1. Women and Girls Fund — Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County

Best for: Women and girls in Anne Arundel County

Grant size: $3,000–$5,000

2026 status: Open July 13–August 25, 2026

This is one of the strongest small-grant opportunities on the list.

The Women and Girls Fund supports nonprofits helping women and girls in Anne Arundel County overcome barriers, increase economic security, improve well-being and safety, and build more positive and productive lives.

Eligible organizations must be located and operating in Anne Arundel County, have 501(c)(3) status, and be current with Maryland charitable registration requirements. The fund expects to award two or three grants of $3,000 to $5,000.

Good fit for

• Economic empowerment

• Financial stability

• Domestic violence services

• Women's health

• Programs addressing poverty

• Education and skills development

• Programs helping women become more self-sufficient

Watch out

This is county-specific. A Maryland nonprofit serving women elsewhere in the state would not qualify simply because it is incorporated in Maryland.

Official source: Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County — Women and Girls Fund

2. Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore

Best for: Women and girls in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot counties

Grant timing: Annual

Next deadline: November 1 for the following year's funding

This fund is easy to overlook if your grant research focuses mainly on statewide foundations.

The Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore is an endowed fund specifically supporting organizations addressing significant needs among women and girls in Maryland's Mid-Shore counties. A nonprofit can also apply through a qualified fiscal sponsor.

The fund looks favorably on programs that promote:

• Self-sufficiency

• Life skills

• Education

• Parenting skills

• Mentoring

• Collaboration

• Measurable outcomes

• Organizational sustainability

The fund has awarded more than $1 million to 120 nonprofit organizations to date. Its 2026 awards included $66,100 distributed among 16 local nonprofits.

Watch out

The geography is very specific. Your organization or fiscal sponsor needs to serve women and girls in the Mid-Shore region.

Applications for the following year's funding are due November 1.

Official source: Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore

3. Women's Fund — Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore

Best for: Women and girls in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties

Grant size: Up to $5,000

Timing: Annual spring cycle

The Women's Fund of the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore focuses specifically on unmet needs affecting women and girls on Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore.

The fund supports programs that provide a direct and measurable benefit to women and girls in Somerset, Wicomico, and/or Worcester County. The current grant maximum is $5,000.

Recent funding has supported programs involving:

• Girls' leadership

• Education

• Resilience

• Workforce readiness

• Community leadership

• Programs for young women

In 2026, the fund awarded a combined $65,000 to nonprofits serving the three counties.

Watch out

A statewide Maryland organization may qualify only if its project provides the required direct benefit to women or girls in the eligible Lower Eastern Shore counties.

Official source: Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore — Women's Fund

4. Women's Giving Circle of Frederick County

Best for: Women age 18+ experiencing challenging circumstances in Frederick County

2026 status: Closed

Next cycle: February 2027

This is a particularly useful fund to put on the calendar early.

The Women's Giving Circle of Frederick County funds programs that empower women experiencing challenging situations. Eligible projects can address areas including education, health, housing, transportation, financial services, workforce empowerment, basic needs, family services, and access to resources.

In 2026, the Giving Circle awarded $290,000 across 11 local nonprofits. The organization has awarded more than $3.5 million since its founding.

Good fit for

A nonprofit helping women with:

• Financial stability

• Employment

• Housing

• Transportation

• Health

• Education

• Family support

• Access to essential services

Watch out

This is specifically for Frederick County women. The next application period is scheduled to open in February 2027.

Official source: Women's Giving Circle of Frederick County

5. Anne Arundel Women Giving Together

Best for: Small nonprofits serving women and families in Anne Arundel County

2026 status: Closed

Next cycle: Watch for the 2027 announcement

Anne Arundel Women Giving Together is another opportunity that can easily get buried underneath broader Maryland grant searches. The giving circle funds nonprofits improving the quality of life for women and families in Anne Arundel County.

For the 2026 cycle, eligible organizations had to have less than $1 million in gross annual revenue, making this particularly relevant to smaller nonprofits.

The 2026 cycle awarded $262,913 to 13 nonprofits, including an $18,000 award supporting essential diaper, menstrual, and hygiene supplies for women and families.

Watch out

The revenue limit matters.

For 2026, organizations with gross annual revenue of $1 million or more were not eligible. The fund also limits how many consecutive cycles an organization can receive funding.

The organization is already telling prospective applicants to subscribe for notification when the 2027 application cycle opens.

Official source: Anne Arundel Women Giving Together

6. Ausherman Family Foundation — Capacity Building Grants

Best for: Frederick County nonprofits strengthening their organizations

Status: Rolling

This one isn't a women-only grant, which is precisely why it belongs on a broader women's nonprofit funding list.

The Ausherman Family Foundation supports 501(c)(3) organizations serving Frederick County and offers Capacity Building Grants on a rolling basis. Its areas of interest include health and human services, children, youth and families, arts and culture, and public/society benefit.

Capacity-building funding can support things such as:

• Strategic planning

• Technology

• Fundraising strategy

• Organizational systems

• Leadership development

• Consulting

• Internal improvements

The foundation specifically explains that capacity-building grants can be used to bring in consultants for areas such as strategic planning, technology implementation, or fundraising strategy development.

Why women's nonprofits should look at it

Suppose your organization has strong programming but weak systems.

Maybe your donor database is a disaster. Maybe your board needs better governance systems. Maybe you're ready to expand but your technology cannot keep up.

A direct-service women's grant may not cover that work. A capacity-building fund might.

Watch out

You must serve Frederick County, and the request needs to fit the foundation's capacity-building purpose.

