San Mar Family & Community Services

What San Mar Family & Community Services does

San Mar Family & Community Services is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) human services organization founded in 1883 and headquartered on a Boonsboro, Maryland campus at 8504 Mapleville Road, with a second site at 356 Mill Street in Hagerstown. The organization operates three integrated core programs: Treatment Foster Care, which places children with high-acuity behavioral and mental health needs in licensed treatment foster homes under contract with state social services agencies; the Jack E. Barr Center for Well-Being, an outpatient mental health clinic serving 150-250 active clients with individual and family therapy; and Bester Community of Hope, a place-based community development initiative in Hagerstown's South End anchored at Bester Elementary and E. Russell Hicks Middle School with afterschool programming, a school-based health center, and a 3-mile walking loop. The organization rebranded in 2017-2018 from San Mar Children's Home to its current name following a strategic pivot away from residential group care toward community-based services, and it is currently executing a nearly $6 million Full-Service Housing for Transition Age Youth initiative to convert its original 1883 orphanage building into 15 supportive apartments for young women aging out of foster care.

The organization's revenue model is a hybrid of donations (individual, corporate, and major-gift philanthropy), restricted and unrestricted foundation grants (notably from the Nora Roberts Foundation, Casey Family Programs, and the Alice Virginia and David W. Fletcher Foundation), government contracts and grants (Washington County DSS, Maryland State Department of Education 21st Century CCLC at $400K annually, HRSA at $50K/year over five years), and event-based fundraising led by the 37-year-old Great Bicycle Tour (over $2 million raised cumulatively, $175K in 2024) and the annual Dream Gala. Services are delivered at no direct cost to Treatment Foster Care participants, while the mental health clinic accepts insurance with wraparound unreimbursed services. San Mar maintains continuous Council on Accreditation status since 2001 and is led by CEO Keith Fanjoy, Deputy Executive Director Jerica Washington, and a board chaired by Mark Halsey; the organization employs 11-50 staff and serves more than 1,000 individuals annually across Washington County, Western Maryland.

Name

San Mar Family & Community Services

Legal name

San Mar Family & Community Services

Website

https://sanmarhope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1883

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

San Mar Family & Community Services is a 142-year-old nonprofit in Washington County, Maryland, delivering treatment foster care, outpatient mental health services, and community-based prevention programming to children, families, and transition-age youth.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Human Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Treatment foster care
• Outpatient mental health services
• Nonprofit human services
• Community-based prevention programs
• Transition-age youth housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Boonsboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: San Mar solicits individual donations through its website (Network for Good portal) and direct mail campaigns. The organization emphasizes that 100% of donations go directly to program support.
2. Annual Fundraising Events: The Great Bicycle Tour of the C&O Canal is San Mar's largest annual fundraiser, a 184.5-mile fully-supported four-day ride from Cumberland, MD to Washington, D.C. The event has raised well over $2 million in its 37-year history. Additional events include the Dream Gala at Fountain Head Country Club.
3. Major Gifts and Capital Campaign: San Mar runs a capital campaign for its multi-million dollar campus renovation, including Full-Service Housing for Transition Age Youth. Notable lead gifts include $1,000,000 from the Nora Roberts Foundation and $75,000 from the Jone L. Bowman Family Foundation. The campaign combines federal, state, local, and private philanthropy.
4. Planned Giving: San Mar operates a planned giving program accessible at sanmarhope.planned.gifts, enabling donors to include the organization in wills and estate planning.
5. Government and Foundation Grants: San Mar receives government grants including $400,000 annually from Maryland State Department of Education for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a $250,000 HRSA grant over five years for health services, and ongoing support from Washington County Department of Social Services. Foundation support comes from Casey Family Programs, Alice Virginia and David W. Fletcher Foundation, and others.
6. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate underwriting and sponsorship support for events including The Great Bicycle Tour, with presenting sponsor The Nora Roberts Foundation, and lead sponsors including Dot Foods, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Fulton Bank, Middletown Valley Bank, Meritus Health, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

San Mar Family & Community Services is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) human services organization delivering three integrated core programs to children, families, and communities in Washington County, Maryland: Treatment Foster Care (placing children with significant mental health or behavioral needs with licensed treatment foster families), the Jack E. Barr Center for Well-Being (outpatient individual and family mental health therapy), and Bester Community of Hope (community-based prevention, afterschool, health, and neighborhood revitalization programming in the South End of Hagerstown). The organization also operates a Community Solutions Hub for data and outcomes measurement and is developing Full-Service Housing for Transition Age Youth (15 apartments for young women aging out of foster care).

