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Greetings!

November is a wonderful time to celebrate generosity!

With Community Foundation Week (November 12-18), National Philanthropy Day (November 15), and GivingTuesday (December 1) approaching, we're reminded of the many ways people come together to make a difference in the communities they call home.

Community Foundation Week is especially meaningful to us at CFHC. We're proud to be part of a national network of approximately 900 community foundations that collectively held more than $177 billion in assets at the end of 2024, all working to strengthen their local communities. Our team recently experienced the value of this network at the National Conference for Growing Community Foundations in Wichita, Kansas, where we exchanged ideas with colleagues from across the country and brought home new perspectives to benefit Howard County. Read more about our experience.

While our connections extend across the country, our commitment remains focused on strengthening Howard County.

Our community has tremendous resources and a strong tradition of giving back, but we also know that many of our neighbors face significant challenges. Local philanthropy helps bridge those gaps, connecting people who want to make a difference with the organizations doing important work throughout our community.

As year-end approaches, it's a good time to think about how your giving can make the greatest impact, both today and in the future.

Whether you're making a year-end gift, recommending a grant from your donor-advised fund, or exploring ways to support the causes you care about, CFHC is here to help. Our Fund for Howard County is one way to invest in local needs, supporting our annual Community Grants Program and the nonprofits serving Howard County. For additional ideas, I encourage you to read Thinking Ahead About Your Year-End Giving.

We're also looking forward to our sold-out Annual Dinner & Celebration of Philanthropy on November 17! Thank you to everyone who will be joining us as we honor our 2026 Philanthropists of the Year, and a special thank you to our generous event sponsors for making this celebration possible. And on December 2, I hope you'll join us at Athol Manor for our Holiday Open House to reconnect and celebrate the season together.

As we enter this season of gratitude, I'm especially thankful for the people who make Howard County such a generous and caring community.

Your support and partnership make so much possible, and I look forward to celebrating with many of you in the weeks ahead!

In gratitude,

Melissa Curtin

President & CEO

mcurtin@cfhoco.org

GROWING COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS

Bringing New Ideas Home to Howard County. Community Foundation of Howard County President & CEO Melissa Curtin and team members Dan Flynn, Dee Athey, and Jay Vidyarthi traveled to Wichita, Kansas, for the 2026 Annual National Conference for Growing Community Foundations.

COLLECTIVE GIVING IMPACT

Continuing the Conversation: WGC Partners on Thriving Through Midlife. The Women's Giving Circle of Howard County (WGC), a fund of CFHC, was proud to partner with community organizations for Thriving Through Midlife: A Community Conversation about Women's Health, an evening focused on education, resources, and open conversation about perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause.

FLEXIBLE YEAR-END GIVING OPTIONS

Make Your Year-End Giving Go Further for Howard County. As the year comes to a close, many of us are thinking about the causes and organizations that matter most to us and how we can make a meaningful difference through our giving.

LEAVING YOUR LEGACY

Your Giving. Your Legacy. As the year winds down, many of us start thinking about plans for the coming year, our families, our finances, and the things that matter most to us. Charitable giving can be part of that conversation, too.

THE IMPACT OF GIVING

Sometimes The Best Thank You’s Arrive Unexpectedly. Sometimes a thank-you arrives when you least expect it. We recently received a handmade card from students at Guilford Elementary School. Filled with signatures, drawings and a big “Thank You,” the card recognized an experience the students had last school year, made possible in part through a grant from the Bauder Fund at the Community Foundation of Howard County.

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS WITH US!

Celebrate the Season With Us! We invite our donors, fundholders, nonprofit partners, community leaders, friends and neighbors to stop by Athol Manor for our Holiday Open House. Drop in anytime between 4:00 and 7:30 PM to enjoy holiday cheer, light bites and drinks, and time with friends from across our community.

The Community Foundation of Howard County (CFHC) inspires lifelong giving and connects people, places, and purpose to build a stronger, more vibrant Howard County. Since its founding in 1969, CFHC has worked in partnership with donors, nonprofits, and community leaders to strengthen local philanthropy, steward philanthropic resources, and support initiatives that improve the quality of life for all who live and work in our community. Through donor-advised funds, scholarships, grants, and community leadership, CFHC helps individuals, families, and businesses make a meaningful, lasting impact now and for generations to come.

Learn more at www.cfhoco.org