The Board of Directors and staff of the Community Foundation of Southern Maryland (CFSOMD) are committed to the highest level of professional and ethical standards in all areas of operation, including donor services, community leadership, investment of funds, accounting, administration, and grantmaking. By virtue of its mission, the Community Foundation is entrusted with contributions from donors and with the responsibility to distribute the donations according to donor intent and community need.
The Community Foundation of Southern Maryland works and communicates openly and honestly with all constituents, including donors, grant recipients, and the public to ensure that grants are used for charitable and effective purposes. Toward that end, the Foundation exercises the following due diligence policies and procedures.
Grants are made only to 501(c)3 non-profit organizations, governmental units, and educational institutions. Documentation of the organization’s tax-exempt status must be on file with the Foundation. There are occasions when CFSOMD may award grants to religious organizations (non-profit), however, such grants may only be used for charitable purposes by the religious organization or its affiliate.
Individuals: Grants are never made directly to an individual beneficiary, but may be made to an educational institution or a service provider (non-profit) for the benefit of an individual if:
- The individual is a member of a broad charitable class;
- The individual is selected based upon pre-established, objective criteria; and
- A clear charitable purpose is documented.
For complete details, please view CFSOMD Due Diligence Policy.