Product overview

San Mar Family & Community Services operates as a nonprofit human services organization offering multiple interconnected programs. The core portfolio includes Treatment Foster Care (placing children with high-intensity needs in supportive families), the Bester Community of Hope (community-based prevention and neighborhood support services), the Jack E. Barr Center for Well-Being (outpatient mental health clinic), and Community Solutions Hub (centralized data and outcomes measurement). A new Full-Service Housing initiative for transition-age youth addresses the gap in housing support for young adults aging out of systems of care. The organization shifted strategy from residential/group care to family and community-driven services, serving over 1,000 individuals annually through its programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Treatment Foster Care A licensed foster care program placing children with high-intensity mental health or behavioral needs into certified foster families throughout Washington County, Maryland. Includes treatment planning, ongoing case management, reunification support, and trauma-informed foster parent training and licensing. Referrals come primarily from the Washington County Department of Social Services; services are provided at no cost to families.
• Jack E. Barr Center for Well-Being An outpatient mental health clinic providing individual and family therapy, mental health treatment, and wraparound care coordination for community members of all ages in Washington County. Accepts insurance and provides sliding-scale or unreimbursed services to reduce barriers to care; maintains 150-250 active clients.
• Bester Community of Hope A community-based prevention and neighborhood revitalization initiative serving residents of Hagerstown's South End / Bester Elementary School neighborhood. Provides afterschool enrichment (BOOST), school-based health center services, parent education, family scholarships, walking groups, neighborhood block parties, and partnership-driven programming with schools, healthcare providers, and community organizations. One of only 14 national Casey Family Programs sites and recipient of the Jim Casey Building Communities of Hope award.
• Community Solutions Hub

