The Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore is now accepting grant proposals from IRS-designated non-profit organizations for programs addressing the needs of local women and girls. Completed applications must be received by Saturday, November 1, 2025. Instructions and a link to the online application are available at www.womenandgirlsfund.org/grant-guidelines. Grant recipients will be announced in April 2026.

Since 2002, the Fund has awarded $967,006 to 118 non-profit organizations in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties. With the 2026 awards, the total will surpass the $1,000,000 mark!

The Fund awarded $64,970 in its 2025 grants to 18 organizations for a wide variety of programs such as: Aaron’s Place “Addressing the Needs of Women and Female Children”; Building African American Minds “BAAM Girls Summer Program”; For All Seasons “Empowering Healthy Relationships: Educating Teens on Connection and Consent”; Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence “Food Pantry Project for Victims of Domestic Violence”; and Pine Street Committee “Summer Success for Girls Enrichment Program”.

“We encourage organizations across all five counties to apply. Our online application process is straightforward—don’t hesitate to submit a request,” said Allie Prell, Grants Committee chair. “We’re particularly interested in small organizations with innovative programs that lack traditional funding sources, and we’d love to learn about organizations new to us.”

For more information, call 410-770-8347 or e-mail [email protected].

Registration is open for the Women & Girls Fund’s annual Golf Day on Tuesday, September 8, at Talbot Country Club in Easton.  Open to women golfers from beginners to veterans, the day features a buffet lunch and 9-hole scramble-style tournament.

“This is the thirteenth year for the golf tournament, and the fun, laughter, and friendships that happen during the day always make it a memorable event,” said Alice Ryan, Women & Girls Fund founder, event chair, and avid golfer.  “It’s a wonderful way to engage our sponsors, players, and volunteers in raising much-needed funds to educate and empower women and girls on the Mid-Shore, and we thank all of them for their support.” 

Registration opens at 11:00am, the buffet lunch will be served from 11:45 am-12:45 pm, and tee time is 1:00pm.  Players break into foursomes for the 9-hole “scramble”, which is an ideal format for players of different abilities.  From tee to green, foursomes hit from their group’s “best ball” position, which gives every player the chance to contribute to the team’s cumulative low score.

Following play, refreshments will be served at the clubhouse and awards given to the winning players.  There will also be prizes for the Closest to the Pin contest and the winning ticket for the popular 50-50 Raffle will be drawn. 

The fee for lunch and 9-holes (with cart) is $200.  Registration deadline is September 1.  To sign up or for more information, visit www.womenandgirlsfund.org, call 410-770-8347, or email [email protected].  

Now in its 23rd year, the Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore is a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation.  It seeks to understand and address the needs of women and girls in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties.  With community support and the “power of pooled resources’, it has built a permanent endowment of over $1,000,000 and awarded grants totaling $967,006 to 118 distinct Mid-Shore non-profits.  

Representatives from eighteen Mid-Shore non-profits will accept checks totaling $64,970 at the Women & Girls Fund’s 22nd Annual Grants & Awards Luncheon on April 28.  That will bring the Fund’s overall grant total to $967,006 awarded to 118 distinct organizations whose programs benefit women and girls in one or more of the five Mid-Shore counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot.

The grants will go to 6 new organizations and 12 non-profits that have been awarded Women & Girls Fund grants at least once before.  New this year are: Allegro Academy; Building African American Minds; Chester Valley Ministers Association; Garfield Center for the Performing Arts; Hurlock Elementary School Girls on the Run; and, Tides of Grace.

Previous grant recipients receiving awards are: Aaron’s Place; Compass Hospice; Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers; For All Seasons; Horizons of Kent and Queen Anne’s; Imagination Library of Talbot County; Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence; Open Doors Partners in Education; Pine Street Committee; Talbot Hospice; Talbot Interfaith Shelter; and, Tilghman Area Youth Association.

“The programs offered by our grant recipients focus on the significant issues facing women and girls,” said Allie Prell, Grants Committee chair.  “From education to developing healthy relationships to supporting families in crisis, they have the potential to create a positive change in our community and we are proud to be able to support their efforts.” 

In addition to bestowing the grants checks at the luncheon, the Women & Girls Fund Award and Sheryl V. Kerr Award will be presented to two extraordinary local women in recognition of their leadership, vision, integrity, and remarkable accomplishments benefitting Mid-Shore residents.

The Women & Girls Fund Award for 2025 will be presented to Kathy Deoudes, of Queenstown. A 30-year resident of Queen Anne’s County and past Board President of the Women & Girls Fund, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership through her professional career and extensive community service.  In her professional capacity, her decade of service as a legislative aide to State Senator E.J. Pipkin contributed to bringing the Shore Health Queen Anne’s Emergency Center to the county in 2007.  As the current Chair of the Board of Directors for UMMS/Shore Regional Health and through her volunteer work with numerous organizations, including the Mid-Shore Community Foundation and Compass Hospice, Deoudes has been a driving force in improving healthcare access and community development across the Mid-Shore. 

The 2025 recipient of the Sheryl V. Kerr Award is Beth Anne Dorman, of St. Michaels, President  & CEO of For All Seasons.  Under her leadership since 2014, For All Seasons has grown from a $1.4M operation with 24 employees to a vital behavioral health agency and rape crisis center with a $10,000,000 budget and nearly 100 employees, with 60,000 services a year to 3,500 people. Her work establishing sexual assault response programs, developing mental health resources, and expanding access to mental health services has transformed the landscape of healthcare services on the Eastern Shore.

