The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc. is a public charity based in Columbia, Maryland. Formed in 1998, it works with community partners to build power, advocate for policy change and dismantle structural racism in pursuit of better health in Howard County and greater Maryland.
Key facts about The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc
In short: The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc gave $1.2M across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $53K), mostly in Maryland. 48% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 52-2119011
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,216,622
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- Average grant
- $52,897
- Median grant
- $16,622
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (11 of 23, 2024)
- Total assets
- $98,806,463
- Primary geography
- Maryland (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$98.8M
+6.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.2M
+112.5% YoY
Grant Count
23
+91.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$53K
+10.9% YoY
Is The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 23 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $46K; repeat grants $59K. How we count
Medians: $17K first-time, $15K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 work side-by-side with community to build power, advocate for policy change and dismantle structural racism to achieve better health for everyone in Howard County and greater Maryland.
Its 2024–2028 strategic priorities are demanding an equitable health care system; increasing affordability and building wealth; and dismantling structural racism through community building. The stated work includes improving access to compassionate, affordable health and mental health care; improving health for birthing people and their children; addressing barriers to affordable housing and healthy food; and building long-term wealth in communities of color.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of work. Community Development Network of Maryland describes its mission as strengthening and advocating for the community development sector across Maryland’s urban, suburban and rural communities. Bridges to Housing Stability says it works to prevent and end homelessness through affordable housing solutions and advocacy in Howard County. The Mental Health Association of Maryland describes itself as a statewide nonprofit bringing together people affected by mental health issues, professionals and advocates for unified action.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 23 grants totaling $1,216,622. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $206,000, with a median of $16,622. The largest grants included $206,000 each to Howard County Sponsoring Committee/People Acting Together in Howard, CASA and Community Development Network of Maryland for work to co-create policy and programmatic solutions focused on housing justice. Bridges to Housing Stability received $160,000 for the same stated purpose, and Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, doing business as Economic Action Maryland, received $150,000 for housing justice work.
Other reported grants included $40,000 to the Mental Health Association of Maryland for community QPR and Mental Health First Aid trainings; $40,000 to Elephant Circle for doula and birth-worker workforce development in Howard County and greater Maryland; and $30,000 to Black Executive Directors Network to support engagement and capacity building for Black women leaders in Howard County. The Foundation also reported a $20,000 grant to Fusion Partnership, fiscal sponsor for Bloom Collective, for work addressing perinatal health disparities for Black and Brown families in Maryland. Separately, grantee information identifies Building Families for Children as receiving $206,000 in 2024 and Columbia Housing Center and Maryland Inclusive Housing Corporation as each receiving $10,000.
The Foundation’s grantmaking overview says prospective applicants should consult its Current Opportunities page for active priorities and grant cycles. It describes the application process as straightforward and thorough, notes that application formats may include interviews or video submissions, and says contacting program staff before a formal submission is advisable but not required. General eligibility is stated as tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) or being a public entity; applicants should consult the relevant RFP for details. The 2022 Community Opportunity Grants were a past, one-time opportunity offering up to $20,000 for organizational capacity-building activities benefiting Howard County residents. That program excluded scholarships, endowments, capital campaigns or building projects, direct services, and projects not benefiting county residents.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation describes its work as focused on Howard County and greater Maryland. In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland; the remaining reported shares went to Colorado (3%), the District of Columbia (2%) and Nebraska (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $573K (2023) to $2.5M (2020). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Howard County Sponsoring Committeepeople Acting Together in Howard (Path) ($206K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
135 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 88 grants of 135 (65%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Howard County Sponsoring Committeepeople Acting Together in Howard (Path) Columbia, MD | Co-create policy and programmatic solutions focused on housing justice | $206,000 |
| CASA Langley Park, MD | Co-create policy and programmatic solutions focused on housing justice | $206,000 |
| Community Development Network of Maryland Columbia, MD | Co-create policy and programmatic solutions focused on housing justice | $206,000 |
| Bridges to Housing Stability Columbia, MD | Co-create policy and programmatic solutions focused on housing justice | $160,000 |
| Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition DBA Economic Action Maryland Baltimore, MD | Co-create policy and programmatic solutions focused on housing justice | $150,000 |
| Mental Health Association of Maryland Inc Lutherville, MD | Qpr and mental health first aid trainings to the community | $40,000 |
