Nonprofit Center FAQs

The Nonprofit Center is a program of Anne Arundel County government that provides capacity-building resources and services to local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that address the social determinants of health to improve the lives of county residents.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, social determinants of health are the “conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.” 

Examples include:

• Safe housing, transportation, and neighborhoods
• Racism, discrimination, and violence
• Education, job opportunities, and income
• Access to nutritious foods and physical activity
• Polluted air and water
• Language and literacy skills

Any 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission and programs address these issues is eligible for services through the Nonprofit Center. 

The Nonprofit Center is located at 41 Community Place, Crownsville, Maryland and is proud to be part of Crownsville Hospital Memorial Park.

Most GPS systems do not show the correct location. When visiting the NPC, please refer to the map below and enter through the main-level door on the north side of the building. View map & directions.

PLEASE NOTE: The building is not currently open to the public. Contact the NPC staff at  nonprofitcenter@aacounty.org or 410-222-6999 to schedule a tour or meeting.

The Nonprofit Center is open to Resident Organizations (those with office space) from 7am - 7pm daily. Other nonprofits will be able to schedule meeting space or a hot desk Monday - Thursday 9 am - 6 pm and Friday 9 am - 4 pm. These hours may be extended in Fiscal Year 2026 (July 2025) if funding is approved.
Staff will be on-site Monday - Thursday 9 am - 6 pm and Friday 9 am - 4 pm until further notice.  Appointments and tours must be scheduled in advance.
 

All nonprofit organizations are welcome to access the resources available on the Nonprofit Center website and subscribe to the Nonprofit News newsletter. Training opportunities are available to 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities that are located in Anne Arundel County and serve Anne Arundel County residents. If your organization is located outside of Anne Arundel County, but you provide services to a large number of Anne Arundel County residents, please contact Mae Binkley at exbink24@aacounty.org to discuss your needs.

Yes. Faith-based organizations with a public charity designation that offer programming to all residents are eligible for Nonprofit Center services.

As a local government, Anne Arundel County, Maryland must abide by the Ethics Article of its Code, which is modeled after a similar law at the State level.  Among other principles, the County and its officials must maintain independence and impartiality in both appearance and action. Further, there are significant restrictions and requirements concerning lobbying and financial interests. 501(c)(4) organizations are permitted to engage in lobbying and partisan political activities, which can conflict with or cause conflicts with these requirements. Therefore, 501(c)(4) nonprofits are not eligible to participate in NPC Programming.

The Nonprofit Center’s staff, programming, and building are funded by Anne Arundel County government through its annual budgeting process. Resident organizations with office space at the NPC pay a monthly fee that covers a small portion of maintenance and utilities. 

The Nonprofit Center and several Anne Arundel County departments have agency funds with the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC). This allows individuals to support the work of the Nonprofit Center through donations. Please visit our page on the CFAAC website for information.

The Nonprofit Center staff will work closely with the Crownsville Hospital Memorial Park (CMP) planning committee to determine the best way to acknowledge the site’s past. The historical timeline prepared as part of CMP’s master planning process is currently displayed in the NPC’s main hallway.

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The best way to contact Nonprofit Center staff is via email at nonprofitcenter@aacounty.org or by calling 410-222-6999. The NPC employs only two full-time staff, so please allow at least 3 business days for a response.

The Nonprofit Center does not provide technical assistance, but maintains a list of resources specific to starting and registering a nonprofit in Maryland. See our Resources for Nonprofits page and click “Starting a Nonprofit” from the dropdown menu.  Community organizations who are not registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits may still qualify for some NPC services, such as cohorts or workshops, if space is available. Our program staff is happy to discuss options with you.

The Nonprofit Center offers several types of programming, which may change each year to address the most pressing needs of nonprofits. The NPC currently offers 5-week cohort programs, a full-day conference, and access to an online training platform with daily synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities. If your organization is looking for something specific, please reach out to Mae Binkley at exbink24@aacounty.org to discuss your specific needs.

Most programming is offered at the Nonprofit Center’s facility at 41 Community Place in Crownsville. Some are available virtually and at other locations around the county.

Any organization is welcome to view our online resources. Some programs are open to all 501(c)(3) nonprofits located in Anne Arundel County and serving county residents. Programs with limited space, such as our cohort training series, require an application process. Because each program is different and the NPC aims to provide services to benefit a wide-range of nonprofit organizations, the criteria for selection will vary. Specific details are posted on the Professional Development Programs page as training opportunities become available.

In general, the Nonprofit Center prioritizes those organizations that serve under-resourced communities (including economically disadvantaged populations, racial and ethnic minorities, the uninsured, and others) and/or address the social determinants of health followed by organizations with budgets below $1M and those that have not participated in previous NPC training programs. However, organizations are encouraged to apply, regardless of whether they meet all suggested criteria.

Individuals are welcome to access the resources available on the Nonprofit Center website and subscribe to the Nonprofit News newsletter. Individuals are also encouraged to check out the free resources at the Anne Arundel County Public Libraries. Workshops and other training opportunities are open to employees and volunteers of local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

All workshops, networking events, and 1:1 consulting were free of charge the first year. The online Nonprofit Learning Lab subscription is available free of charge through December 2025. Current cohort training programs range from $50 to $125 for a combination of group instruction and 1:1 consultation based on organizational budget. The full-day conference registration fee is $35, which covers materials, the site rental, and lunch. Scholarships are often available, and the details to request a scholarship are included when a program is announced.  Fees are subject to change.

As an entity of county government, the Nonprofit Center follows all county personnel and procurement policies / procedures.

Maybe. It depends on the type of volunteer work you would like to do. Due to the county’s ethics regulations the Nonprofit Center is unable to accept pro-bono professional services, but we welcome help with events, office work, and special projects. Please reach out to the staff to discuss your interests.

