Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc
Based in Annapolis, Maryland, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc. is a public charity founded in 1966 and dedicated to saving the Chesapeake Bay and its waterways. Its work includes environmental restoration, education, advocacy, and litigation; its 2025 filing also reports grants to external organizations.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc gave $558K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), top state Maryland. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $558,397
- +46.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $42,954
- +35.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $27,885
- Total assets
- $127,940,157
- -1.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (49% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403-4503
Phone: (410) 268-8816
Website: https://cbf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Chesapeake Bay Trust ($147K). Together the top 10 received $515K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($31,313), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
64 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 64 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Maryland (49%), Pennsylvania (36%), Virginia (14%), and Washington, D.C. (1%). These shares describe the locations of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 13 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $39K; repeat grants $45K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $29K repeat.
- 62% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+11%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $182K (2020) to $762K (2021). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $558K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake Bay Trust Annapolis, MD | Chesapeake Bay Trust Grant Program Administration | $146,692 |
| Conservation and Development Area Council Carlisle, PA | Expanding Rotational Grazing through the Mountains to Bay Grazing Alliance. | $108,326 |
| Center for Watershed Protection Inc Fulton, MD | Choptank: Building Capacity to Enhance Watershed and Community Health | $101,543 |
| Capital Area Greenbelt Association Inc Harrisburg, PA | Keystone 10 million trees project for restoration of the city of Greenbelt's Parkway Creek | $49,845 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $31,313 |
| VA Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Natural Heritage Richmond, VA | Establishing a Plan for Virginia's Freshwater Mussels | $31,092 |
| Virginia Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) Richmond, VA | Greening Faith Places and Community Spaces project to enhance water quality improvement efforts in Central Virginia. | $27,885 |
| Future Harvest Cockeysville, MD | Expanding Rotational Grazing through the Mountains to Bay Grazing Alliance. | $14,255 |
| Groundwork RVA Richmond, VA | Greening Faith Places and Community Spaces project to enhance water quality improvement efforts in Central Virginia. | $13,323 |
| Let's Go 1-2-3 Cheltenham, PA | Mira Lloyd Dock Partnership Award for community engagement and environmental conservation work in PA | $12,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2025 filing reports 13 grants; the 2024 and 2023 filings report 12 grants each.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $127,940,157 | $35,411,298 | $37,408,233 | $558,397 | 13 | $6,308,981 |
| 2024 | $129,315,017 | $36,221,171 | $35,057,375 | $380,305 | 12 | $4,625,288 |
| 2023 | $126,475,382 | $32,201,003 | $34,140,334 | $297,546 | 12 | $3,369,490 |
| 2022 | $125,747,119 | $37,482,212 | $31,537,989 | $502,127 | 14 | $5,454,727 |
| 2021 | $137,261,468 | $30,431,085 | $29,437,892 | $761,561 | 13 | $6,225,594 |
| 2020 | $126,294,841 | $37,635,927 | $28,916,631 | $181,778 | 8 | $4,213,233 |
| 2019 | $118,702,708 | $29,836,973 | $29,280,321 | $306,241 | 9 | $1,720,575 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to save the Bay and its waterways by educating, uniting, and inspiring people to take action. Its website describes work in environmental education, advocacy, litigation, and hands-on restoration. Its 2023 filing describes programs focused on improving Bay health, reducing pollution, restoring habitat, fisheries management, and hands-on environmental education.
Grantees supported in 2025 included organizations with varied conservation and community roles. The Chesapeake Bay Trust describes its mission as promoting public awareness of and participation in Bay restoration and protection. The Center for Watershed Protection says its mission is to protect, restore, and enhance streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and bays. Future Harvest describes its work as advancing agriculture that sustains the Chesapeake region’s farmers, communities, and environment. Groundwork RVA says it works with Richmond youth to improve environmental, economic, and social well-being by transforming neglected open spaces into public assets.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 13 grants totaling $558,397. Grants ranged from $5,758 to $146,692, with a median of $27,885. The largest awards included $146,692 to Chesapeake Bay Trust for grant program administration; $108,326 to Conservation and Development Area Council for expanding rotational grazing through the Mountains to Bay Grazing Alliance; and $101,543 to Center for Watershed Protection for work to build capacity to enhance watershed and community health in the Choptank area.
Other listed awards included $49,845 to Capital Area Greenbelt Association for a tree-planting project, $31,313 to an individual recipient for student-led environmental action teams, and $31,092 to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Natural Heritage for a freshwater mussel plan. The Foundation also gave $14,255 to Future Harvest, $13,323 to Groundwork RVA, $12,000 to Let’s Go 1-2-3, $10,000 to Western MD RC&D, $6,365 to Virginia Forage & Grassland Council, and $5,758 to the Smithsonian Institution.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Hilary H Falk as president; Otis S Jones as chair; Ann Pelham as vice chair; and Bruce R Bradley, Joan P Brock, George B Clarke IV, Brian Cobb, Margaret M Freeman, Alexandra Grayson, and Jennifer E Green as trustees.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc is led by Hilary H Falk, President on every filing since 2022; 10 of 40 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Hilary H Falk
President
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$300K (2023) → $368K (2025)
Otis S Jones
Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2020
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann D Horner
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Harry S Gruner
Trustee
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J Sedwick Sollers III
Trustee
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Preston M White
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert A Kinsley II
Trustee
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2020
Vice Chair → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen M Wolf
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Crystal Patterson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dara C Bachman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer E Green
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joan P Brock
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mamie A Parker PhD
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret M Freeman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anne Mehringer
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan D Manekin
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alexandra Grayson
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Cobb
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marnie Abramson
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nathanial J Rose
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert N Whitescarver
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christa Riepe
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn Gilchrist Simpson
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Samara Pyfrom
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Denice Heller Wardrop
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George B Clarke IV
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hugh Evans
Trustee
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J Alex Ward
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nick Pomponi
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bruce R Bradley
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alison H Prost
Vice President - Enviro. Protec. & Restor.
