Association of Community Services

What Association of Community Services does

The Association of Community Services (ACS) of Howard County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association founded in 1963 and headquartered at 9770 Patuxent Woods Drive, Suite 301, Columbia, Maryland. ACS serves as the primary umbrella organization for Howard County's nonprofit sector, providing coordination, training, advocacy, and shared infrastructure to a network of more than 80 member organizations spanning housing, mental health, education, seniors, environment, food assistance, and other service areas. The organization is led by a four-person staff headed by Executive Director Lois Mikkila, with program leads Cheri Auger (NonProfit Collaborative), Kim Patton (HoCo Excel), and Elana Orzach (Member Engagement), and is governed by a board composed of representatives drawn from member organizations including APL Credit Union, Ohana of Howard County, Bridges to Housing Stability, Johns Hopkins HC Medical Center, and others.

ACS's service portfolio centers on tiered organizational memberships ($125–$995 annual dues based on operating budget), individual community advocate memberships ($85/year), training workshops on nonprofit management topics, the HoCo Excel Nonprofit Excelerator cohort program (launched August 2024 with five nonprofits), the NonProfit Collaborative shared office facility (opened 2017 with 13 tenant organizations), policy advocacy across multiple county boards and coalitions, and signature events such as Fall Fest and Exec-to-Exec Forums. Supporting operations are administrative — Glueup for membership and event management, the Zeffy platform for donations, and a website hosting a member directory and jobs board — with no proprietary technology development. Distribution combines direct membership enrollment, in-person programming at the NonProfit Collaborative, and digital channels (ACS Connections newsletter, LinkedIn, Facebook).

Revenue is generated from subscription-based membership dues (organizational and individual), program and event sponsorships at $500–$2,500 per tier, donations via Zeffy, meeting-room rentals at the NPC (with 20% member discount), and foundation grants (a $5,000 contribution from Community Foundation of Howard County was recorded in January 2025). FY26 engagement metrics reported by ACS include 16 new members, 23 events attended by 742 nonprofit professionals, 97% of survey respondents gaining useful knowledge, 94% developing valuable relationships, and 100% willingness to recommend membership. The organization holds the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency for 2026 and maintains operational partnerships with the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services, Community Foundation of Howard County, and Maryland Nonprofits.

Name

Association of Community Services

Legal name

Association of Community Services of Howard County

Website

https://acshoco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Association of Community Services (ACS) is a Howard County, Maryland nonprofit membership association founded in 1963 that strengthens the local nonprofit sector through tiered memberships, training, advocacy representation, the NonProfit Collaborative shared facility, and capacity-building programs serving 80+ member organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Sector Support Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Compliance, Governance & Board Support Services (BPAJAHAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Nonprofit support services
• Capacity building programs
• Membership association
• Shared workspace services
• Advocacy representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Organizational Membership Dues: Tiered annual dues based on organization operating budget, ranging from $125 (budget under $25,000) to $995 (budget over $5 million). Membership term July 1 - June 30.
2. Individual Membership Dues: $85 per year for community advocates, with promotional offer of 2 free months for May joiners.
3. Donations: ACS accepts donations through Zeffy platform and by check. Donations support ACS operations and programs serving Howard County nonprofits.
4. Event Sponsorships: Fall Fest annual fundraiser offers sponsorship packages with recognition across ACS communications. Sponsorship opportunities range from in-kind to multi-tier financial sponsorships.
5. Program Sponsorships: Sponsorship tiers for specific programs: Conversation Series ($2,500), Lending Library ($1,250), Board Training ($1,250), Exec-to-Exec Forums ($500).
6. Meeting Room Rentals: NPC offers shared meeting spaces available to county nonprofits. ACS members receive 20% discount on rental rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Association of Community Services (ACS) is a membership-based nonprofit association that supports Howard County, Maryland's nonprofit sector through tiered organizational and individual memberships, training and capacity-building programs, sector advocacy on county boards, and management of the NonProfit Collaborative shared facility. Revenue is generated from membership dues, donations, sponsorships, and facility rentals, with member organizations accessing training, advocacy representation, peer networking, and a curated resource library.

