The Community Foundation of Howard County (CFHoCo) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity with the goal of improving the quality of life in Howard County, Maryland. The Community Foundation of Howard County (CFHoCo) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity with the goal of improving the quality of life in Howard County, Maryland, primarily through endowment building and coordinated grant-making se
rvices. The Foundation is governed by a local volunteer Board of Trustees and run by professionals with expertise in assessing the community’s need, working with donors to connect generosity with need and managing charitable assets. We encourage local philanthropy and offer individuals, families and businesses a variety of easy and tax-efficient ways to impact their community through charitable giving. The Foundation assists donors in building an enduring source of charitable assets by allowing people to establish donor advised funds, as well as other permanent endowment funds under the umbrella of one large foundation. The distributions generated by the investment of those funds are used to make grants to qualified nonprofit organizations whose programs primarily serve the needs and enhance the quality of life for present and future residents of Howard County. The Foundation currently administers more than 300 charitable funds that reflect the philanthropic interests of their donors, and vary from unrestricted funds that support our Community Grants program to those for very specific purposes such as scholarships or the Arts. CFHoCo assists donors in defining their philanthropic interests and provides strategic thinking around the most effective ways their grants can realize the greatest impact. Private foundations and government or community organizations can also contract with CFHoCo to provide administrative, financial and grant-making services for their family foundations or trusts. The Foundation acts as a catalyst for community improvement by collaborating with a wide variety of partners. CFHoCo serves as a convener of individuals, institutions and resources to solve community problems, study community issues and unite, strengthen and promote Howard County.
