In this edition of the CFAAC Community Connector, discover the latest updates, a new President & CEO, a Celebration of Philanthropy recap, information on the 2025 Community Needs Assessment, grants made, upcoming events, and expert insights for professional advisors.

It’s been a whirlwind this past month. Between celebrating the impactful career of our retiring leader Mary Spencer and wrapping up a record-breaking Celebration of Philanthropy, there hasn’t been much time to adjust the sails and reflect on what it means to lead this amazing organization. What I can say is that I am humbled and enthused to take the helm as the new President and CEO of CFAAC. My goal is to build on the positive momentum created by those who came before me so we can continue to make Anne Arundel County a better place for all.

Just last night, we hosted the final in-person presentation of our Community Needs Assessment Report, and once again, we set an attendance record. If you couldn’t join us, don’t worry, we’ll be offering a virtual presentation on December 9. Check out the details in this newsletter.

We also launched our 2025 Annual Appeal last month, and your support helps us respond to the needs of our community when it matters most. While CFAAC is strong and our impact is growing, so are the needs of many residents of Anne Arundel County. Our community is the source of our strength, resilience, and a deep sense of belonging. Together, we can continue moving forward and building on the progress we’ve made. I’m pleased to share that a generous donor has offered a $20,000 matching gift, doubling every contribution to our Community Leadership Fund until we reach that amount. It’s a wonderful opportunity to make your gift go twice as far!

As your community foundation, we are committed to our mission to serve Anne Arundel County and its people for generations to come. A gift to the Community Leadership Fund is an investment in our shared future — one where opportunity and hope continue to grow. Please consider making a gift and know that we are deeply grateful for your generosity and trust.

And, in this season of gratitude, let me offer my heartfelt thanks to all of you who make our work possible. Your support of CFAAC means you are truly making a difference by helping us to connect donors who care with causes that matter.

John Rodenhausen
CFAAC President & CEO

CFAAC’s Celebration of Philanthropy Awards Honor the Kind-hearted in Our Community

By Mary Spencer, former CFAAC President & CEO

(Note: Mary Spencer served as President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County when this story was originally published.)

Sally Ehrle believes in the simple power of helping others — a belief that has blossomed into scholarships, hospital support and countless acts of kindness that strengthen our county. From making a cornerstone gift to Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC) to supporting many local nonprofits and endowed scholarships, Sally’s philanthropy is heartfelt, strategic and far-reaching.

This is why the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) is honoring Sally with the Philanthropist of the Year Award at our 25th annual Celebration of Philanthropy Awards Luncheon. 

During this season of gratitude, we're especially thankful for all of our fundholders whose generosity is supporting CFAAC’s grantmaking in Anne Arundel County and across the nation. You are making a difference. Inspire Impact – give to one (or more) of our 312 funds today!

It was hard to keep a dry eye at this year's Celebration of Philanthropy Awards Luncheon as speaker after speaker reminded us what's possible when people put kindness first. Our award recipients shared what inspired them to give back and they were each honored with a standing ovation. 

The luncheon was an incredible success thanks to the awardees, sponsors, attendees, CFAAC Board of Trustees and CFAAC staff. This year, the Celebration of Philanthropy Awards Luncheon was held at LIVE! Casino & Hotel® Maryland. Attended by close to 400 people, this was the largest Celebration of Philanthropy to date. See all of this year’s awardees and read their inspiring stories.

Don't miss next year's luncheon — stay tuned this spring to learn more.

CFAAC recently published the 2025 Community Needs Assessment Report: Poverty Amidst Plenty VIII, Building Community Together, a data-rich report intended to increase knowledge and awareness about persistent local trends and needs in Anne Arundel County. 

You're invited to attend a virtual Community Needs Assessment Report presentation and Q & A with Pamela Brown, Ph.D., the Executive Director of the Anne Arundel County Partnership for Children, Youth and Families on December 9, from 10 a.m. to noon.

NOTE: Dr. Brown will also present the summaries from the focus groups held at two previous presentations. Even if you attended in person, you may have additional questions or thoughts since then, so we invite you to join us again.

You care about making a difference with your giving — maybe for education, the environment, the arts, or helping others gain access to food. But what if your donations could go even further? By contributing to one of the Community Foundation’s Field of Interest Funds, you can join others who share your passion and make an even bigger impact together.

Each Field of Interest Fund pools donor contributions with others to support areas of need, whether it’s empowering women and children, improving food access, responding to crises, supporting the arts, helping the underserved, or protecting the environment. These funds were created in response to both the community needs identified in CFAAC’s Community Needs Assessment Report: Poverty Amidst Plenty and the requests of generous donors who realize the power of collective giving. Donors like Marie Clampet, who supports both the Women and Girls and Grants 4 Teachers Funds. 

