$1.5 Million Headed To 57 Nonprofits Serving Charles County Residents

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — From free meals and diapers to mental health care, youth programs, support for veterans, housing assistance, the arts and services for people with disabilities, millions of dollars worth of nonprofit work happens every day across Charles County.

This year, 57 organizations will receive a share of $1.5 million to help keep that work going.

The Charles County Charitable Trust has announced its fiscal 2027 nonprofit grant recipients, directing county funding toward organizations providing services to Charles County residents.

The awards touch nearly every part of the community, including food insecurity, homelessness, health care, domestic violence, disability services, education, environmental conservation, the arts, youth development, animal welfare and veteran support.

But behind those 57 grants is another nonprofit whose job is largely to help all the others succeed.

Helping Charles County Nonprofits For A Decade

The Charles County Charitable Trust was founded in 2016 to strengthen the county’s nonprofit sector.

Charles County is home to more than 500 nonprofits, ranging from small volunteer organizations to larger regional agencies.

The Trust manages the county’s competitive nonprofit grant process using funding provided by the Charles County Board of County Commissioners.

That means its role does not end when an organization receives a check.

Trust staff review grant spending, conduct site visits and track how funded programs are affecting Charles County residents.

The organization also provides nonprofit training and professional development in areas including fundraising, marketing, communications, collaboration and long-term sustainability.

The goal is to help nonprofits not only fund a program for one year, but become stronger organizations capable of serving the community well into the future.

$1.5 Million Going Back Into The Community

The 2027 grant recipients represent a wide range of missions, with funding supporting everything from food assistance and health care to youth programs, housing, disability services, the arts, veterans and residents facing crisis.

LifeStream Church of the Nazarene received $23,125 for distributions of fresh produce, dairy products and eggs, while Wayside Food Bank received $20,350 for grocery distribution.

Our Place Waldorf received $55,500 to support its soup kitchen.

Others address needs that may be less visible.

The Maryland Diaper Bank received $41,273 for diapers, hygiene essentials and postpartum kits.

Health Partners received $45,325 to help provide dental care to residents in need, while Center for Children received $55,500 to support a child psychiatrist providing mental health services to uninsured children.

Several grants will support residents with disabilities, including funding for residential group homes, assistive technology, employment programs, and inclusive arts and community programs.

Other awards will help domestic violence survivors, crime victims, veterans, young musicians, student athletes, future community leaders and families struggling to remain housed.

Over the coming weeks, The BayNet will spotlight each of the 57 nonprofit recipients individually, looking at what they do, how the grant will help and how Charles County residents can use or support their services.

A New Home For Charles County’s Nonprofit Community

The grants come during another major year for the Charitable Trust.

In 2026, the organization gained a permanent home at 10250 La Plata Road in La Plata, giving it something more than office space. The new Vivian Mills Center for Nonprofits is designed to serve as a hub for the local nonprofit community, with affordable office and meeting space where organizations can work, connect and collaborate.

The center is named in honor of Vivian H. Mills, the Charitable Trust’s first executive director and a longtime champion of Southern Maryland nonprofits. Mills helped build the network of training, resources and collaboration that continues through the Trust today, making the new center a fitting continuation of her work.

And now, the community will get a chance to see the new space for itself.

The Charles County Charitable Trust will hold a ribbon-cutting and open house from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Vivian Mills Center for Nonprofits.

The event will give residents, nonprofit leaders and community partners an opportunity to tour the Trust’s new home and learn more about how the center will support organizations serving Charles County.

The county-owned, approximately 2,175-square-foot building is being leased to the Trust under a 15-year agreement for $1 per year, helping create a permanent gathering place for a nonprofit community that includes hundreds of organizations throughout Charles County.

The building is located at 10250 La Plata Road, La Plata, MD 20646.

Named For The Woman Who Helped Build It

Before helping lead the Charitable Trust, Mills worked with the College of Southern Maryland’s Nonprofit Institute, helping provide training, resources and support to organizations throughout the region.

She went on to lead the Charitable Trust during its early years and helped expand its work beyond distributing grants to include education, collaboration and nonprofit capacity building.

Mills retired as executive director in 2021 and passes in late 2024.

Her influence on the nonprofit community remained strong enough that county commissioners chose to put her name on the new center.

The Trust has also established a Vivian Mills Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing people whose long-term service reflects that same commitment to the community.

For an organization built around strengthening nonprofits, naming its permanent home for Mills keeps part of that history connected to the work still happening inside.

More Than A Place To Apply For Money

For residents, the Charitable Trust may be most visible each year when grant awards are announced.

For nonprofit leaders, its role is much broader.

The Trust also works to connect nonprofits with one another through its new Charitable Trust Connections initiative. Organizations can share needs, available resources and partnership opportunities, from extra office furniture or conference room space to requests for volunteers or community partners. The Trust then helps spread those opportunities through its network, including its monthly emails and social media, giving local nonprofits another way to share resources rather than working in isolation.

The new Vivian Mills Center for Nonprofits adds physical space to that support.

A newer nonprofit that may not have its own office can have access to professional space. Organizations can use conference rooms for meetings. Nonprofit leaders can connect with other groups serving the same residents instead of working separately.

That collaboration can be especially important when one family may need help from several organizations at once.

A resident experiencing homelessness, for example, may also need food assistance, transportation, health care, employment support and help replacing identification documents.

Connecting the organizations providing those services can make it easier for residents to find their way from one resource to another.

How Residents Can Help

The Charitable Trust’s work depends on more than county grant funding.

Residents and businesses can donate directly to the Charles County Charitable Trust, with contributions supporting microgrants and other nonprofit initiatives that help the Trust respond to needs across the community.

Businesses, organizations and residents can also support the nonprofit sector through sponsorships, partnerships, volunteering and by connecting local groups with resources they may need.

The community can learn more about the Charles County Charitable Trust, explore its fiscal 2027 grant program or donate to help support local nonprofit initiatives.

Click here to view the full list of fiscal 2027 grant recipients and awards on the Charles County Charitable Trust website.

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