Official source: Ausherman Family Foundation — Grants

7. TJX Foundation

Best for: Nonprofits serving women, families, youth, or survivors of relationship abuse near a TJX location

2026 status: Open through October 31, 2026

The TJX Foundation accepts Letters of Inquiry from qualifying U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations, and the portal is open annually from February 1 through October 31. LOIs are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications for actual funding are by invitation.

Current funding areas include:

• Basic needs

• Out-of-school opportunities for at-risk youth

• Workforce readiness for youth ages 16–24

• Safety from relationship abuse

A nonprofit must provide services within 15 miles of a TJX store, distribution center, or office and generally must have been a 501(c)(3) for at least 12 months.

Watch out

Don't assume that being a Maryland nonprofit makes you eligible.

The 15-mile location requirement is a big one.

The foundation also does not publish a typical grant award range and does not guarantee funding even when an organization meets the eligibility requirements.

Official source: TJX Foundation — U.S. Foundation

8. Women's Giving Circle of Harford County

Best for: Nonprofits serving women, children, and families in Harford County

Timing: Annual

Here's another local giving circle worth adding to a Maryland nonprofit's prospect list.

The Women's Giving Circle of Harford County has awarded 193 grants totaling more than $711,000 to 64 nonprofit organizations over 16 years. Its grants directly support women, children, and families in Harford County.

The fund is administered through the Grapevine Giving Foundation, which serves as its fiscal sponsor.

Good fit for

Programs that directly benefit:

• Women

• Children

• Families

• Local community programs

• Projects addressing practical needs

Watch out

This is Harford County-specific, and grantees have reporting requirements. Organizations that do not complete required reports may not be considered for future funding.

Official source: Women's Giving Circle of Harford County

9. Egenton~Roberts Foundation

Best for: Programs supporting girls and young women in the Baltimore area

Next Cycle: Submissions due Mar 1, 2027.

This is a particularly specialized prospect.

The Egenton~Roberts Foundation has funded organizations serving young women and girls in the Baltimore area, including Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, Girls Empowerment Mission, Sisters Circle, and other programs focused on education, mentoring, academic enrichment, and empowerment.

Its recent grants demonstrate a strong interest in programs serving girls and young women rather than general nonprofit operations.

Good fit for

• Girls' education

• Mentoring

• Youth development

• Leadership

• Academic enrichment

• Programs supporting at-risk girls

• Young women's empowerment

Watch out

This is a highly targeted funder.

If your organization serves women generally but has no meaningful program focus on girls or young women, it probably belongs lower on your prospect list.

The foundation's website does not currently provide enough information for us to responsibly label a 2026 application deadline as open, so treat this as a prospect for the next cycle, not a currently open grant.

Official source: Egenton~Roberts Foundation Grants

10. Marion I. and Henry J. Knott Foundation

Best for: Baltimore-area nonprofits in health, education, and human services
Ongoing/Strategic Cycles: Guidelines active.

The Knott Foundation isn't exclusively a women's fund, but its giving history makes it worth researching for Maryland organizations serving women and girls.

The foundation funds programs in health care, human services, education, arts and humanities, and Catholic activities across its geographic focus. Its 2026 awards included Sisters Circle, a Baltimore program providing long-term mentoring and post-secondary advising to girls in grades 8–12, which received $211,000 over three years.

Good fit for

A women's or girls' nonprofit whose work falls within areas such as:

• Health

• Human services

• Education

• Youth development

• Mentoring

• Workforce development

Watch out

Don't treat the Knott Foundation as a women-specific fund.

Your proposal needs to fit one of its actual funding areas and geographic requirements. The foundation's current grantmaking includes general funds and strategic initiatives, so read the current guidelines before preparing an application.

Official source: The Knott Foundation

How to Make a Small Women's Nonprofit More Competitive

A $5,000 request can still tell a very good story.

Instead of:

“We need funding to support women in Maryland.”

Try:

“A $5,000 grant will provide financial coaching and employment-readiness support to 30 women in Frederick County, with participants completing a financial action plan and receiving follow-up support.”

Now the funder can see:

Who → What → Where → How much → What changes

That makes the request easier to evaluate.

Match the geography before writing

Maryland is one state, but these funders aren't necessarily statewide.

You may have:

• Anne Arundel County

• Frederick County

• Harford County

• Baltimore-area funding

• Lower Eastern Shore funding

• Mid-Shore funding

A beautiful application submitted to the wrong geographic funder is still the wrong application.

Don't overlook capacity-building money

If your nonprofit needs:

• Better technology

• Strategic planning

• Fundraising systems

• Governance support

• Staff development

• Organizational infrastructure

don't automatically try to squeeze those costs into a direct-service proposal. A capacity-building opportunity such as Ausherman's may be a better match.

Put next year's deadlines on the calendar now

Several of these opportunities have predictable annual cycles.

The Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore, for example, requires applications for the following year's funding by November 1. The Frederick Women's Giving Circle has already announced that its 2027 application period will open in February.

That means you can start preparing before the application opens instead of discovering the grant two days before the deadline.

One More Thing: Check the Fine Print

Grant directories are useful for discovering funders but they should not be your final authority. For example, a third-party listing may show a projected deadline while the funder's website has already changed the schedule. We found exactly that kind of issue while researching this list.

Before submitting, verify:

• Current deadline

• Eligible counties

• 501(c)(3) requirements

• Revenue restrictions

• Eligible program costs

• Award range

• Application method

• Reporting requirements

• Whether unsolicited applications are accepted

And check the official funder page immediately before applying. A grant opportunity can change while your draft proposal is sitting in Google Docs looking very productive.