4,000
Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland is a non-profit, nonsectarian agency
committed to providing targeted services to vulnerable families and individuals in all stages of life who are experiencing problems related to social and personal adjustment, thereby enhancing their quality of life. They seek operational support to continue providing counseling, case management, family support, parent education, and in-home services to Howard County residents.
FIRN - $5,000
FIRN’s mission is to help ensure access to community resources and opportunities for all foreignborn individuals. They seek operational support for their information and referral, immigration and citizenship counseling, employment, interpreting/translating, and English tutoring services.
FISH of Howard County - $10,000
FISH’s mission is to assist deserving individuals, on a quick-response short-term basis, when they are faced with problems that are beyond their immediate ability to find a resolution. They seek operational funding to enhance their capabilities to provide additional financial assistance to individuals and families with legitimate needs.
Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center - $10,000
Grassroots is a comprehensive crisis intervention center providing 24-hour telephone, walk-in and outreach crisis services, and a comprehensive shelter provider for homeless families and individuals. They seek operational funding to continue meeting the needs of people in crisis.
Howard County General Hospital - Healthy Families - $1,500
Healthy Families’ mission is to offer all new first time parents who live in Howard County the opportunity to access resources and support to promote an optimal level of health and wellness. They seek operational funding to continue their programs and visitations.
Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland - $5,000
Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland enhances quality of life for homebound, frail, and elderly Howard County residents through the provision of nutritious meals, personal contact and related services. They are seeking funding to support their home-delivered meal program in Howard County.
NAMI Howard County - $2,500
NAMI is dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life for all individuals and families affected by mental illness through support, education, and advocacy. They seek operating support to continue to expand their outreach and offer education and support to individuals and families who are affected by mental illness.
National Family Resiliency Center - $4,000
The National Family Resiliency Center helps children and adults preserve a sense of family, foster healthy relationships regardless of family configuration and constructively adjust to change, especially during times of family transitions. They seek operational funding to support their clinical services and educational programs.
Neighbor Ride - $5,000
Neighbor Ride’s mission is to decrease isolation and improve the quality of life for Howard
County’s older residents by providing a reasonably priced, reliable, supplemental transportation service utilizing community volunteers and resources. They seek operating funds to continue serving the older members Howard County.
The Salvation Army Howard County Family Service Center - $7,500
The Salvation Army Howard County Family Service Center provides crisis intervention services for Howard County residents in need of food and clothing, medications, eviction or utility turn-off. They seek operational funding to continue serving the county’s neediest population.
The Serenity Center - $5,000
The Serenity Center provides a safe meeting place in a caring environment that supports and encourages the discovery of physical, emotional, and spiritual growth through 12-step fellowships. They seek funding to continue providing various resources to serve the recovery community.
Voices for Children - $2,500
Voices for Children serves children who have been abused, neglected, and declared children in need of assistance by ensuring that their best interests are represented in the Howard County court system. They seek operational support to continue addressing the needs of these children.
Arts and Cultural
Ten arts and cultural organizations were awarded a total of $68,000.
African Art Museum of Maryland - $1,000
The African Art Museum of Maryland is dedicated to collecting, exhibiting and preserving for the public the art of Africa. The Museum is further dedicated to increasing the awareness of African art and culture while encouraging a broader understanding and deeper appreciation of the diverse art and culture of the continent of Africa. They seek operational funds for their exhibits and outreach programs.
Candlelight Concert Society - $10,000
The Candlelight Concert Society fosters appreciation and enthusiasm for classical chamber music, in both children and adults, by presenting the finest professional musical artists at an affordable price and in an accessible venue. They seek operating support for their Chamber and Family Music Series, Outreach programs, and Master classes.
Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts - $5,000
The Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts’ mission is to educate through the arts by creating
theatrical experiences that inspire thought, action, creativity, and change. They seek operational funding to continue their theatrical arts classes, theatrical arts productions and outreach programs.
