The grant applications to be funded by our 2020 Annual Grant Fund were decided by the AAWGT membership on May 13. This year, because of the Coronavirus Pandemic, all voting was online. The largest amount of money to date ($139,381) was raised for grant distribution, thanks to our record number of members and the special Grant Fund Challenge. We received 48 grant applications, a larger number than ever before and partly due to how widely the Call for Applications was distributed. And, it goes without saying, the amount of time every member of the Grants Committee put in to review and evaluate the grant applications was extensive. All this hard work culminated in 17 applications appearing on the ballot.
New this year is the Fundamental Needs Grant for up to $10,000. The recipient must be headquartered in Anne Arundel County and have revenue of no more than $100,000. The program/project being proposed must address food insecurity, parenting support and/or the needs of children from birth to five years. This being the first year for this grant, the GC was pleased with the quality of grants that made the ballot.
The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County will be distributing the $139,381 Grant Fund to eight Regular Grants plus the Fundamental Needs Grant. Each is described below. This year, because of the pandemic, the decision was made to allocate all the Grant Fund dollars rather than returning the remainder after full grant amounts were awarded to the 2021 Grant Fund. Therefore, Center of Help, the first choice of the voters that could not be funded in full, will receive the remaining $3073.
Fundamental Needs Grant
Newtowne Community Development Corporation - From Surviving to Thriving - $10,000
Provides case management and mentoring services to at least 10 single mothers in Woodside Gardens Apartments, a low-income housing complex in Annapolis, to help them move away from poverty.
Regular Grants
Annapolis Immigration Justice Network - Legal Fund/Family Preservation Project - $20,000
Provides legal services, guidance, accompaniment, translation services, and referrals to non-legal assistance to immigrants as they navigate the complex immigration process.
Anne Arundel County (AAC) Food Bank, Inc. - Baby Pantries - $10,000
Improves and expands AAC Food Bank baby pantries that provide baby food, formula, diapers, wipes, and other essential items to low-income parents/guardians in Anne Arundel County.
Chrysalis House, Inc.- Training for Child Development Staff - $6,330
Increases training available to staff to support the needs of children in their structured, nurturing program with the goal of helping break the generational cycle of addiction, crime, and poverty.
HOPE For All, Inc. - Turning Houses into Homes - $19,978
Provides basic goods to AAC women and families in need so they can establish healthy homes and lives after homelessness and crises.
The Light House, Inc. - Family Assistance Program - $20,000
Supports a comprehensive program for homeless families, families at risk of homelessness, and homeless individuals working to reconnect with their children to promote long-term self-sufficiency.
Seeds 4 Success, Inc. - Student Health and Wellness Initiative - $20,000
Increase students in S4S use of their health insurance and access to primary care providers as a preventative measure and move them away from using only the ER when needed.
Services from the Heart - Backpack Buddies Program/Food Backpacks - $10,000
Provides weekly food backpacks to 100 economically disadvantaged children in the FARMS (Free and Reduced Meals) programs in Anne Arundel County at 3 Title I schools.
Touchstones Discussion Project - Expanding Women’s Life and Leadership Skills for Post-Incarceration Success - $20,000
Delivers 42 weeks of discussion-based educational programming for 200 women at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women (MCI-W) in Anne Arundel County. Develops improved life and work skills, promotes healthy decision-making and parenting skills, and reduces recidivism.