Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County

Name

Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County

Legal name

Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, Inc.

Website

https://cfaac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropy Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor advised funds
• Charitable grantmaking
• Endowment fund management
• Philanthropic advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Giving and Philanthropic Services: As a 501(c)(3) public charity, CFAAC receives charitable donations from individuals, families, and businesses to build permanent endowment funds that support local nonprofits through grants. The foundation distributes $5 to $7 million annually to area nonprofits.
2. Fund Management Services: Manages donor-advised funds, field of interest funds, designated funds, and scholarship funds on behalf of donors, providing philanthropic advisory and administrative services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CFAAC is a 501(c)(3) public community foundation that connects donors with charitable causes in Anne Arundel County. It accepts and manages charitable contributions in donor-advised, field-of-interest, designated, scholarship, and corporate-advised funds, then distributes grants from those funds and the foundation's own endowments to local nonprofits and scholarships to area students, distributing $5–$7 million annually.

Product overview

The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) operates as a philanthropic services organization rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings include a range of fund types (Donor Advised Funds, Field of Interest Funds, Designated Funds, Scholarship Funds, Corporate Advised Funds) that help donors structure their charitable giving, alongside major grant programs (Fund for Anne Arundel, Environment Anne Arundel Fund, Ladders to SUCCESS, Community Crisis Response Fund) that distribute $5-$7 million annually to local nonprofits. The foundation provides ancillary services including the Celebration of Philanthropy Awards, Community Needs Assessment publications, planned giving advisory services, and an Endowment Calculator tool. These products and services are interconnected through CFAAC's mission to connect donors with causes that matter in Anne Arundel County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds Charitable giving vehicle allowing donors to make contributions to a fund and then recommend grants to nonprofits over time, receiving immediate tax deductions while distributing funds according to their philanthropic goals; for individual donors, families, and businesses.
• Field of Interest Funds Charitable funds focused on specific areas such as education, environmental protection, food insecurity, women and girls, the arts, or environmental conservation, allowing donors to support causes they are passionate about.
• Designated Funds Donor-established funds that support specific nonprofit organizations or causes designated by the donor, providing ongoing support to favored charities.
• Scholarship Funds Endowed scholarship funds that help Anne Arundel County students pursue higher education, managed by CFAAC with awards distributed to eligible recipients.
• Corporate Advised Funds Giving vehicle for businesses to establish donor-advised funds enabling corporate philanthropy programs, employee giving, and strategic charitable giving.
• Fund for Anne Arundel (FFAA) Major grant program distributing significant annual funding to local nonprofits serving Anne Arundel County; has awarded record amounts exceeding $574,000 to transform lives of county residents.
• Environment Anne Arundel Fund Grant program funding environmental projects protecting and improving the environment in Anne Arundel County and the Chesapeake Bay, supporting organizations like Annapolis Maritime Museum, Arundel Rivers Foundation, and Severn River Association.
• Ladders to SUCCESS Grant Program Grant program promoting economic self-sufficiency and youth development by supporting nonprofit programs providing workforce training, skill-building, job placement, and academic advancement for low-income county residents.
• Community Crisis Response Fund Emergency grant fund established to provide rapid financial support to nonprofits during community crises, including COVID-19 relief efforts distributing over $1 million in grants.
• Food Insecurity Fund Fund launched in 2025 to combat hunger across Anne Arundel County, providing grants to organizations addressing food insecurity, including a first $40,000 grant to AACFB.
• Women and Girls Fund Fund supporting nonprofits that help women and girls pursue positive futures through grants awarded to local organizations.
• Arts & Culture Anne Arundel Fund Fund established to support arts and culture organizations in Anne Arundel County, including support for installations at facilities like the Severn Intergenerational Center.
• Planned Giving / Legacy Giving Gift planning services helping donors preserve their legacy through estate plans, charitable gift annuities, and beneficiary designations to support causes they care about after their lifetime.
• Community Leadership Fund Fund supporting CFAAC's Community Leadership Initiatives to provide high-quality philanthropic services, serve as a thought partner, advocate for local nonprofits, and catalyze new ideas and community problem-solving.

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributes $5 to $7 million annually to nonprofits
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chesapeake Bay TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2017Partnership to invest $40,000 from CFAAC's Environment Fund for environmental projects. Supports projects that improve and green communities, address environmental issues such as stormwater, and increase student awareness and involvement in Chesapeake Bay restoration. Local nonprofits and schools are eligible to apply for funding through the Trust's programs.
• Anne Arundel County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with County Executive Steuart Pittman for community support grants. 73 local nonprofits received $2 million in community support grants through the Arundel Community Building Initiative.
• Anne Arundel Estate Planning CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional advisor organization that CFAAC partners with to provide educational programs and networking for estate planning professionals who help clients with charitable giving.
• Anne Arundel County Volunteer CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to co-honor Volunteer of the Year and Youth Volunteer of the Year at the Celebration of Philanthropy Awards.
• Connelly & Associates Fundraising, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPresenting sponsor for the Celebration of Philanthropy Awards Luncheon.
• Anne Arundel Community College FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor of Celebration of Philanthropy, supporting philanthropy in the county.
• Luminis HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold sponsor of Celebration of Philanthropy through Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation.
• Collective Giving of Anne Arundel CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGiving Circle launched at CFAAC to fund people-first nonprofit programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: The largest national donor-advised fund sponsor. Offers the same core donor-advised fund product as CFAAC but with a digital-first experience and national scale, representing the primary competitive substitute for local community foundations.
• Greater Washington Community Foundation: A larger, more established community foundation serving the greater Washington, DC region. Operates the same donor-advised fund and grantmaking model but at significantly greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• National Philanthropic Trust: A national donor-advised fund sponsor and philanthropic infrastructure provider. Represents a direct substitute for community foundation DAFs at greater scale, with robust digital infrastructure.
• Schwab Charitable: A major national donor-advised fund sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab. Directly competes for donor-advised fund dollars with a tech-enabled platform and investment flexibility that smaller community foundations cannot match.

Direct peers

• The Horizon Foundation: Howard County, Maryland's community foundation operating with a similar donor-advised fund and grantmaking model. Directly comparable in geography (adjacent Maryland county) and product mix.
• Baltimore Community Foundation: A larger Maryland-based community foundation that directly mirrors CFAAC's mission of connecting donors with local causes. BCF is also a current investor/contributor to CFAAC, demonstrating direct peer-level engagement in the same regional philanthropic ecosystem.
• Cecil County Community Foundation: A smaller Maryland community foundation operating a similar model of donor-advised funds, scholarships, and competitive grants. Comparable in scale and mission.
• Mid-Shore Community Foundation: Eastern Shore Maryland community foundation with analogous structure, fund types, and grantmaking programs. Comparable in size, mission, and rural/suburban Maryland geography.
• Community Foundation of Howard County: A Maryland-based community foundation offering donor-advised funds, scholarships, and competitive grant programs. Highly comparable in size, scope, and county-level focus.

Regional players

• Calvert Impact Capital: A Maryland-headquartered impact investing and community development financial institution. Adjacent in mission (community wealth-building) but offers investment products rather than traditional grantmaking, making it a thematic peer rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CFAAC

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County