Columbia Festival of the Arts - $16,000
The Columbia Festival of the Arts presents an annual event that builds community through shared participation and celebration, engages participants in a broad spectrum of art forms and cultures, and encourages interaction among artists and audiences. They seek operational funds to continue offering their various programs and events.
The Columbia Orchestra - $9,000
The Columbia Orchestra fosters lifelong appreciation of, enthusiasm for, and participation in music by serving local audiences, musicians and students. They seek operating funds to support their concerts and programs.
Columbia Pro Cantare - $9,000
The Columbia Pro Cantare seeks to present the finest choral music through consistently high quality performances to a growing regional audience. They seek operating funds for their concerts and programs.
HCC Educational Foundation - Rep Stage - $5,000
Rep Stage, the only professional theatre in Howard County, bridges the gap between the
Baltimore/Washington communities and produces works that transports, transforms and inspires audiences and artists by using a variety of voices in an intimate environment. They seek operational funding for their shows.
HoCoPoLitSo - $5,000
HoCoPoLitSo’s mission is to promote excellence in the literary arts and to build community by enlarging the audience for contemporary poetry and literature and the world literary heritage. They seek operating support to continue their live programs.
Howard County Arts Council - $7,000
The Howard County Arts Council serves the citizens of Howard County by fostering the arts, artists and arts organizations. They seek operating funds to support their programs, classes, exhibits, and outreach.
Sundays at Three - $2,000
Sundays At Three’s mission is to offer public performances of chamber music, and to do so in a manner that seeks to recreate the informal atmosphere in which chamber music was created; that offers performance opportunities to local professional musicians, including women and minority performers; that encourages the attendance of children and young adults; and that advances public understandingand appreciation of the history, characteristics, and possibilities of chamber music. They seek operational support to continue their concerts.
Education and Community Services
Eleven grants in this category totaled $32,000.
B&O Railroad Museum Ellicott City Station - $1,500
The B&O Railroad Museum’s mission is to preserve and present the legacy and experience of American railroading and develop programs which explain the significance of the railroad industry. They seek operating funding to support their programs and educational resources.
Best Buddies Maryland - $2,500
Best Buddies’ mission is to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They seek funding for their Howard County Middle School, High School and Citizens programs.
CONEXIONES of Howard County - $3,500
The mission of CONEXIONES is to ensure that every Hispanic student in Howard County will complete high school and will continue in productive and satisfying directions; and to develop partnerships with schools, community organizations, businesses, community leaders and parents to provide comprehensive programs to advance the leadership capabilities and educational achievement of Howard County Hispanic youth. They seek operational funds to continue their work on behalf of Hispanic students in Howard County.
The First Tee of Howard County - $5,000
The First Tee of Howard County’s mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and lifeenhancing values through the game of golf. They seek operational funding for their golf and life skills programs.
HC DrugFree - $4,000
HC DrugFree’s mission is to empower the Howard County community to raise drug-free teens. They focus on substance abuse prevention and also provide resources for parents for early intervention, drug evaluations and counseling. They are seeking operating support to continue their free programs for parents and teens.
Helping Hands Enrichment and Leadership Foundation - $2,000
The Helping Hands Foundation provides supplemental learning programs for elementary school students, including the academically at-risk population, to assist them in reaching, maintaining, and exceeding grade level expectations. They seek operational funds to continue their programs currently held in three Howard County schools.
Howard County Autism Soceity - $5,000
The Howard County Autism Society serves individuals on the autism spectrum, their families and their communities by: providing information, support, and advocacy; promoting awareness of autism that values the dignity and uniqueness of each individual; and working to improve the quality and access to services and to educational opportunities. They seek funding to purchase technology, assistive items, books, DVDS, and other resources for their resource library.
Howard County Center of African American Culture - $2,500
The Howard County Center of African American Culture serves as a community resource for acquisition, preservation, interpretation, and promotion of African American history, education and culture from a local, regional, and national perspective. They seek operational funding for their archival materials, office supplies, and library equipment.
