Howard County Arts Council
The Howard County Arts Council is a public charity based in Ellicott City, Maryland. Created in 1981, it serves Howard County by supporting artists and arts organizations, administering grants and scholarships, providing arts space, and advocating for the local arts community.
Howard County Arts Council at a glance
In short: Howard County Arts Council gave $603K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in Maryland. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $602,832
- +0.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,268
- +0.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,807,634
- +81.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (2 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Howard County Arts Council
- Review Cycle
- January 24, 2027, for the Arts Scholarships program, according to the listed program information.
- Deadline
- January 24, 2027, for the Arts Scholarships program, according to the listed program information.
- Next open deadline
- January 17, 2027 (Baker Artist Awards)
- Contact
Mailing address: 8510 High Ridge Road, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: (410) 313-2787
Website: https://hocoarts.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Howard County Arts Council
Who Howard County Arts Council funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts ($60K). Together the top 10 received $397K.
Grant Size Distribution
150 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 137 grants of 150 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Council’s grant programs principally serve Howard County, Maryland, including local artists, arts organizations, and schools. Its stated grant-administration role also includes key Baltimore City arts and cultural organizations. The 2025 grants listed in the filing all went to Maryland recipients, including organizations in Howard County and Baltimore.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Howard County Arts Council open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 33 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $49K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $49K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 94% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). 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 $478K (2019) to $603K (2025). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $603K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts Columbia, MD | Community Arts Development. | $60,000 |
| Columbia Festival Columbia, MD | Community Arts Development. | $55,650 |
| Columbia Orchestra Ellicott City, MD | Community Arts Development and JRT Subsidy. | $55,500 |
| Chamber Music Maryland Columbia, MD | Community Arts Development. | $43,251 |
| Kinetics Dance Theatre Ellicott City, MD | Community Arts Development and JRT Subsidy. | $41,250 |
| Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Baltimore, MD | Outreach howard and baltimore city arts and cultural grant. | $34,160 |
| Columbia Pro Cantare Ltd Ellicott City, MD | Community Arts Development and JRT Subsidy. | $33,311 |
| Maryland Zoological Society Inc Baltimore, MD | Outreach howard and baltimore city arts and cultural grant. | $30,107 |
| Baltimore Museum of Art Baltimore, MD | Baltimore City Arts and Cultural Grant. | $22,000 |
| Maryland Science Center Baltimore, MD | Outreach howard and baltimore city arts and cultural grant. | $21,515 |
Ready to take the next step with Howard County Arts Council?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,807,634 | $3,592,707 | $1,897,217 | $602,832 | 33 | $27,132 |
| 2024 | $2,093,958 | $1,922,536 | $1,770,583 | $600,024 | 33 | $34,804 |
| 2023 | $1,929,712 | $2,281,622 | $1,718,541 | $591,549 | 32 | $8,170 |
| 2022 | $1,355,950 | $1,672,254 | $1,639,632 | $555,037 | 29 | $4,489 |
| 2021 | $1,367,696 | $1,431,434 | $1,366,054 | $582,638 | 23 | $7,493 |
| 2020 | $1,202,935 | $1,495,882 | $1,362,805 | $542,441 | 21 | $6,335 |
| 2019 | $1,055,488 | $1,433,163 | $1,324,393 | $477,874 | 19 | $15,002 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Council’s mission is to “enrich and uplift our communities by advancing the arts, artists, and arts organizations for the benefit of all.” Its stated vision is a diverse and vibrant community where the arts are central to people’s lives. The Council emphasizes access to the arts, education, equity, inclusion, and support for artistic expression.
Its grant programs include operating and project support for arts organizations, arts activities in schools and community settings, artist opportunities, scholarships, and support for Baltimore City arts and cultural organizations. Its website describes Community Arts Development Operating Grants as support for the day-to-day expenses of Howard County arts and cultural nonprofits whose primary function is exhibition, presentation, or production of the arts. Organizations must first complete two project grants over two consecutive years to be eligible for an operating grant.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantees. Columbia Festival says its mission is to present an arts and entertainment celebration that engages a broad and diverse community. Chamber Music Maryland describes its mission as presenting concerts and educational programs in Howard County. Kinetics Dance Theatre says it promotes dance education and performance for all ages, including students with special needs. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the Council’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Council reported 33 grants totaling $602,832. Grants ranged from $5,500 to $60,000, with a median of $10,000. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland. The largest awards included $60,000 to Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, $55,650 to Columbia Festival, $55,500 to Columbia Orchestra, and $43,251 to Chamber Music Maryland. The reported purposes include Community Arts Development, the Jim Rouse Theatre subsidy, and grants for Baltimore City arts and cultural organizations.
The Council’s website describes an independent volunteer artistic review panel that evaluates grant applications; the board votes on the panel’s recommendations and gives final approval, according to the Council’s 2023 filing. The Council says it provides technical assistance to applicants. Its FY 2027 Community Arts Development guidelines set May 7, 2026, as the application deadline; that deadline has passed. The website also lists scholarships for Howard County high school seniors planning to pursue an arts degree. The scholarship deadline provided for that program is January 24, 2027.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Adam Stull as president, Andrea Magers as vice president, Muriel Mitchell as secretary, and Ryan Rager as treasurer. It also lists Ricardo Flores, Brian Liu, Sabina Taj, Debra Stepp, Katrina Caldwell, PhD, and Khensani Carter as directors.