In classrooms across Anne Arundel County (AAC), 31 creative projects are coming to life with support from CFAAC’s Grants 4 Teachers Fund. This Field of Interest grant awards up to $500 to teachers for innovative projects that would have been otherwise impossible due to school system funding constraints. Grants 4 Teachers was launched in 2009 to empower local teachers and counselors with the resources they need to bring their creative ideas to life. Since then, thanks to the generous support of our donors, the Community Foundation has distributed hundreds of grants, totaling more than $100,000 to AAC public school teachers across the county. These grants have funded a wide range of projects including field trips, instructional materials, musical instruments, and robotic programs. 

“So many of our teachers have great ideas and don’t know how to launch the fruits of their creative and meaningful thinking.  Your grants give them hope and means to move their dreams forward.” 
—Maureen M. McMahon, Ph.D., STEM Coordinator, Anne Arundel County Public Schools

The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County is thrilled to welcome the following funds to our family of funds:

BGCAA Lothian Club Designated Fund

A Designated Fund created by a generous donor to support the Chaney Cares Foundation in the construction of the new Lothian Club for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.

The Ladybug Fund

A Donor Advised Fund that supports the philanthropic interests of its advisor(s) and reflects a commitment to making a positive difference in the community.

The Mattingley Charitable Fund

A Donor Advised Fund established to support the philanthropic interests of the fund advisor(s).

Ron Levee Legacy Fund

A Donor Advised Fund created in loving memory of Ron Levee to honor his generous spirit and lifelong commitment to helping others. Guided by the values he cherished, the fund supports the philanthropic interests and charitable initiatives of its advisors, continuing Ron’s legacy of giving back to the community he cared for so deeply.

Virginia White AAWGT Lifetime Membership Fund

An Endowed Fund that supports Anne Arundel Women Giving Together’s mission of funding programs devoted to improving the lives, health, education, and well-being of women, their children, and families.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Part 1 of the FY27 Grant Application Training Series! We appreciate your participation and engagement as we explored the fundamentals of available grant programs and what makes an application competitive.

Now, we invite you to join us for Part 2: In-Person Workshop on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Anne Arundel County Nonprofit Center, 41 Community Place.

This 120-minute, hands-on workshop will guide participants through real-world examples of project narratives and budgets, providing an inside look at what grantors consider during the review process. Attendees will learn how to distinguish strong versus weak applications, conduct an environmental scan, write clear goals and measurable outcomes, and create a program budget that aligns with grantor requirements.

Attendance at Part 1 is not required to join Part 2.
Hosted by CFAAC, the Nonprofit Center, and ACDS

Join Dr. Pamela Brown, Executive Director of the Anne Arundel County Partnership for Children, Youth and Families, for an eye-opening look at the latest Poverty Amidst Plenty report from the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County. She’ll connect data to real stories — illuminating challenges from housing costs to youth mental health — and offer ways to take action.

As attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, you’ve no doubt noticed that financial publications’ coverage of Donor Advised Funds is increasing. This is no surprise, considering that these popular vehicles can help your clients achieve both their financial and philanthropic goals. 

What many advisors don’t realize is that a Donor Advised Fund at CFAAC is not only useful as a standalone tool, but even more importantly, it can serve as the flexible foundation of a client’s overall charitable giving portfolio. Here’s how this works:

Read more.

As the economic and legislative environment continues to evolve, advisors are sharpening every tool they have to help clients meet both their financial and charitable goals. Provisions enacted as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) are prompting renewed focus on strategies that merge tax efficiency with meaningful community impact. Among the most powerful tools in this space for clients age 70½ and older is the Qualified Charitable Distribution, or QCD.

Read more.

If your client base includes business owners, you’re no doubt at least generally aware of the benefits of giving closely-held business interests to charity. Beyond that, though, the details may get fuzzy. That is totally understandable. Most advisors encounter only a few of these opportunities over an entire career. The key is to be able to recognize the opportunity so you can reach out to the Community Foundation team to help you make the most of it for your client.

Let’s take a look at how this plays out for a hypothetical client...

Read more.

The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3), publicly supported philanthropic organization with the long-term goal of building permanent funds that provide support to local nonprofit organizations through grants and special projects. Our mission is to inspire and promote giving in Anne Arundel County by connecting people who care with causes that matter. Established in 1998, CFAAC is one of the largest funders of nonprofit organizations in Anne Arundel County. CFAAC distributes nearly $6 to $8 million annually. Learn more at www.cfaac.org.