Chesapeake Charities
Chesapeake Charities is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 2005 that enables donors and nonprofits to establish and administer charitable funds across the Chesapeake Bay region, having invested over $38 million and supporting more than 150 local charities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersStevensville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Chesapeake Charities does
Chesapeake Charities is a tax-exempt community foundation organized under IRS Section 501(c)(3) and headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland. Founded in 2005, the organization operates as an intermediary between donors and the nonprofit ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay region, enabling individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations to establish and manage charitable funds rather than creating standalone private foundations. Since inception, the organization reports having invested more than $38 million across education, health and human services, community development, the arts, animal welfare, and the environment, supporting over 150 local charities and nonprofits primarily across Maryland (Queen Anne's, Kent, Talbot, Caroline, Anne Arundel, Charles, Calvert, St. Mary's, Dorchester, and Cecil counties) and Kent County, Delaware.
The core product suite consists of six fund types — Donor-Advised Funds, Unrestricted Funds, Field of Interest Funds, Designated Funds, Scholarship Funds, and Organizational Endowment Funds — all administered under a single 501(c)(3) umbrella and a single audit/IRS Form 990. Supporting technology consists of an online donation portal (Stripe-processed credit card contributions to any fund) and a Fund Advisor Portal (FCSuite ERP-based, ccharities.fcsuite.com) that allows fund advisors to request grants, manage contributions, and access quarterly statements. The organization also runs a scholarship application services workflow and hosts community events including an annual Celebration of Charity awards luncheon and the Elegance with an Edge Gala.
Revenue mechanics for the organization rest on two streams: administrative fees on funds under management (kept below 5% of assets annually for the past decade), and incoming donations and contributions. Fund minimums are set at $5,000 to open an account, and pricing is not tiered beyond the entry threshold. Go-to-market is community-led and direct: relationships are sourced through the website, Facebook, Instagram, email communications, community events, and referral networks of existing fund advisors. Linda Kohler serves as Executive Director, and the organization is governed by a volunteer board.
Chesapeake Charities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chesapeake Charities
- Legal name
- Chesapeake Charities
- Website
- https://chesapeakecharities.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Chesapeake Charities is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 2005 that enables donors and nonprofits to establish and administer charitable funds across the Chesapeake Bay region, having invested over $38 million and supporting more than 150 local charities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chesapeake Charities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Foundation Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
Keywords
Where Chesapeake Charities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stevensville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chesapeake Charities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Administrative Fees: Chesapeake Charities maintains administrative costs below 5% per year, covered by fees on charitable funds. All funds are covered by a single audit and single 990 form.
- Donations and Contributions: Receives charitable donations from donors into various fund types including donor-advised funds, scholarship funds, and organizational endowment funds.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Minimum fund opening requirement |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Chesapeake Charities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chesapeake Charities is a tax-exempt community foundation that enables individuals, families, and nonprofits to establish charitable funds under a single 501(c)(3) umbrella. It professionally manages the financial, legal, and administrative details of these funds (donor-advised, unrestricted, field-of-interest, designated, scholarship, and organizational endowment types), processes donations through an online portal, conducts weekly grant reviews, and distributes grants to over 150 local charities and nonprofits in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Product overview
Chesapeake Charities operates as a community foundation—a unified platform for charitable giving management. The core offering includes multiple fund types (Donor-Advised, Unrestricted, Field of Interest, Designated, Scholarship, and Organizational Endowment Funds) managed through a single 501(c)(3) designation. The platform is supplemented by an online donation portal enabling credit card contributions to any fund, a Fund Advisor Portal for grant management, and scholarship application services supporting over 150 local charities and nonprofits. Total assets managed exceed $38 million invested since 2005 in education, health, human services, community development, arts, animal welfare, and environment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Donor-Advised Funds Charitable funds enabling donors to recommend specific organizations to receive grants, with Chesapeake Charities professionally managing financial, legal, and administrative details.
- Unrestricted Funds Broadest giving option allowing grants to be made wherever Chesapeake Charities' professional staff determines community needs are greatest.
- Field of Interest Funds Funds created by donors to make grants meeting needs in a particular field (such as education, environment, or arts) or in a specific geographic area of donor interest.
- Designated Funds Funds that provide ongoing support to specific nonprofit organizations while ensuring grants remain relevant over time and responsive to changing community circumstances.
- Scholarship Funds Funds that help students pursue academic goals, with donor-defined guidelines governing candidacy, advisory committee, school, and award amount.
- Organizational Endowment Funds Endowment funds established by nonprofit organizations to provide long-term income to them through Chesapeake Charities' professional endowment management services.
- Scholarship Application Services Administrative services facilitating scholarship applications, eligibility review, and award distribution for local students through named scholarship programs operated via Chesapeake Charities.
- Grants & Evaluation Services Service offering that conducts weekly grant review and evaluation on behalf of donor-advised funds to award grants to nonprofits across the Chesapeake Bay region.
- Grace Street Recovery Community Organization Midshore recovery community organization housed/hosted via Chesapeake Charities, the sole RCO in the area, providing peer-based, non-clinical supports for people affected by substance abuse.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $38 million invested in Chesapeake Bay region since 2005
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Chesapeake Charities
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Chesapeake Charities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Chesapeake Charities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Giving the Edge FoundationminorCo-organizer of the Elegance with an Edge Gala, a black tie event with plated dinner, open bar, auctions, and live music at Chesapeake Bay Beach Club.