Executive Director & Maryland → Vice President - Env. Prot. & Restoration, 2021
Vice President - Env. Prot. & Restoration → Vice President - Enviro. Protec. & Restor., 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$135K (2019) → $220K (2025)
Katharene P Snavely
Chief Development Officer
Vice President - Development → Chief Development Officer, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$168K (2019) → $230K (2025)
Robert J Beach
Vice President - Communications
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$147K (2019) → $193K (2025)
Thomas W Ackerman
Vice President - Education
Vice President-Education → Vice President - Education, 2020
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$149K (2019) → $193K (2025)
William A Agee III
Secretary & Vice President - Administration
Secretary & Vice President - Administrator → Secretary & Vice President Administration, 2022
Secretary & Vice President Administration → Secretary & Vice President - Administration, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$146K (2019) → $200K (2025)
Paul W Smail
Vice President - Litigation
Director - Litigation → Vice President - Litigation, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$137K (2023) → $191K (2025)
Carmera S Thomas-Wilhite
Vice President - Communities & Partnerships
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$143K (2024) → $160K (2025)
Everett S Marshall
Vice President - People
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$185K (2024) → $199K (2025)
Tola Sanni
Treasurer & CFO
Treasurer → Treasurer & CFO, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$34K (2024) → $220K (2025)
Ann Pelham
Vice Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (45)
- Former: R Bruce Bradley (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Shannon Miller (2024) — Controller
- Former: Anna R Pauletta (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: David A Fogle (2019–2023) — Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Elizabeth Oliver-Farrow (2019–2023) — Chair
- Former: George L Bunting Jr. (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Jon A Mueller (2019–2023) — Vice President - Litigation
- Former: Katie Z Leavy (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Michael J Chiaramonte (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Pamela B Murphy (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Sandra E Taylor (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Janine J Smith (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: R Todd Stravitz (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Rachel E Hlavay (2022–2023) — Senior Director - Dev'l Operations
- Former: Ann Pelham - Trustee (2023) — Then Vice Chair
- Former: Carol B Sisco (2023) — Trustee
- Former: Otis S Jones - Vice (2023) — Chair & Then Chair
- Former: Zachary C Hatcher (2023) — Director - Development
- Former: Devan B Ogburn (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Jeanne Trimble Hoffman (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Keith D Campbell (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Michael J Hanley (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Robert S Evans (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: William C Baker (2019–2022) — President
- Former: Kristen M Diggs (2020–2022) — Vice President - Human Resources
- Former: Denise F Stranko (2022) — Federal Executive Director
- Former: Shannon B Lyons (2022) — Campaign Director
- Former: Burks B Lapham (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Darcelle H Wilson (2019–2021) — Director Development
- Former: Thomas M Davis III (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Jason C Rano (2021) — Federal Executive Director
- Former: Arnold I Richman (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Harry T Lester (2019–2020) — Chair
- Former: Jane P Batten (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Mark J Hourigan (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Mark S Ordan (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Susan P Wilmerding (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Elizabeth G Feldt (2020) — Vice President - Env. Prot. & Restoration
- Former: Lee R Epstein (2020) — Director - Land Program & Special Counsel
- Former: Ann Fritz Hackett (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Anne B Shumadine (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Carolyn Groobey (2019) — Vice Chair
- Former: Christian Hodges (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Peter L Woicke (2019) — Trustee
- Former: W Russell G Byers Jr. (2019) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $368K, to Hilary H Falk (President). 10 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc
How much does Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc give each year?
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc gave $558K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $380K across 12 grants.
What is Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $27,885, and its average grant was $42,954, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc that year got $39K on average.
Where does Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc give grants?
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc's top state is Maryland, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (36%) and Virginia (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Richmond, VA (3 grants).
Does Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Chesapeake Bay Trust ($146,692), Conservation and Development Area Council ($108,326) and Center for Watershed Protection Inc ($101,543), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($31,313), which are not listed by name. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc?
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc reported $127.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $35.4M.
What does Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to save the Bay and its waterways by educating, uniting, and inspiring people to take action. Its website describes work in environmental education, advocacy, litigation, and hands-on restoration. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc?
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check cbf.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc's EIN?
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-6065757. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 2, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/chesapeake-bay-foundation-inc-morg_2c6e51163d3947d3b9f26f2425320e12
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_526065757_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/chesapeake-bay-foundation-inc-morg_2c6e51163d3947d3b9f26f2425320e12},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?