Full Circle News
January 2026
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AAWGT is 20
Join us in celebrating the profound impact of AAWGT and our Grantees in improving the lives of women and children in Anne Arundel County. By awarding grant funds each year to area non-profits, AAWGT plays a seminal role in strengthening our community.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
As we mark our 20th Anniversary, we are further analyzing and quantifying the outcomes of our donations to date, setting a clear path forward to ensure continued positive impact, and growing our Endowment to secure our success in the community for years to come.
Grants | Getting Togethers |
Final Days to Submit Grant Application The 2026 AAWGT application process is live and in its final days! Nonprofits bring a firsthand understanding of how best to address the needs of women and families in our county. This application is your opportunity to tell us how your organization is responding to those needs. We look forward to hearing from you! The online portal to submit a 2026 Grant Application opened on January 1, 2026. Completed applications must be received no later than Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Only nonprofits with gross annual revenue less than $1,000,000 (excluding in kind revenue) are eligible to apply. For more details on applying for an AAWGT grant, you can scroll through the information accessible through the Grants tab on our website - https://givingtogether.org/. We are grateful to all AAWGT members for supporting this important work. Special thanks to our Grant Reviewers whose thoughtful evaluations of our applications makes this process possible. |
Members and Their Guests - Join us! Please join us on Tuesday, February 10, 5:30pm at Blackwall Hitch in Annapolis for our next AAWGT Getting Together! These casual gatherings are the perfect chance to connect with fellow members, make new friends, bring guests, and enjoy social time together outside of our member meetings, educational programs, and Grants Showcase. Advance registration is required, and members are welcome to bring a guest. Register HERE. CLICK HERE to see more future dates.We look forward to seeing you! Please contact membership@givingtogether.org if you need any assistance registering for this event.
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Did You Know?
February Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of Black History Month! February marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. The precursor to this important commemoration began in 1926 when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History established Negro History Week. Chosen for the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, the second week of February honored their lasting impact and laid the groundwork for today’s observance. CLICK to read more.In February 1969, black educators and Black United Students at Kent State University proposed Black History Month. A year later at Kent State, the first celebration of Black History Month took place - January 2 to February 28, 1970. President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month in 1976 and dedicated it to honoring and recognizing the achievements, history, and contributions of African Americans. The month serves to highlight the pivotal role Black individuals and communities have played in shaping American culture and history, while also acknowledging the ongoing struggle for equality and justice. At AAWGT, we recognize Black History Month and, through our collective philanthropy as well as leadership/membership, to support our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging as achievable and enduring. |
Education
Protecting Our Community: Free and open to the public. Join us Wednesday, March 4, at 6:30pm, for “Protecting our Community: Women Leading with Impact,” a conversation with Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and Fire Chief, Trisha L. Wolford of the Anne Arundel Fire Department. Click here to learn moreWith these dedicated and accomplished public servants, who play a vital role in keeping our community safe, we will discuss how they have navigated their professional paths, built relationships and inspired meaningful results. We will also have Preeti Emrick, JD, director of the Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management, facilitating this discussion. Wednesday, March 4, 2026 Guests are encouraged to stay after the event to mingle with others who share a passion for Women in Leadership. Please register HERE. Follow the registration questions all the way to CONFIRM. Your confirmation should arrive within seconds. If you have any questions about registering, please contact events@givingtogether.org for assistance. |
AAWGT Members Meeting
February 17, 2026, 5:30 to 7:30 PM
Anne Arundel County Nonprofit Center
41 Community Place, Crownsville, MD
Join your AAWGT colleagues at the Anne Arundel County Nonprofit Center for light refreshments and an engaging update on what’s ahead in 2026. This meeting will include a Grants Committee report, introductions to two new committees, updates on strategic plan implementation and grantee benefits, and a preview of plans for our milestone 20th anniversary. The Leadership, Governance, and Nominating Committee will also outline the upcoming officer selection process for the 2026–27 year.
Members, please register HERE.