Howard County Foundation for Black Educational and Cultural Achievement - $2,000
The Howard County Foundation for Black Educational and Cultural Achievement raises
scholarship funds for African-American high school graduates who reside in Howard County and plan to pursue post-secondary education or training. They seek operating support to continue offering scholarships to Howard County students.
Howard County Historical Society - $1,000
The Howard County Historical Society’s mission is to investigate and study the history of Howard County; promote programs that educate our members and the community; provide library research and museum facilities; collect, preserve and display records and artifacts; encourage research and writing on the part of their members and students; and to cooperate with all historical and preservation groups having a common interest. They seek operational funding to support the growth of the organization.
St. John Baptist Church Mentoring Program - $3,000
The St. John Baptist Church Mentoring Program’s mission is to enhance moral development, improve academic performance and school attendance, build strong self-confidence and inspire positive behavior in young African-American youth and help them achieve their fullest potential. They seek operational funding to continue their mentoring program.
2009 Project Grants
Human Services
The eight human service grants total $60,000 and will help support groups addressing some of the more critical concerns of the community.
Best Buddies Maryland - $8,000
for their Howard County Middle and High School Project which will match students with intellectual disabilities in one-to-one friendships with their non-disabled peers at nine high schools and one middle school.
Camp Attaway - $8,000
to enhance their Counselor-in-Training Program to serve children ages 14 – 17.
Community Action Council - $10,000
to improve the facilitation of the change of their Food Bank Pantry service delivery to a “customer choice approach”.
Girlscouts of Central Maryland - $7,500
for their Project Anti-Violence Education program, designed for young people considered at-risk due to behavior, environment, or family circumstances.
Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center - $10,000
for the Route One Day Resource Center.
The Salvation Army Howard County Family Service Center - $8,500
for Camp Tomahawk, a camp for economically disadvantaged youth.
The Serenity Center - $3,000
for their Wellness Initiative program which will offer acupuncture treatments and/or holistic therapy to their clients.
Tai Sophia Institute - $5,000
for their Wellness Skills Training for Health Care Providers which will enhance the care-giving and self-care skills of direct service workers.
Arts and Cultural
Six arts and cultural organizations were awarded a total of $12,000.
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company - $2,500
for their Free Shakespeare for Kids program which lets every child under the age of 18 attend a summer production at no charge.
Howard County Ballet - $3,000
for their Sleeping Beauty Excerpts and Little Red Riding Hood performances.
Little Patuxent Review - $2,000
to assist with the costs of producing their sixth issue, The Animal.
Orchestra of St. John's - $1,000
to assist with the costs of their March 15th concert, which will feature 21 local, professional musicians performing music by Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Barber.
The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University - $2,500
to increase their scholarship funds for Howard County residents wishing to participate in the Chorus and to help guarantee that children will not be forced to drop out of chorus in subsequent years, due to lack of resources.
Showtime Singers - $1,000
for two major, full-length, free concerts in the Spring of 2009 designed for Howard County senior citizens, but open to the area public as well.
Education and Community Services
Six grants in this category totaled $13,000.
Courtesy on the Road - $2,000
for their Campaign for Courtesy on the Road, which employs a teen-friendly curriculum, material incentives and continuous contact to encourage HC high school students to become safe, courteous drivers.
Friends of the Howard County Library - $2,000
for their summer semester of Project Literacy, an adult literacy program.
Howard County Antique Farm Machinery Club - $2,300
for their Fire Suppression System for the James Clark Main Display and Educational Building.
Howard County Center for African American Culture - $3,300
for the re-opening of the center’s research library and archive.
Howard County Local Brain Bee - $1,000
for the Howard County Neuroscience Competition for High School students to motivate them to learn about the brain, capture their imaginations, and inspire them to pursue careers in biomedical research.
Junior Achievement of Central Maryland - $2,400
to sponsor three Title One at risk Elementary School fifth grade classes in Howard County to receive the JA BizTown Program.