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,000 individuals served annually across three core programs
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Washington County Department of Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington County Department of Social Services provides primary funding and referral support for San Mar's Treatment Foster Care program and is a key partner in the Bester Community of Hope initiative. The department co-sponsored the annual 'Common Ground' community training event and is a partner in collective impact efforts in the South End of Hagerstown.
• Meritus HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeritus Health is a key healthcare partner for San Mar's school-based health center initiatives. As part of the partnership to create certified school-based health centers at Bester Elementary and E. Russell Hicks Middle School, Meritus Health worked with San Mar, the Community Free Clinic, and Washington County Public Schools to meet Maryland State Department of Education certification standards. Meritus Health also sponsors The Great Bicycle Tour and Dream Gala.
• Community Free Clinic of Washington CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Community Free Clinic serves as the healthcare provider for the Bester Elementary School health center, providing free acute health care services to children whose parents complete a basic consent form — no insurance required. Over 50% of school students were registered for these services. The clinic collaborated with Bester Community of Hope since the health center's founding in Fall 2016.
• Washington County Health DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Washington County Health Department provided a grant supporting the South End walking loop created by Bester Community of Hope in the walking school bus initiative. The department also co-sponsored the Recovery Coach Academy training with Bester Community of Hope and Washington County Dept. of Human Services.
• Washington County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington County Public Schools partners with San Mar for school-based health centers and afterschool programming. Bester Elementary School and E. Russell Hicks Middle School are key partners in the Bester Community of Hope initiative, with principals and school leadership actively involved in program development.
• Zavos Architecture + DesigncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerZavos Architecture + Design, a Frederick, Maryland firm founded by Bruce Zavos in 2003, was selected as the architect for the north campus renovation project converting the Anna K. Findlay center (former orphanage building) into 15 apartments for transition-age young women. The firm's stated mission is 'positive change in the communities in which we work, through thoughtful and emotive design ideas.'
• Goldsmith Consulting Design AssociatescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGoldsmith Consulting Design Associates (GCD), based in Walkersville, Maryland, was selected as the architect for south campus efforts to renovate former congregate care programs into professional offices for mental health (Jack E. Barr Center for Well-Being) and care coordination/foster care case management. President Michael Goldsmith has provided ongoing consultation to San Mar leadership for 18 months on aligning campus assets to proposed new programming.
• Bester Elementary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBester Elementary School is the geographic anchor for Bester Community of Hope, San Mar's flagship community prevention initiative. The school is the site of afterschool programming (BOOST), a school-based health center, the annual Babypalooza event, community block parties, and the 3-mile South End Walking Loop. Principal Dr. Kristen English has been a key partner in the initiative.
• E. Russell Hicks Middle SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerE. Russell Hicks Middle School is an expansion site for Bester Community of Hope programming, including afterschool opportunities and a new school-based health center, in addition to the existing programming at Bester Elementary School.
• Boys & Girls Club of Washington CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Boys & Girls Club of Washington County partners with Bester Community of Hope on the Tomorrow's Leaders program, which pays teenagers a stipend to work at summer camp and volunteer, while gaining job readiness skills. The program was resurrected in 2018 with BCOH partnership.
• Ladders to LeadersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLadders to Leaders, founded by San Mar board member David Lidz, partners with Bester Community of Hope on youth programming including the monarch butterfly garden at Bester Elementary that serves as an outdoor classroom.
• Hagerstown Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHagerstown Community College hosted the 'Unconditional Care' community training event (April 2019) at the Kepler Theater, drawing 450 community stakeholders for a training focused on self-care and the impact of caring for others.
• Hagerstown Artists GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hagerstown Artists Group collaborated with Bester Community of Hope and the South End Neighborhoods 1st group to create a community mural in a railroad underpass on West Memorial Boulevard, symbolizing growth with words like 'hope,' 'love,' 'friendship,' and 'together' in English, German, and Spanish.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pressley Ridge: Pittsburgh-based nonprofit providing community-based, residential, and educational programs for children and youth in foster care or with behavioral health needs. Comparable model combining treatment foster care and community prevention work.
• Bethany Christian Services: Faith-based nonprofit delivering foster care, adoption, refugee services, and family support with offices across the U.S. Directly comparable to San Mar's Treatment Foster Care and family stabilization services.
• Arrow Child & Family Ministries: Faith-rooted nonprofit delivering foster care, adoption, residential treatment, and family preservation across multiple states. Directly comparable in mission to San Mar's child welfare programs.
• Boys Town: National nonprofit operating residential, family-based, and community youth services — including foster care, behavioral health, and parent education. Direct peer to San Mar's Treatment Foster Care and Jack E. Barr Center models.
• Chaddock: Illinois-based nonprofit providing therapeutic foster care, residential treatment, behavioral health, and family services. Direct peer for Treatment Foster Care and community-based youth services.
• KVC Health Systems: Multi-state child welfare and behavioral health nonprofit operating foster care, family preservation, and in-home services across the Midwest. Highly comparable to San Mar's Treatment Foster Care and community-based support offerings.

Regional players

• Boys & Girls Club of Washington County: Local Washington County youth development organization partnering with San Mar's Bester Community of Hope on Tomorrow's Leaders and afterschool programming. Comparable in serving the same catchment area and youth population.

Others

• Maryland Coalition of Families: Statewide family peer support and advocacy organization that collaborates with San Mar — its staff (e.g., Ashley Tauler) also serve on San Mar's board. Thematically adjacent in wraparound caregiver and youth support services.

Broad incumbents

• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Large national nonprofit operating residential and community behavioral health, foster care, and family services across 13+ states. Broader incumbent providing similar service categories as San Mar across multiple service lines.
• Catholic Charities of Baltimore: Maryland-wide social services nonprofit that previously operated the Villa Maria behavioral health program closed in 2019. Overlapping service lines with San Mar including mental health, foster care, and community support in Maryland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SanMarTFC
• Facebookfacebook.com/SanMarHope

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 San Mar Family & Community Services