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Full Circle News
March 2026
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Register today! Wednesday, March 4, 2026 St. John’s College at the Frances Key Auditorium 6:30-8:00 pm, reception to follow. In person or live stream, register HERE Protecting our Community: Women Leading with Impact Please join us for 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, both 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. Guests are encouraged to stay after the event to mingle with others who share a passion for Women in Leadership. Find out more: https://www.givingtogether.org/events |
Announcements | Getting Togethers |
Spring Open House! Member Recruitment Event Have you been curious about Anne Arundel Women Giving Together and interested in getting involved? Join us on April 16th for this free event to meet our members, learn about our impact, and discover how you can make a difference in our community. Please bring a friend or colleague with you! Register Today by clicking HERE. |
AAWGT Members: Join fellow members for our next Getting Together on April 28th from 5:30–7:30pm at Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen in Gambrills for a relaxed opportunity to connect, network, and socialize with other women committed to community impact. Advance registration is required and members are welcome to bring a guest. Click for details and register HERE. |
Grants
Thanks to our generous members, this year Anne Arundel Women Giving Together will award its largest-ever funding - $262,913! 61 amazing team leaders and reviewers are busily evaluating the 57 completed applications AAWGT received this year. These applicants requested more than $1.3 million in funding with 33 of them requesting the full $25,000 grant amount. 17 of these organizations are first time applicants. Whittling down applicants is no easy task. Every reviewer assesses 7 to 8 proposals, answering about a dozen detailed questions for each. The 7 teams then convene to discuss their findings. After another round of reviews by the team leaders, a ballot goes to the AAWGT membership for their votes. The need is great, and every applicant is deserving. This thoughtful, time-intensive process wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated members. We are so grateful for their hard work! Members — watch for your ballot and the announcement of the awardees in early May. To become a member, learn more HERE. |
Grantee Spotlight
Education Opens the Door: One Grant, Many New Beginnings For many women and families in Anne Arundel County, the path to stability begins with education, but access to that path is not always easy. At Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of Anne Arundel County, programs are designed to meet adults where they are, offering virtual Spanish-language instruction, ESL classes, and English GED programs for individuals facing poverty, limited educational access, and unstable employment. Through flexible virtual learning, participants are able to continue their education while balancing work, caregiving responsibilities, and family life. The goal is simple but powerful: build self-worth, strengthen workforce skills, and create long-term opportunities through education and employment. Click HERE to read more.AAWGT Support Expands Opportunity Support from Anne Arundel Women Giving Together (AAWGT) has played a critical role in strengthening and expanding these programs. AAWGT’s investment has helped OIC enhance instructional tools, strengthen its virtual learning infrastructure, and provide more individualized support to participants. The results are tangible. Since receiving AAWGT funding, enrollment and retention in OIC’s virtual Spanish, ESL, and English GED programs have increased. Participants are completing educational milestones, gaining workforce skills, and transitioning into employment or continuing their education. For many women, particularly those with caregiving responsibilities, the flexibility of virtual learning has been transformative, making it possible to pursue education without disrupting family stability. One Story That Says It All One participant’s journey illustrates the impact of this work. A single mother of two and a recovering addict enrolled in OIC’s virtual English GED program determined to rebuild her life through education. With supportive instruction and resources, made possible in part by AAWGT’s grant, she achieved what once felt out of reach—earning her GED. Today, she is employed by a nonprofit that supports individuals in recovery, fulfilling her personal goal of helping others on the same journey. She has also enrolled in a community college nursing program and is working toward a career in healthcare. Her story is just one example, but it reflects the broader transformation taking place every day when access, flexibility, and belief come together—values shared by both OIC and AAWGT. Click HERE to learn more about OIC |
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Recent Events/Photos