“Our award recipients are tireless advocates for Mid-Shore women and children through their professional careers and volunteer service.  Our grant recipients address a wide variety of critical needs facing women and girls,” said Beth Spurry, president of the Women & Girls Fund Board of Directors.  “We are pleased to bring our donors and friends together with this year’s recipients at the annual luncheon so they can see their dollars are going to real people doing great things.”  

The Grants & Awards Luncheon will be held on Monday, April 28, 11:30am, at The Tidewater Inn Gold Room in Easton.  Ticket price is $65 per person.  The event is open to the public.  Space limited.  Registration deadline is April 14.  To make a reservation or for more information, call 410-770-8347, email [email protected] or visit www.womenandgirlsfund.org.

Amelia “Amy” Blades Steward, center, received the 2024 Women & Girls Fund Award at the Annual Grants & Awards Luncheon, held April 29, 2024 at the Tidewater Inn. Pictured from left, then-Board President Karen Kaludis, Amy Steward, and Alice Ryan, Women & Girls Fund founder. Photo credit: Star Democrat

The Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore is accepting nominations for its annual Women & Girls Fund Award, which will be presented to the recipient at the annual Grants & Awards Luncheon in the spring.Established in 2004, the award honors a community member from Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, or Talbot counties who has made outstanding professional or personal contributions towards addressing the needs of local women and girls.

Candidates for this award should have demonstrated leadership, vision, integrity, compassion, cooperation and generosity of time and talent in their efforts to improve the lives and opportunities of women and girls.

The 2024 Women & Girls Fund Award was presented to Amelia “Amy” Blades Steward, of Easton, for her outstanding professional and personal contributions to the Mid-Shore.  As a volunteer and board member, both locally and statewide, she has been active with numerous organizations, including Talbot Arts, Talbot Community Connections, Channel Marker, Character Counts, Waterfowl Festival, Shore Leadership Alumni Association, and Bay to Ocean Writer’s Conference Committee. As the owner of Steward Writing and Communications, she has helped elevate the visibility local nonprofits through marking, public relations, and fundraising services.  And, as a regional storyteller, Amy has focused her writing on telling the stories of those who are often overlooked in our community.  She has made long-lasting contributions to improving the lives of women, girls, and families in the Mid-Shore. 

The Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore, a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, is now accepting grant proposals from IRS-designated non-profit organizations for programs addressing the needs of local women and girls.  Completed applications must be received by Friday, November 1, 2024. Grant recipients will be announced in April 2025. 

Since 2002, grants totaling $902,036 have been awarded to 112 non-profit organizations in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties.  In 2024, 18 grants totaling $62,513 were given for a wide variety of programs, including Community Mediation Upper Shore “Making Peace Possible for Women and Girls”, Haven Ministries “Homes of Hope Case Management and Client Education Program”, Partners in Care “Services to Empower Mid-Shore Older Women to Age in Place with Dignity and Respect”, and Cambridge Empowerment Center “Summer STEM for Girls”. 

“Our online grant application has made applying for grants easier than ever,” said Allie Prell, Grants Committee Chair.  “Grants can be awarded for a wide variety of issues, including education, literacy, mental health, food insecurity, and shelter. We encourage applications for innovative programs that target critical needs facing women and girls.  No organization should be reluctant to apply.”

Grant guidelines and applications are available at www.womenandgirlsfund.org.  For further information, call 410-770-8347 or e-mail [email protected].  

Childlene Brooks and Amy Steward

In recognition of their outstanding personal and professional contributions to the Mid-Shore, Childlene Brooks and Amelia Steward have been selected to receive this year’s community awards at the Women & Girls Fund’s Annual Grants & Awards Luncheon on April 29, 11:30am, at the Tidewater Inn Gold Room.

Amelia “Amy” Blades Steward, recipient of the Women & Girls Fund Award, is a renowned regional storyteller residing in Easton, Maryland. With over 40 years of experience in writing, editing, marketing, public relations, and fundraising, Amy has dedicated her career to amplifying the voices of those often overlooked in our community. Through her company, Steward Writing and Communications, she has played a pivotal role in enhancing the visibility of numerous local nonprofits, focusing on areas such as healthcare, human services, the arts, the environment, and tourism. Amy’s passion for storytelling extends beyond her professional endeavors; she is a published author and a regular contributor of non-fiction articles to various publications. Moreover, Amy is deeply committed to community service, serving on numerous boards and acting as a mentor to women in the writing field.

Childlene Brooks, recipient of the Sheryl V. Kerr Award, joined Brookletts Place – Talbot County Senior Center in 2011 as a Program Coordinator following her retirement from a long career at the Talbot County Public Health Department.  She was promoted to Manager in 2014 and continues in that position to play an instrumental role in enhancing the lives of senior citizens. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Childlene is a lifelong member of New St. Johns United Methodist Church, Wittman, a co-founder of Family & Friends of Asbury & Green Chappel, and has volunteered for a number of local organizations, including Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers, Talbot Hospice Foundation, and Mid-Shore Pro Bono.  She is a current board member of CASA of the Mid-Shore, Frederick Douglass Honor Society, and Mid-Shore Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.

“We are eternally grateful to our award recipients, who have effectively advocated for Mid-Shore women and girls over the span of their decades-long careers. We celebrate their lifetime of dedication and service,” said Karen Kaludis, Women & Girls Fund Board President. “Their dedication to serving others and their tireless efforts to make a positive impact exemplify the spirit of these prestigious awards. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to both Childlene and Amy for their well-deserved recognition.”

The Annual Grants & Awards Luncheon will also include the presentation of grants to local non-profits whose programs benefit women and girls.  The ticket price is $60, and the event is open to the public. Registration deadline is April 15^th.  For more information or to register for the event, please visit www.womenandgirlsfund.org or call 410-770-8347.