2009 Operational Grants
Human Services
The eighteen human service grants total $136,000 and will help support groups addressing some of the more critical concerns of the community.
Adaptive Living - $1,700
Adaptive Living provides homes, room and board, and support to eight working adults in Howard County who have varying degrees of mental and, in most cases, dual disabilities. They seek funding for operational expenses.
Christ Church Link - $5,000
Christ Church Link aids Howard County residents in need via Link’s helpline, support programs, human resource partnerships, and serving as an incubator to identify urgent unmet needs and develop community solutions. They seek operational funds for their community service work.
Congregations Concerned for the Homeless - $10,000
Congregations Concerned for the Homeless enables families of Howard County to become self-sufficient. They seek operating funds to support their transitional and permanent housing programs and to increase their organizational capacity.
Domestic Violence Center - $20,000
The Domestic Violence Center is dedicated to reducing the harm and effects of domestic violence in Howard County while working towards its elimination. They are seeking operating support to serve the families impacted by domestic violence.
Foreign-born Information and Referral Network (FIRN) -$10,000
FIRN’s mission is to help ensure access to community resources and opportunities for all foreign-born individuals. They seek operational support for their information and referral, immigration and citizenship counseling, employment, interpreting/translating, and English tutoring services.
FISH of Howard County - $10,000
FISH’s mission is to assist deserving individuals, on a short-term, quick-response basis, when they are faced with problems that are beyond their immediate ability to find a resolution. They seek operational funding to allow them to increase their assistance to the individuals and families that are faced with financial struggles.
HC DrugFree - $8,000
HC DrugFree’s mission is to empower the Howard County community to raise drug-free teens. They focus on substance abuse prevention and also provide resources for parents for early intervention, drug evaluations and counseling. They are seeking support to help them with their immediate operational needs of salaries, payroll taxes, rent, as well as upgrades of equipment, software, and their website.
Howard County Autism Society - $6,000
The Howard County Autism Society provides support, promotes awareness, advocates for change, and enhances the dignity and opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. They are seeking operational support to upgrade the infrastructure and capabilities of their website.
Humanim - $10,000
Humanim is dedicated to maximizing the potential of all people in the community, despite disability or other barriers, to full inclusion. They are seeking operational support for a wheelchair van.
Linwood Center - $5,000
Linwood creates opportunities and provides supports for people with Autism so that they may realize their fullest potential. They are requesting operating funds for staff development.
NAMI Howard County - $5,500
NAMI is dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life for all individuals and families affected by mental illness through support, education, and advocacy. They seek operating support to continue to expand their outreach and offer education and support to individuals and families who are affected by mental illness.
National Family Resiliency Center - $7,000
The National Family Resiliency Center helps children and adults preserve a sense of family, foster healthy relationships regardless of family configuration and constructively adjust to change, especially during times of family transitions. They seek operational funding to support their clinical services that are offered on a sliding fee scale to children and parents in the community.
Neighbor Ride - $8,500
Neighbor Ride’s mission is to decrease isolation and improve the quality of life for Howard County’s older residents by providing a reasonably priced, reliable, supplemental transportation service utilizing community volunteers and resources. They seek operating funds to continue serving the older members of our community.
Special Olympics Howard County - $5,500
Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults in Howard County with intellectual or closely related disabilities. They are seeking operational support to continue their sports and social programs.
STTAR Center - $6,000
The STTAR Center assists people who have been affected by trauma through client-centered services that support, counsel, and inform. They seek operational support for their various programs.
The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults - $9,800
The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults enhances lives by supporting, educating and connecting young adults, and their loved ones, affected by cancer. They seek operating support for their young adult patient navigation and outreach work in Howard County.
Voices for Children - $3,000
Voices for Children serves children who have been abused, neglected, and declared children in need of assistance by ensuring that their best interests are represented in the Howard County court system. They seek operational support to continue addressing these needs by expediting the placement of children into permanent homes.