Women in Leadership Event Recap! Anne Arundel Women Giving Together hosted a powerful Women in Leadership Panel Discussion at St. John's College in Annapolis, bringing together community members for an evening focused on leadership, resilience, and public service. Click HERE to read more.The evening featured a dynamic conversation moderated by Preeti Emrick, Director of the Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management, with panelists Katie Roberts, Assistant Chief of Police for Anne Arundel County Police Department, and Trisha L. Wolford, Fire Chief of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. Together, these trailblazing leaders shared personal stories of transformation in leadership, from taking bold career risks to navigating challenges in traditionally male-dominated fields. They spoke candidly about resilience, the importance of mentorship, building trust within organizations and communities, and the responsibility leaders have to lift others as they rise. Throughout the discussion, the speakers emphasized that leadership is grounded in authenticity, courage, and service. Each described pivotal moments in their careers that required stepping into uncertainty, advocating for change, and building cultures that prioritize collaboration, trust, and opportunity for the next generation of women leaders. If you missed the event and would like to watch the recording, please view it HERE. Special thanks to the leadership of St. John's College for hosting the event, as well as to the generous sponsors, partners, and volunteers who supported the program. Their commitment helps Anne Arundel Women Giving Together continue its mission of collective philanthropy, improving the lives of women and families in the community through strategic grantmaking and leadership development. Thank you to our Women in Leadership event supporters: St. John's College, Homestead Gardens, The Vineyards at Dodon, and Blue Current Ventures. And thank you to all the committee members who helped to plan the event from Education, Events, Marketing, Membership and a huge thank you to Heather Cassity, Kathleen Kryza, Gretchen Moran, and Barb Witten. Photos by Aston Photography. | Fundraising Message
Get a Tax Credit & Contribute to Anne Arundel Women Giving Together’s Future! In celebration of AAWGT’s 20th Anniversary, we have launched a campaign to boost AAWGT’s Endowment to $1M and more! Would you like to receive credit on your Maryland State taxes while supporting Anne Arundel Women Giving Together? It is easy: Community Foundation Anne Arundel County is offering donors tax credits through the MD Endowment Program. Read more HERE. |
Equity Study Group  Tour of Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum On Thursday, March 12, 2026, Equity Study Group members received a guided tour of “She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory” at the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum. Our guides were AAWGT member, Jane Lipscomb, Museum Director, Chanel Johnson and Exhibits Manager, Leslie Rose. The exhibit is on display until January 16, 2027. | DEIAB 
Women’s History Month is an annual month dedicated to women’s achievements and accomplishments in history and society. It began as “Women’s History Week,” in 1978, and after years of lobbying by pro-women’s groups, in 1987 a month dedicated to women’s achievements finally received official recognition when President Reagan signed it into law. From 1988 to the present, annual congressional resolutions and presidential proclamations have continued to recognize March as Women’s History Month. Learn more at the National Women’s History Museum. |
Leadership, Governance, & Nominating
If You Can Serve, We Want You! At a recent visit to the Getty Center in LA, a special exhibit of black photography featured a photo of Fannie Lou Hamer. She was a civil right activist who organized voter registration drives in the south, and in 2025 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In her words… “It’s one thing I don’t want you to say tonight… I don’t want to hear you say ‘Honey, I’m behind you.’ Well, move, and I don’t want you back there. Because you could be two hundred miles behind. I want you to say, ‘I’m with you.’ and we’ll go up this freedom road together.” The Leadership, Governance, & Nominating is actively looking for passionate leaders to join our committees, committee chair positions, and executive team. Join us by clicking HERE as we continue to serve our community through Anne Arundel Giving Together. | 20th Anniversary News
Our New 20th Anniversary Endowment In celebration of AAWGT’s 20th Anniversary, we’ve launched a campaign to build our Endowment Fund to $1,000,000 and beyond! First created with a generous member gift and then multiplied by many 10th Anniversary donations, our Endowment Fund is securing a strong financial future while annually contributing dollars today to AAWGT’s grant and administrative funds. Join us in securing AAWGT’s future today! By becoming a Lifetime Member or by making a one-time contribution – thank you! |
Leadership Message
Thank Goodness for Zoom! It’s a love-hate relationship we have with zoom, but during the recent “snowcrete” event AAWGT kept moving forward with our committee undertakings thanks to our virtual meetings. Still, we thrive on the connections made at in-person gatherings as evidenced by the 50-60 members who met at Blackwall Hitch last week. Click here to read moreNew members spent time learning about AAWGT and we learned about what brought them to us. And we had over 100 members attend the February 17 Business meeting, most in person. We will soon be entering springtime and the unfolding of our grant making, new committee creation, 20th anniversary plans, including our strategic plan, which will help lead us forward. Stay tuned- there is much excitement in the air! Stealey Ashley, President | Welcome New Members! Welcome! Welcome New AAWGT members! So glad you’ve joined us. Elizabeth Adams (1/20/2026 - 2/19/2026) |
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