About us

Anne Arundel Women Giving Together (AAWGT) was founded in 2006 to improve the quality of life for women and families in Anne Arundel County by providing grants to local nonprofit organizations. We are a volunteer-run entity, guided by its leadership and committees.

Operating under the auspices of the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, we were created by 15 founding women who are philanthropists and community leaders.

In 2026, we celebrated 20 years of giving together through our giving circle.

Mission and goals

We support initiatives that improve the quality of life for women and families in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, through:

• Grantmaking
• Engaging and educating women donors around issues affecting women and families in the community and about philanthropy
• Collective philanthropy

Together, we are making an impact throughout Anne Arundel County.

Education programs

Each year, we host dozens of events, including member education programs, site visits to grantees, volunteer activities, and membership outreach events.

We also host an annual Grants Showcase to feature and celebrate our grantees.

Member participation

We encourage all members to join a committee to participate more fully in AAWGT. It is a great way to get involved, contribute your expertise, and build relationships with other members. Most committees meet once a month.

Our grants program includes a rigorous grants review process and follow-up evaluation of all grantees. 

Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging

We unequivocally condemns structural and systemic racism.

We were deeply moved by the twin upheavals of Covid-19 and the long-overdue response to centuries of racial discrimination.

Now, like individuals and organizations across the country, we are working to assess and find our place in creating a more positive and just future for everyone.

Since our founding in 2006, we have worked to stand behind and support women whose lives are negatively impacted by poverty, lack of opportunity, violence, and structural and systemic injustice. In 2018, we co-sponsored a community-wide meeting in Annapolis on racial inequity attended by over 300 people. In early 2019, we formed a racial equity study group for our members to delve into our country’s long history of discrimination, to examine the unconscious biases we all have, and to identify ways to support anti-racism and social justice.

We are commited to continuing to identify and implement best practices as we collectively invest, inform, and inspire our members and our community to ameliorate the inequities that surround us.