- Maryland Police K9 FoundationminorOrganizer of Christmas with the K9s event held at Cult Classic Brewery, benefiting police K9 units across Maryland.
- Richard Meehan (Mayor of Ocean City)minorAdvocate of the Year award recipient at Celebration of Charity 2025. As Mayor of Ocean City, recognizes community philanthropy in Maryland Tourism industry.
- Michael Rosato (Artist)minorInnovator of the Year award recipient at Celebration of Charity 2025 for artistic contributions to the community.
- Leonardtown Business AssociationminorNonprofit of the Year award recipient at Celebration of Charity 2025 for impact on the Chesapeake Bay region.
- Laurie Walters (Main Street Rock Hall)minorVolunteer of the Year award recipient at Celebration of Charity 2025 for exceptional volunteer service.
- MAPPA (MD Assoc. of Prevention Professionals and Advocates)minorHost of 2025 MAPPA Annual Conference at Chesapeake Charities venue, a 2-day prevention conference on 'Prevention in a Changing World'.
- Samuel Carroll Cancer FoundationminorOrganizer of SamFEST event at Twain's Tavern, raising awareness and providing health education for young men.
- Wayfinders Testicular Health FundminorPresenting organization of Putts Fore! Nuts charity mini-golf tournament to raise awareness of testicular cancer.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chesapeake Charities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Silicon Valley Community Foundation: A major U.S. community foundation managing billions in charitable assets with donor-advised fund, scholarship, and corporate giving programs. Comparable in product offerings to Chesapeake Charities but operating at a substantially larger asset scale nationally.
- Cleveland Foundation: One of the oldest and largest community foundations in the U.S., offering donor-advised funds, competitive grantmaking, and endowment services. It represents the scaled-up version of the community foundation model that Chesapeake Charities operates.
- Schwab Charitable: A leading national donor-advised fund sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab, offering tax-advantaged giving accounts with a digital-first experience. It competes with regional community foundations for donors prioritizing scale, low fees, and geographic flexibility.
- National Philanthropic Trust: A national donor-advised fund sponsor and philanthropic services provider. Offers DAF accounts with multi-platform accessibility and competes with community foundations including Chesapeake Charities for high-net-worth donors seeking flexible giving vehicles.
- Fidelity Charitable: The largest national donor-advised fund sponsor in the U.S., offering similar donor-advised fund products with a national digital platform. It competes with Chesapeake Charities for donors considering DAF vehicles but operates at vastly greater scale.
Direct peers
- Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore: A community foundation serving Maryland's Eastern Shore with donor-advised funds, scholarships, and nonprofit grantmaking. It operates with a similar fund-type portfolio and geographic focus on the Mid-Atlantic region as Chesapeake Charities.
- The Baltimore Community Foundation: A Maryland-based community foundation serving the Baltimore region. It offers donor-advised funds, scholarship funds, and endowment services under a 501(c)(3) designation, directly comparable to Chesapeake Charities' model in an adjacent Maryland geography.
Regional players
- Greater Washington Community Foundation: A community foundation serving the greater Washington, D.C. region with donor-advised funds, scholarships, and nonprofit grantmaking. Operates a comparable fund portfolio to Chesapeake Charities within an adjacent Mid-Atlantic geography.
- Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina: A regional community foundation serving coastal South Carolina with donor-advised funds, scholarships, and grantmaking to local nonprofits. Operates a structurally similar model to Chesapeake Charities but in a different U.S. coastal geography.
Emerging players
- Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund: A national donor-advised fund sponsor affiliated with Raymond James, offering tax-advantaged giving accounts. Comparable to Chesapeake Charities' donor-advised fund product but distributed through a wealth advisory channel rather than community ties.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Chesapeake Charities social profiles
Digital presenceChesapeake Charities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chesapeake Charities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Chesapeake Charities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chesapeake Charities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chesapeake Charities
What does Chesapeake Charities do?
Chesapeake Charities is a tax-exempt community foundation that enables individuals, families, and nonprofits to establish charitable funds under a single 501(c)(3) umbrella. It professionally manages the financial, legal, and administrative details of these funds (donor-advised, unrestricted, field-of-interest, designated, scholarship, and organizational endowment types), processes donations through an online portal, conducts weekly grant reviews, and distributes grants to over 150 local charities and nonprofits in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Is Chesapeake Charities a public or private company?
Chesapeake Charities is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Chesapeake Charities founded?
Chesapeake Charities was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Chesapeake Charities based?
Chesapeake Charities is headquartered in Stevensville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chesapeake Charities make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Administrative Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Contributions.
Who are Chesapeake Charities's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Cleveland Foundation, Schwab Charitable, National Philanthropic Trust and Fidelity Charitable. Direct peers are Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore and The Baltimore Community Foundation. Regional players are Greater Washington Community Foundation and Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina. Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund is listed as an emerging player.
Does Chesapeake Charities have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chesapeake Charities.
What industry is Chesapeake Charities in?
Chesapeake Charities's product category is Community Foundation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.