| Elephant Circle (FS for Doula Alliance) Palisade, CO | Development of the doula and birth worker workforce in Howard county & greater md | $40,000 |
| Black Executive Directors Network Baltimore, MD | Funding to support the engagement and capacity building of black women leaders in Howard county | $30,000 |
| States Newsroom Washington, DC | Expand news coverage of public health issues related to foundation priorities | $20,000 |
| Fusion Partnership - Fiscal Sponsor for Bloom Collective Baltimore, MD | Address systemic disparities in perinatal health outcomes for black & brown families in md | $20,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $98,806,463 | $6,650,191 | $5,071,556 | $1,216,622 across 23 grants |
| 2023 | $93,191,948 | $5,160,566 | $4,851,156 | $572,500 across 12 grants |
| 2022 | $88,105,636 | $6,341,900 | $5,410,956 | $1,312,470 across 33 grants |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $98,806,463 | $93,191,948 | $88,105,636 |
| Revenue | $6,650,191 | $5,160,566 | $6,341,900 |
| Expenses | $5,071,556 | $4,851,156 | $5,410,956 |
| Net Investment Income | $6,546,143 | $5,007,037 | $6,122,418 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 31, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Brian Hepburn, Catherine Hamel, Celian Valero-Colon, David Wolf, Yvette Rooks, Jonathan Ahn and Juliet N. Gilliam as trustees; Christopher Fortune as vice chair; and Gopi Suri as secretary. It also lists Lanlan Xu as a trustee.
The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc is led by Nicolette Highsmith Vernick, President & CEO on the 2024 filing; 5 of 20 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nicolette Highsmith Vernick
President & CEO
New on the 2024 filing
39.8 hrs/week
$441K (2024)
Lisa Pearson
Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2021
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cat Harmon
Director of Communications
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$111K (2021) → $129K (2024)
Kenitra Fokwa Kengne
Program Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$107K (2024)
Brian Hepburn
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Celian Valero-Colon
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Wolf
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Ahn
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Hoover
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Hamel
Trustee
Chair → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2021
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Juliet N. Gilliam
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sekou Murphy
Trustee
On filings since 2022
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lanlan Xu
Trustee
On filings since 2023
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Yvette Rooks
Trustee
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Yvonne Commodore-Mensah
Trustee
On filings since 2023
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anne Brinker
Chief Operating Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$139K (2020) → $167K (2024)
Glenn Schneider
Chief Program Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$158K (2020) → $189K (2024)
Gopi Suri
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Cissell
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Fortune
Vice Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2021
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Nikki Highsmith Vernick (2020–2023) — President & CEO
- Former: Stacie Hunt (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Tracy Miller (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: D'paul Nibber (2023) — Senior Officer, Policy & Community Engagement
- Former: Greg Olaniran (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Larry Appel (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Yvette Oquendo (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Tiffany Erbelding (2022) — Program Director
- Former: Janet Currie (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Jeanne Kennedy (2020–2021) — Outgoing Vice Chair
- Former: Tiffany Grant-Callender (2020–2021) — Program Director
- Former: Cathy Hamel (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Ned Tillman (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Robin Steele (2020) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $441K, to Nicolette Highsmith Vernick (President & CEO). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 10221 Wincopin Circle 200, Columbia, MD 21044
Phone: (410) 715-0311
Website: https://thehorizonfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc
How much does The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc give each year?
The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc gave $1.2M across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $573K across 12 grants.
What is The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc's typical grant size?
The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc's median grant in 2024 was $16,622, and its average grant was $52,897, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc that year got $46K on average.
Where does The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc give grants?
The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc gives mostly in Maryland: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Columbia, MD (11 grants), Baltimore, MD (3 grants) and Silver Spring, MD (2 grants).
Does The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc's largest grantees?
The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Howard County Sponsoring Committeepeople Acting Together in Howard (Path) ($206,000), CASA ($206,000) and Community Development Network of Maryland ($206,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc?
The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc reported $98.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.7M.
What does The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to work side-by-side with community to build power, advocate for policy change and dismantle structural racism to achieve better health for everyone in Howard County and greater Maryland. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc?
The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check thehorizonfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc's EIN?
The Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2119011. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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