Holiday Helpers
Young Philanthropists Holiday Helpers Our Young Philanthropists coordinated a volunteer day with the Walk the Walk Foundation in December during their annual holiday event. Members helped welcome families from the community as they received presents, shared smiles, and celebrated the spirit of the season. The evening was filled with joy, gratitude, and so many happy moments. We are deeply thankful for the opportunity to serve alongside Walk the Walk Foundation and to be part of something that brings hope and happiness to families in our community. | YPP YPP News Be on the lookout for the Young Philanthropists Program as the group transitions to a standing committee of Anne Arundel Women Giving Together. We will be rebranding and creating overall goals for the committee. If you are interested in joining our efforts, please email Membership at membership@givingtogether.org. |
AAWGT Spring Open House
Don't miss - AAWGT Spring Open House Spring Open House: Save the Date Save the Date for AAWGT’s 2026 Spring Open House! CLICK HERE to read more.Discover how Anne Arundel Women Giving Together is more than a giving circle, it’s a powerful network of passionate women creating meaningful change in Anne Arundel County. Open to all women (registration required), the Open House is your chance to learn how collective giving multiplies impact, connect with like-minded women, and explore opportunities to give, learn, and lead. With more than 400+ members, AAWGT has awarded over $2.1+ million in grants since 2006, including a record-breaking $226,316 in 2025 alone. Join us this spring to see how your involvement can help empower women and families while building lasting connections. More details coming soon. | Leadership, Governance, Nominating  Frances Perkins, the first woman cabinet secretary in history, served as Secretary of Labor for 12 years under the FDR Administration. Her life was in service to her community, her state, and her country. Perkins’s ideas became the cornerstones of the most important social welfare and legislation in the nation’s history, including the 40 hour work week, child labor laws, and unemployment compensation. Her greatest triumph was creating Social Security. What an inspiration – what a hero. Join in an AAWGT leadership role to serve our Anne Arundel Community and partner with women and families to strengthen the quality of life. (Click here to see more and access the list of committees) |
Grantee Spotlight
 Scholars hard at work during an after school small group session at the Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library |  Staff, scholars, and their families create our after school community garden. |
Charting Careers: Building Stronger Support for Students and Families Charting Careers helps young people discover their potential and reach their goals through enriching opportunities, transformative mentoring, strong family partnerships, and collaboration across the Annapolis community. With long-term, wrap-around support from elementary school through early adulthood, students and families build the skills, confidence, and connections they need to thrive. Thanks to support from Anne Arundel Women Giving Together, Charting Careers created and filled a new role: Clinical and Program Director. Now led by Laurie Selby, LSW-C, a social work leader with 30 years of experience, this position strengthens program quality and ensures services remain trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and rooted in best practices. Laurie also supervises our Education Director and Family Partnership Coordinator, helping to integrate programs and uplift staff through reflective supervision and a unified vision. In just the first quarter, Laurie’s impact has been immediate and practical. She trained volunteer mentors on trauma and how to offer trauma-sensitive support, guided staff through CPS and incident-report protocols (and the all-important art of healthy boundaries), and began providing weekly mental health support at the Charting Careers After School Program. Looking ahead, Charting Careers is developing an online resource database for families seeking mental health, food, housing, and employment support — and strengthening partnerships to ensure students and families have the best possible network of care. Because of AAWGT’s investment, Charting Careers is strengthening the clinical backbone of its work—so more students and families get consistent, trauma-informed support that helps them thrive for the long haul. |
Member Spotlight
Three Generations! Elaine and daughter Bridget Shanley (on the right) and Elaine’s mother, Susan Shubnell (left), represent three active AAWGT members in one family! ” Click here to read moreElaine’s passion for helping women and families in Anne Arundel County began in 2014 and she has spent these past 11 years helping to navigate change and improvement in the organization serving as treasurer and ultimately president in 2021. Elaine says one of her goals has been to make AAWGT more open, welcoming, and efficient. She has brought more diversity including involving her 22-year-old daughter Bridget and her retired mother Susan in the organization’s events and outreach. Elaine was honored with the 2025 Founder’s Award last September. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree is exemplified in Bridget Shanley. She is currently studying finance and information systems at Loyola University in Baltimore. Bridget is active in the Honors Business Program and is captain of the women’s volleyball team. She says she loves to plan events and be creative and is using those skills in her involvement with AAWGT’s Young Philanthropists program. She is excited to welcome more young women into the organization and sees herself as a future leader because she hopes to live out her values in giving back to the community. Susan Shubnell is an enthusiastic volunteer in many aspects of Anne Arundel County. She joined AAWGT seven years ago when she saw the difference her daughter, Elaine, was making and has become more involved now that her granddaughter, Bridget, has joined in the fun. Susan says she has learned that collectively this group can make a difference helping women and children in our area and that all of the little things we do together are so important. She says involving young professional women and minority business owners in our outreach helps them to not feel so isolated. Susan also volunteers in nursing homes, assisted living and is very active with her church. | Welcome New Members! Welcome! Welcome New AAWGT members! So glad you’ve joined us. Mary Beth Blessing Carrie Dunn Sally Ehrle Pamela Cole Finlay Susa Flynn Anne Germunder Tania Hindert Catherine Hollerbach Samantha McDaniel Pamela McKee Ginny Nicolson Nancy Powell Marilyn Rees Chanise Reese-Queen Tammy Turner Sandy Tveit Denise Wright (11/4/2025 - 1/19/2026) |
A message from leadership
We’re 20! Turning 20 brings that special excitement of having your whole future ahead of you—and that's exactly what AAWGT is experiencing as we celebrate 20 years of grant making to women and families in Anne Arundel County. We hope you'll join us throughout the year in marking this milestone as we look forward to the next 20 years.” Our grant application period opened January 1st and closes January 31st. We're expecting a large volume of applications, and our Grants Review Teams are ready to go. Click here to read moreThanks to the incredible generosity of our members and community, we have a record amount in our 2026 grant fund. A special thank you to our members for each member’s contribution and to everyone who participated in the One More Grant outreach and to all of you who give so generously year-round. With over 400 members, we have a wonderful pool of talented women volunteering on committees. Come join us; there's always room for more helping hands. Friends, become a member! Members, please reach out to share your hidden talents or offer suggestions. This is our collective giving circle, and we truly value and need your participation. Liz, Jen, and I look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming Getting Togethers, the February Business Meeting, the March Women in Leadership presentation, or the April Open House. Watch our newsletters and website for dates, locations, and times. Until then, enjoy the beauty and quiet of these winter months. Stealey Ashley, President
| One More Grant
Thanks for Helping AAWGT Make ONE MORE GRANT! The 2025 end-of-year appeal raised $65,000+ and boosted AAWGT’s 2026 grant funds to an all-time high! On behalf of the many women and families we serve, we thank you! |
Follow. Like. Post. Share. Grants. Events. Gatherings. Photos. Get the latest AAWGT updates on |
Anne Arundel Women Giving Together | giving@givingtogether.org
AAWGT is a component fund of the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel CountyAAWGT is a member of Philanos: Accelerating Philanthropy through Women’s Collective Giving
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