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.
Key facts about Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc
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.
- EIN
- 52-6065757
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $558,397
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- Average grant
- $42,954
- Median grant
- $27,885
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2025)
- Total assets
- $127,940,157
- Primary geography
- Maryland (49% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$127.9M
-1.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$558K
+46.8% YoY
Grant Count
13
+8.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$43K
+35.5% YoY
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. 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.
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.
Ready to take the next step with Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc?
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
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.
Grant Insights
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 $536K.
Grant Size Distribution
64 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 64 (78%).
Giving History
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 |
| Capital Area Intermediate Unit Enola, PA | Build and strengthen effective MWEEs into sustained and systemic student-led environmental action teams in Pennsylvania. | $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 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $127,940,157 | $35,411,298 | $37,408,233 | $558,397 |
| 2024 | $129,315,017 | $36,221,171 | $35,057,375 | $380,305 |
| 2023 | $126,475,382 | $32,201,003 | $34,140,334 | $297,546 |
The 2025 filing reports 13 grants; the 2024 and 2023 filings report 12 grants each.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $127,940,157 | $129,315,017 | $126,475,382 |
| Revenue | $35,411,298 | $36,221,171 | $32,201,003 |
| Expenses | $37,408,233 | $35,057,375 | $34,140,334 |
| Net Investment Income | $6,308,981 | $4,625,288 | $3,369,490 |
Data update history
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
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403-4503
Phone: (410) 268-8816
Website: https://cbf.org
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. 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.
Here's the math on researching Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Washington, DC
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funds competitive projects that conserve or restore fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats, including habitat restoration, species recovery, and coastal and watershed resilience; it does not fund advocacy or litigation. It works across all 50 states and U.S. territories, with a 2024 median grant of $81,584 and awards ranging from $5,169 to $29 million. Applications are made through specific grant programs and their requests for proposals; whether unsolicited requests are accepted is not stated.
Assets
$3.6B
Grants
1,286
Total Given
$464.4M
The Keith Campbell Foundation
Bethesda, MD
The Keith Campbell Foundation funds environmental work and more equitable, livable communities, including watershed advocacy, agriculture, drinking water, and water management, with a focus on California and the Chesapeake region and select counties in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Its 2024 grants ranged from $40 to $1.5 million, with a median of $5,000; it accepts unsolicited requests through two grant cycles each year, though prior grantees cannot apply through that process.
Assets
$420.2M
Grants
688
Total Given
$27.9M
IBM International Foundation
Armonk, NY
The IBM International Foundation funds education and workforce programs that build 21st-century and technology job skills, including initiatives for underserved students and job seekers. Its 2024 grants ranged from $10,000 to $8.48 million, with a median of $100,000, and went to organizations across several U.S. states, especially Delaware and Massachusetts. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$357.7M
Grants
16
Total Given
$11.7M
American Water Charitable Foundationinc
Camden, NJ
The American Water Charitable Foundation funds water and environmental projects, as well as work in education, workforce readiness, and community support; its 2025 grants had a median of $5,000 and ranged from $500 to $614,954. Applicants must operate in or directly benefit an American Water service territory, and giving is not restricted to preselected organizations; some programs are invitation-only.
Assets
$81.8M
Grants
374
Total Given
$5.5M
The JM Kaplan Fund Inc
New York, NY
The J.M. Kaplan Fund supports environmental protection, heritage conservation, social justice, and related arts and cultural work, usually through grants to U.S. organizations. Its 2024 grants ranged from $300 to $1.5 million, with a median of $6,000; it does not accept unsolicited requests for discretionary grants, but the J.M.K. Innovation Prize has an application process.
Assets
$143.6M
Grants
275
Total Given
$7.4M
The Community Foundation Inc
Richmond, VA
The Community Foundation funds health and wellness, education, economic prosperity, and community vibrancy, as well as other causes through donor-advised and field-of-interest funds. Its 2024 grants had a median of $25,000, with awards ranging from $5,100 to $1.795 million; most funding went to Virginia, especially the Richmond area. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$852.4M
Grants
917
Total Given
$61.8M
Richard King Mellon Foundation
Ligonier, PA
The Richard King Mellon Foundation funds conservation and environmental restoration, Southwestern Pennsylvania economic development and mobility, health and well-being, and organizational effectiveness, with most giving focused on Pennsylvania and some environmental grants elsewhere. Its 2024 grants ranged from $2,000 to $10 million, with a median of $220,000. It accepts applications through its General Application for proposals aligned with its strategic plan; Economic Mobility applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Assets
$2.7B
Grants
296
Total Given
$116.7M
The Nature Conservancy
Arlington, VA
The Nature Conservancy funds conservation activities, including land and water protection, climate resilience, and conservation partnerships, with grants reaching organizations and projects in many locations worldwide. Its 2025 grants had a median of about $31,000, while its New York Climate Resilience program offered grants of up to $50,000 for acquisition and $25,000 for planning and capacity; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$10.1B
Grants
671
Total Given
$67.8M
Annie E Casey Foundation Inc
Baltimore, MD
The Annie E. Casey Foundation funds U.S. nonprofits and other partners working to improve outcomes for children and young people, including family strengthening, child welfare, education, employment, community development and juvenile justice. In 2024, grants ranged from $50 to $1,185,000, with a median of $40,000. Grants are by invitation only; it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$2.3B
Grants
1,462
Total Given
$93.1M
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg
Owings Mills, MD
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation funds direct services, programs, general operations, and capital projects in housing, health, jobs, education, and aging for low-income and vulnerable people. Its 2024 grants had a median of $50,000; its Small Grants Program offers up to $50,000 over two years, with funding focused on Baltimore, Hawaiʻi, Israel, and Northeastern Pennsylvania. It awards grants by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.8B
Grants
872
Total Given
$127.8M
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
Johns Hopkins University funds education, research, clinical practice, and related programs, with many large awards listed as sub-awards; its 2025 grants had a median of $100,000. Grants went mainly to recipients in California and Maryland, among other states, but no geographic restriction or policy on unsolicited requests is stated.
Assets
$25.3B
Grants
813
Total Given
$594.1M
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Bethesda, MD
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation funds cystic fibrosis research, drug development, specialized care, and related community and patient-support programs, primarily through opportunities for academic and industry investigators. Its 2024 grants ranged from $2,800 to $12.9 million, with a median grant of about $150,000; the profile does not specify a geographic limit or whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$5.0B
Grants
624
Total Given
$189.6M
More Funders in Maryland
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?