Winter Growth - Ruth Keeton Center Complex - $5,000
Winter Growth assists older adults to remain in the living environment of their choice, maintaining their highest potential for health and independent functioning while enjoying a sense of dignity and self worth. They seek operating funds to support the individuals in their day program.
Two arts and cultural organizations were awarded a total of $12,300.
Arts and Cultural
Seven arts and cultural organizations were awarded a total of $79,000.
Candlelight Concert Society - $10,000
The Candlelight Concert Society fosters appreciation and enthusiasm for classical chamber music, in both children and adults, by presenting the finest professional musical artists at an affordable price and in an accessible venue. They seek operating support for the Chamber Music Series, the Family Series, the Music in the Schools program, and programs for the underserved.
Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts - $7,500
The Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts’ mission is to educate through the arts by creating theatrical experiences that inspire thought, action, creativity, and change. They seek operational funding to continue their theatrical arts classes, theatrical arts productions and outreach programs.
Columbia Festival of the Arts - $15,000
The Columbia Festival of the Arts presents an annual event that builds community through shared participation and celebration, engages participants in a broad spectrum of art forms and cultures, and encourages interaction among artists and audiences. They are seeking operating funds to underwrite programming content and assist the Festival in its goal to provide free arts activities that primarily benefit residents of Howard County.
Columbia Pro Cantare - $12,000
The Columbia Pro Cantare seeks to present the finest choral music through consistently high quality performances to a growing regional audience. They seek operating funds for their concerts and operations.
Howard County Arts Council - $6,000
The Howard County Arts Council serves the citizens of Howard County by fostering the arts, artists and arts organizations. They seek operating funds to help underwrite community-based arts programs and activities.
Howard County Poetry & Literature Society - $5,000
HoCoPoLitSo’s mission is to promote excellence in the literary arts and to build community by enlarging the audience for contemporary poetry and literature and the world literary heritage. They seek operating support to continue their live programs and television series.
Kinetics Dance Theater - $7,500
Kinetics Dance Theatre offers professional dance development, educational outreach, and dance education. They seek operational support for their dance festivals, performances, workshops, and dance instruction.
Sundays at Three - $2,000
Sundays at Three offers public performances of chamber music, featuring local musicians, to encourage the attendance of children and young adults; and to advance public understanding and appreciation of chamber music. They are seeking operational support to continue their concerts.
The Columbia Orchestra - $14,000
The Columbia Orchestra fosters lifelong appreciation of, enthusiasm for, and participation in music by serving local audiences, musicians and students. They seek operating funds to support their existing and new programs.
Education and Community Services
Five grants in this category totaled $15,002.
B & O Railroad Museum Ellicott City - $2,834
The B & O Railroad Museum’s mission is to preserve and present the legacy and experience of American railroading and develop programs which explain the significance of the railroad industry. They seek operating support to continue their museum’s focus on educational resources and programs.
Conexiones - $5,334
Conexiones promotes academic success of Hispanic students in the Howard County Public School System, with a vision that every Hispanic student will graduate from high school with a diploma. They seek operational funds to continue their work on behalf of Hispanic students in Howard County.
Friends of Patapsco Valley & Heritage Greenway - $2,834
The Friends of Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway are dedicated to preserving, protecting, interpreting and restoring the environment, history and culture of the Valley between Daniels and Elkridge, Maryland. They seek operational funds to expand their stream watch program into Howard County.
Helping Hands Enrichment & Leadership Foundation - $2,000
The Helping Hands Foundation provides supplemental learning programs for elementary school students, including the academically at-risk population, to assist them in reaching, maintaining, and exceeding grade level expectations. They seek operational funds to continue their programs currently held in four Howard County schools.
Howard County Foundation for Black Educational and Cultural Achievement - $2,000
The Howard County Foundation for Black Educational and Cultural Achievement raises scholarship funds for African-American high school graduates who reside in Howard County and plan to pursue post-secondary education or training. They seek operating support to continue honoring their “100% of community gifts awarded to students” pledge.