Product overview

ACS operates as a membership-based nonprofit support organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offerings include tiered Organizational and Individual Memberships that provide access to training, advocacy, and networking benefits. Key programs include HoCo Excel (a three-year Nonprofit Excelerator cohort), the NonProfit Collaborative (shared nonprofit center), and various training workshops. ACS also operates platform features including a Jobs Board and Member Directory, hosts events like Fall Fest and Exec-to-Exec Forums, publishes the ACS Connections newsletter, and provides resource tools such as a Racial Equity Toolkit. Policy advocacy and legislative resources round out the service portfolio, all designed to strengthen Howard County's nonprofit sector through connection, capacity-building, and collective voice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of survey respondents gained useful knowledge and skills through ACS
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Howard County Department of Community Resources & ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Co-partner with ACS and Community Foundation of Howard County in HoCo Excel, Howard County's Nonprofit Excelerator program. DCRS provides county government perspective and resources for capacity building initiatives.
• Community Foundation of Howard CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Co-partner with ACS and Howard County Department of Community Resources & Services in HoCo Excel. CFHoCo provides philanthropic perspective and potentially grant funding for the program.
• NonProfit Collaborative TenantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACS manages the NonProfit Collaborative (NPC), Howard County's only nonprofit center opened in 2017. Thirteen tenant organizations share space and services. Tenants include Howard EcoWorks, NAMI Howard County, and other nonprofits. The NPC also offers meeting spaces to other county nonprofits at discounted rates for ACS members.
• Howard County Board to Promote Self-SufficiencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACS is a member of this county board, contributing to policy discussions on financial self-sufficiency issues affecting Howard County residents.
• Howard County Housing Affordability CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACS participates in this coalition addressing housing affordability issues, contributing advocacy perspective on behalf of the nonprofit sector.
• Financial Empowerment Center Advisory CouncilsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerACS provides input on financial empowerment initiatives serving Howard County residents through this advisory council.
• Local Health Improvement CoalitionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerACS participates in health improvement planning efforts, representing the nonprofit sector's perspective on community health needs.
• NAMI Howard CountysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorACS hosts job postings for member organizations. NAMI Howard County uses ACS platform to recruit a Program and Volunteer Coordinator (Part Time, Columbia, MD, posted April 2026).
• Song's Cultural Connections FoundationsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerProgram sponsor providing funding for ACS programs. Listed as the Program Sponsor for ACS initiatives including training and community conversations.
• Maryland NonprofitssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerACS members access discounted rates for certain training workshops offered by Maryland Nonprofits. ACS also links to Maryland Nonprofits resources including DEI Self-Assessment.
• OhanaHCsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorACS hosts job postings for member organizations. OhanaHC uses ACS platform to recruit a Development & Community Engagement Manager (Full Time, Columbia, MD, posted May 2026).
• Howard County Executive Calvin BallcoreOthersHoward County Executive joined ACS at NonProfit Collaborative to announce legislation renewing county government's rent subsidy agreement for NPC tenants for another 10 years.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• United Way of Central Maryland: Regional funder and convener operating in the Baltimore/Central Maryland area, with overlapping nonprofit partners and a board seat represented at ACS. Plays a complementary role in the same Howard County funding ecosystem.
• Maryland Philanthropy Network: Statewide network of Maryland foundations and corporate giving programs. Connects ACS to many of its same foundation partners and competes indirectly for philanthropic attention and capacity-building funding.

Direct peers

• Center for Nonprofit Advancement: DC-area nonprofit support organization offering training, consulting, and advocacy — directly comparable to ACS in scope and geography (DC/Maryland region), serving similarly sized member nonprofits with capacity-building programming.
• The Nonprofit Partnership: Erie, PA-based nonprofit association offering training, networking, and capacity building to member organizations — analogous scope and mission to ACS at a comparable regional scale.
• Maryland Nonprofits: Statewide membership association for Maryland nonprofits that already partners with ACS to offer discounted training. Operates a directly comparable mission — convening, training, and advocating for the state's nonprofit sector — but at the state level rather than a single county.
• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Bay Area-based nonprofit support organization providing training, consulting, and leadership development for nonprofit staff and boards. Closely mirrors ACS's training and capacity-building service mix.
• MAP for Nonprofits: Michigan-based nonprofit association providing training, consulting, and shared services to member nonprofits — a directly analogous model to ACS, including a similar mix of cohort programs, advocacy, and member support.

Broad incumbents

• Independent Sector: National membership organization of nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs. Offers policy advocacy and research comparable to ACS's policy priorities work, but operates at a national rather than county scale.
• National Council of Nonprofits: The largest network of nonprofit associations in the U.S., serving state and regional associations like ACS. Provides national advocacy, resources, and infrastructure that overlap with and potentially substitute for ACS's convening and policy role.

Emerging players

• BoardSource: National nonprofit focused on board governance and leadership — directly overlaps with ACS's board training workshops and governance support services, and could compete for the same audience in board development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AssociationofCommunityServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-community-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Association of Community Services