Background

HoCoRespond Funders Background

HoCoRespond funders have a long history of collaboration and partnership to support the Howard County community. We have been working together to support our community in a variety of ways:

HoCoRespond Covid Funding

In March 2020 a number of Howard County funders immediately joined together to respond to the Covid-19 Pandemic by collectively creating HoCoRespond. The Community Foundation of Howard County, Horizon Foundation, Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, and United Way of Central Maryland announced new emergency funds and actions to support community members affected by COVID-19, and established HoCoRespond.com to support Howard County nonprofits on the frontline of support, focusing on assisting with food security, housing, childcare and healthcare. We collectively raised over $600,000 and gave a total of $608,500 in HoCoRespond COVID-19 Emergency Funds to Howard County nonprofits.

HoCoRespond Changemaker Challenge

In 2017 The Horizon Foundation and United Way of Central Maryland partnered to create The Changemaker Challenge, a "Shark Tank" competition for social change where they collectively gave 3 grants totaling $25,000 to 3 nonprofit partners. Learn more: www.thehorizonfoundation.org/three-local-residents-win-changemaker-challenge-10000-launch-social-change-projects
In 2019 they partnered again to host The Changemaker Challenge and gave 4 grants totaling $60,000 to 4 nonprofit partners. Learn more: www.thehorizonfoundation.org/congratulations-2019-changemaker-challenge-winners/
In 2021 The Community Foundation of Howard County, Horizon Foundation, Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, and United Way of Central Maryland, joined forces and gave 4 grants totaling $60,000 to 4 nonprofit partners. Learn more: www.thehorizonfoundation.org/congratulations-2021-changemaker-challenge-winners
In 2024 we also partnered with Howard County Government and gave 6 grants totaling $100,000 to 6 nonprofit partners. Learn more
Together, we've given almost $250 to 17 nonprofit partners in Howard County to support social innovation, and UWCM expanded the Changemaker Challenge to incorporate all counties in Central Maryland.

HoCoRespond Joint Statements

There are times when HoCoRespond funders have chosen to make joint statements, including:

Local Philanthropic Organizations Issue Joint Statement on Insurrection at U.S. Capitol - January 12, 2021 www.womensgivingcircle.org/blog/local-philanthropic-organizations-issue-joint-statement-on-insurrection-at-us-capitol