ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has launched $500,000 in grant funding for non-profits to design and implement forward-thinking, emerging, and creative ideas to support the community. The Transform Howard Innovation Grants will accept applications for five categories focused on students, infrastructure, residents, cybersecurity, and the environment. Grant awards will range from $5,000 to $50,000. Applications are open through November 19th and can be completed online here.
Progress and transformation are not possible without imagination, and we want to continue to do our part to support and encourage innovative ideas. These grants support projects that will benefit our residents of all ages and abilities but will also foster a culture of inventive ideas throughout our non-profit community. This pandemic has left a clear strain on support services, and we know that to truly Transform Howard, we need to support our non-profits on the ground interacting with our most vulnerable day in and out.
Applications will be accepted for the following grant categories:
- Reliable & Accessible Infrastructure - Modernization, Technology, or Equity in Digital Access
- Ready & Successful Students - Youth Education and Empowerment
- Thriving & Healthy Residents - Next Generation Storytellers
- Safe & Engaged - Improving Cybersecurity and Resilience
- Clean & Sustainable Environment - Innovation in Sustainability
Howard County will also be offering two information sessions for potential grantees and their partners to engage with staff and learn more about the application process. The first session is Monday November 1st from 9:30-10:30 a.m., and a second session will be offered on Thursday, November 4th from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Interested parties can register for the sessions online.
As we emerge from the pandemic, rebuilding and modernization are essential. We are also looking for new and unique partnerships that maximize impact for the community.
Application Requirements
- Applicants must demonstrate that the organization is a 501c(3) and in good standing.
- Applicants must provide direct services to the residents of Howard County. Maryland (if the agency serves a larger geographic area, funding may only be requested for those services offered within Howard County, Maryland).
- Alignment with at least one of the grant categories.
- Organization demonstrates equitable partnerships with other non-profit organizations. Specifically, the non-profit must be able to show the collaboration and willingness of the partnership with other organizations.
The Transform Howard Innovation Grants build on County Executive Ball’s original round of Innovation Grants distributed in February 2020, which awarded eight grantees with a total of $225,000. The Ball Administration also distributed $1 million in CARES Act Funding to Howard County non-profits through the Rise to the Challenge grants in August 2020.