Montgomery County

Since 1996, The Community Foundation’s office in Montgomery County has worked closely with individuals, families, and businesses to match donor intent with community opportunity to create deeper local impact.

Our Team

Anna Hargrave

Executive Director
301-495-3036 Ext. 161
ahargrave
@thecommunityfoundation.org

ADVISORY BOARD

Eliza Tolbert-Howard

Program Officer
301-495-3036 Ext. 161
etolbert-howard
@thecommunityfoundation.org

The Community Foundation in
Montgomery County

With over 1 million residents, Montgomery County is the most populous county in Maryland – and among one of the largest counties in the United States. It is also vibrantly diverse, with a fast-growing immigrant community bringing together individuals and families from a wide range of cultures, races, religions, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds.

With that growth comes unique opportunities to invest in innovative solutions to meet our community’s growing needs and challenges. The most recent VoicesDMV Community Insights Report found that many Montgomery County residents are ‘struggling’ or ‘suffering’ due to food insecurity, the high cost of housing, and financial instability. However, it also revealed many strengths including strong ratings for public education, healthcare access, diversity, and other aspects related to the quality of life in Montgomery County.

With nearly 30 years of knowledge and experience in Montgomery County, The Community Foundation serves as a critical link between caring donors, committed nonprofits, dedicated government and business partners, and local communities to connect philanthropy to impact — leveraging our collective strengths and resources to build stronger communities.

Together, we built a community of givers that has distributed millions of dollars through our Sharing Montgomery Fund to boost the work of visionary nonprofits. We launched initiatives like Neighbors in Need Montgomery and Food for Montgomery to ensure our neighbors could access to critical services and meet their basic needs. And we invest in innovation through pilot programs like Brilliant Futures and MoCo Boost - working to ensure a brighter future for everyone who calls Montgomery County home.

Interested in joining us? Reach out to our team to learn more about how you can get involved!

Current Montgomery County Initiatives & Programs

We are proud to oversee the following initiatives and programs in Montgomery County:

The Sharing Montgomery Fund brings together donors who share our passion for building a more equitable, just, and thriving Montgomery County. With expert facilitation by Community Foundation staff, donors join together to learn first-hand about the challenges facing our community. Thanks to the generosity of this growing community of givers, together we discover and invest in visionary nonprofits working on the frontlines of Montgomery County’s most pressing needs. Contact us to learn how you can get involved.
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Read Our Impact Report
The Neighbors in Need Montgomery Fund was established to respond to the deep impact of the 2008 economic crisis. The Fund initially supported critical direct services, including food, clothing, shelter, and emergency assistance for rent and utilities to help prevent evictions. The Fund also promoted efforts to reach the most vulnerable and isolated populations, especially residents living in parts of the County with the highest poverty levels.
More recently, the steering committee has decided to expand the Fund’s focus and invest in strategic solutions that will improve our safety-net system and help neighbors build pathways out of poverty. Contact us to learn more.
Brilliant Futures is a children’s savings pilot program that will provide kindergarten students at two schools with up to $1,000 in savings each year from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The Community Foundation has partnered with Montgomery County Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools to launch the pilot program at Jackson Road Elementary School in the White Oak neighborhood of Silver Spring, MD in Montgomery County and Bradbury Heights Elementary School in Capitol Heights, MD in Prince George’s County.
The Community Foundation has committed to funding the pilot program for two consecutive kindergarten cohorts at each school — specifically the future graduating classes of 2036 and 2037 at Jackson Road Elementary School and classes of 2037 and 2038 at Bradbury Heights Elementary School. The pilot program is expected to enroll up to 400 students between the two schools.
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Thank you for celebrating with us!

Thanks to all who joined us for the annual Celebration of Giving in Montgomery County to reflect on all we have accomplished together for our community, and to salute our 2025 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year Cathy Bernard.

Learn more