Howard County Arts Council is led by Coleen West, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 16 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Coleen West
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$100K (2019) → $155K (2025)
Adam Stull
President
Director → Treasurer, 2021
Treasurer → President, 2023
On filings since 2019
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sabina Taj
Director
On filings since 2020
0 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Debra Stepp
Director
On filings since 2021
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Liu
Director
On filings since 2022
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katrina Caldwell PhD
Director
On filings since 2023
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Khensani Carter
Director
On filings since 2023
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Casey Simpson
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Renee Lennon
Director
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Darlene Richeson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Dunn
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Scarborough
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ricardo Flores
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Muriel G. Mitchell
Secretary
Director → Director & Secretary, 2022
Director & Secretary → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Magers
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Rager
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (32)
- Former: Greg Lowe (2019–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Jordana Guzman (2019–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Sharonlee Vogel (2019–2024) — Past President
- Former: Tracey Pullo (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Mavis Ellis (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Andrea Magers Director (2024) — August & Then Vice President · Filing note: Until
- Former: Ryan Rager Director (2024) — September & Then Treasurer · Filing note: Until
- Former: Thomas Engleman (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Brian Rosenberg (2019–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Ellen Flynn Giles (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Julie Hughes-Jenkins (2019–2022) — Past President
- Former: Julia Kovacs (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Adam Stull Treasurer (2022)
- Former: Sharonlee Vogel President (2022)
- Former: Tracey Pullo Schutty (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Dami Soh Schlobohm (2021) — Director
- Former: Dami T. Soh (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: George Wilson (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Janet Schreibstein (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Linda Rochelle (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Mary Kay Kenney (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Adam Stull Vp Of Sales (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: David Kay (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Jordana Guzman Director (2020) — Then Secretary
- Former: Julie Hughes-Jenkins Pres (2020) — Then Imm. Past President
- Former: Sharonlee Vogel Secretary (2020) — Then President
- Former: Chester Stacy (2019) — Director
- Former: David Kay Director (2019) — Then Treasurer
- Former: Earl Armiger (2019) — Director
- Former: Freda Lee-McCann (2019) — Director
- Former: James Henstrand (2019) — Treasurer
- Former: Robert Altieri (2019) — Director
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 $155K, to Coleen West (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Howard County Arts Council
How much does Howard County Arts Council give each year?
Howard County Arts Council gave $603K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $600K across 33 grants.
What is Howard County Arts Council's typical grant size?
Howard County Arts Council's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $18,268, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Howard County Arts Council that year got $49K on average.
Where does Howard County Arts Council give grants?
Howard County Arts Council gives mostly in Maryland: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Columbia, MD (12 grants), Baltimore, MD (11 grants) and Ellicott City, MD (9 grants).
Does Howard County Arts Council give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 33 grants with a stated purpose on Howard County Arts Council's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Arts Development Grant." (13 grants), "Outreach Howard and Baltimore City Arts and Cultural Grant." (6 grants) and "Baltimore City Arts and Cultural Grant." (4 grants).
Who are Howard County Arts Council's largest grantees?
Howard County Arts Council's largest 2025 grantees include Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts ($60,000), Columbia Festival ($55,650) and Columbia Orchestra ($55,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Howard County Arts Council?
Howard County Arts Council reported $3.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.6M.
What does Howard County Arts Council fund?
The Council’s mission is to “enrich and uplift our communities by advancing the arts, artists, and arts organizations for the benefit of all.” Its stated vision is a diverse and vibrant community where the arts are central to people’s lives. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Howard County Arts Council?
Howard County Arts Council has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check hocoarts.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Howard County Arts Council's EIN?
Howard County Arts Council's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1219079. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 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 February 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 31, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 27, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Howard County Arts Council's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The Community Foundation of Howard County Inc
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The Community Foundation of Howard County supports nonprofits serving Howard County, Maryland, across human services, arts and culture, education, civic and environmental work, and needs such as housing, food security, health, youth, and families. Its 2024 grants ranged from $5,105 to $204,300, with a median award of $10,000; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
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The John J Leidy Foundation Inc
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The John J Leidy Foundation supports nonprofits working in social and economic welfare, arts and culture, health and human services, education, and services for people with disabilities, including operating, program, and equipment costs. It prioritizes the Baltimore metropolitan area and typically awards $2,500–$50,000, with a 2024 median of $7,500. It accepts requests at any time; there is no formal application form.
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The United Way of Central Maryland Inc
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United Way of Central Maryland funds community organizations and projects addressing basic needs, family stability, education, housing, health, and economic advancement in Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard counties. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,067 to $461,984, with a median of $15,078; specific opportunities use competitive applications, but the profile does not state whether general unsolicited requests are accepted.
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Total Given
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Ida & Joseph Shapiro Foundation Inc
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The foundation has supported health care, medical research, education, arts, and community organizations, with nearly all 2024 grant dollars going to Maryland and a small share to Virginia. Its 13 grants in 2024 totaled $283,381, but the median grant was $1,500; one unusually large grant accounts for most of the total. A 2023 filing said it did not accept unsolicited requests, but that filing was marked final, so the policy may not reflect current practice.
Assets
—
Grants
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Total Given
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John E & Sue M Jackson Irr
Pittsburgh, PA
The foundation supports community development, youth programs, education, health, and cultural and educational programming. In 2025, its 21 grants ranged from $5,369 to $50,000, with a median of $20,000; funding went mainly to Pennsylvania, with grants also in Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, and Texas. It does not restrict giving to preselected organizations, but the profile does not explicitly state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
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Total Given
$413K
More similar funders
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Howard County Arts Council funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/howard-county-arts-council-morg_e1f7cea5d4924ce689aed95fa52fcb35
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521219079_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Howard County Arts Council funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/howard-county-arts-council-morg_e1f7cea5d4924ce689aed95fa52fcb35},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Howard County Arts Council'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.
Howard County Arts Council down — hundreds of funders to go?