The NPC always encourages residents to donate time and talent at local nonprofit organizations. Check out the Nonprofit Events Hub for local events and volunteer opportunities.

The Nonprofit Center does not award grants, but maintains a list of county-based and external grants for nonprofits. Details are available on the Grant Opportunities webpage.

The Nonprofit Center is working with other county departments to assess the potential impact of federal Executive Orders and policy changes on local nonprofits. The NPC also shares information from organizations, such as the National Council of Nonprofits and Maryland Association of Nonprofits, that are tracking these issues closely.

For those impacted by federal layoffs, the Anne Arundel County Executive’s Office and the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County both have published lists of resources available.

Office space at the Nonprofit Center’s new facility in Crownsville will be available May 1, 2025. Applications for space are available now. Organizations interested in office space should contact the NPC staff to schedule a tour and link to the application. Detailed information and the application questions are available HERE.

Meeting and event spaces will be available on a very limited basis in late spring while the staff tests the scheduling systems and procedures. The NPC will announce how to reserve spaces in the upcoming weeks.

Meeting and event spaces will be available on a very limited basis in late spring. The NPC is not yet taking reservations, but descriptions of the meeting spaces are listed HERE.  All 501c3 public charities serving Anne Arundel County residents are eligible to use meeting spaces. Resident Organizations, however, will have priority when scheduling the spaces. There will be no costs to use the meeting space, but non-Resident organizations are limited to 12 hours per year for one-time events and 2 hours per month for recurring meetings until the staff is able to assess demand.  

See our Resources for Nonprofits section on “Event Planning” to find information about other meeting and event spaces available to nonprofits in Anne Arundel County.

A Resident Organization is a nonprofit that has signed an annual license agreement with the Nonprofit Center, through the Anne Arundel County Real Estate Division, to use office space and amenities at the facility in Crownsville, Maryland.

A review committee will carefully consider all applications to maximize 501(c)3 organizations’ fit with the mission, culture, and space limitations of the Nonprofit Center. Please see the Office Spaces page for detailed information on eligibility, priorities, selection process, and application questions.

The Nonprofit Center has 14 offices, 18 desks in cubicle spaces, and 5 spaces that can be converted to work space if needed. Several offices can accommodate multiple desks. The total number of organizations on-site will be determined by how many work spaces an organization requests and if they use private or shared space.

The NPC prefers to house several small organizations rather than just a few large organizations, and this is reflected in the selection priorities.

The Nonprofit Center does not offer long-term leases at this time. Organizations sign a renewable license agreement for use of space and amenities. Contact Jennifer Purcell at expurc99@aacounty.org to discuss the specific process.

The Nonprofit Center’s mission is to provide capacity-building support to local nonprofits. The NPC does this through 1) professional development programming and 2) low-cost office space with shared resources and learning opportunities.

The NPC will work with Resident Organizations to help them identify their capacity-building goals.     
For a small organization, that could mean acquiring resources to hire a professional fundraiser or building partnerships to streamline processes. For a large organization, that could simply mean relocating administrative staff during an expansion or capital campaign. Every scenario will be different.

Although we understand capacity-building is a long-term commitment and that nonprofit growth can be much slower than small business or technology incubators, the expectation is that organizations will be able to sustain operations in a new space within three to five years, thereby allowing other organizations to benefit from the NPC’s rates and services.

The Nonprofit Center is committed to providing resident nonprofit organizations with stable rent that is well below market rates, both for those who use the facility every day and those who share space on a less frequent basis. Monthly fees range from $2 to $10 per square foot and include valuable amenities for organizations’ operations including wifi, meeting room access, utilities, copiers, and more. The exact cost will be defined in each organization’s license agreement with the County based on their specific allocation of space and frequency in office. 

Organizations that lease space from the County for a rate of $1/year are also required to pay utilities and perform maintenance on the building/space at their own expense. Utilities, maintenance, and other amenities are included as part of the Nonprofit Center licensing fee,  so there is no need to worry about unexpected or fluctuating expenses.
 

Yes. Organizations with office space at the Nonprofit Center can provide direct services on-site. However, the location may not be ideal for all types of services. For instance, because the NPC wants to support multiple organizations and provide access to meeting space equitably among Resident Organizations, an organization requiring a large meeting space several hours a month will receive priority over one requiring the same space several hours a day.

The NPC’s location in the center of the county is ideal for meetings, administrative work, and tele-services. Although the Silver Line bus route provides access to the Crownsville property, the location may not be ideal for organizations that prefer to be located within the communities they serve.

Yes. The types and amounts of coverage will depend on several factors, including the type of work being performed onsite and the amount of space used. The Nonprofit Center and Real Estate Division staff will be able to provide specific requirements after meeting with an organization to discuss its intended use of the space.

The Nonprofit Center is not currently funded to be accessible 24/7. Resident Organizations will be able to access the building 7am - 7pm daily.  

Other organizations will be able to schedule meeting space or a hot desk Monday - Thursday 9 am - 6 pm and Friday 9 am - 4 pm.

These hours may be extended in Fiscal Year 2026 (July 2025) if funding is approved.

Staff will be on-site Monday - Thursday 9 am - 6 pm and Friday 9 am - 4 pm.  Appointments and tours must be scheduled in advance.

The Nonprofit Center is working with the University of Maryland School of Public Policy to develop an evaluation plan. Resident Organizations are asked to complete surveys and meet with the staff annually to discuss goals, progress and needs. Data collected through the application, surveys, meetings, and review of documents are analyzed to determine if the NPC programming and services have had a positive impact on the organization’s unique capacity-building goals. Tracking this data helps identify gaps in NPC services and will inform both future programming and the NPC budget.