Horizon Foundation

Horizon Foundation The Horizon Foundation is the largest independent health philanthropy in Md.

We are committed to a Howard County free from systemic inequities, where all people can live abundant & healthy lives.

Please join us for a guided conversation and book signing featuring our grantee, Sadija A. Smiley, author and founder & ...
06/23/2026

Please join us for a guided conversation and book signing featuring our grantee, Sadija A. Smiley, author and founder & CEO of Stillborn And Infant Loss Support-SAILS Inc.

Join us to hear Sadija's personal story of pregnancy loss, how she navigates healing and how she works to support mothers and families experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth and other pregnancy losses through community building, education, mentorship and support groups. We will have a limited number of copies of Sadija's book, After the Silence: 7 Gentle Reminders for Mothers Healing After Pregnancy Loss, available for attendees.

📅 July 11, 2026
🕐 12-2 p.m.
📍 10221 Wincopin Circle, Suite 200, Columbia, MD 21044
☕ Lite fare provided

🔗 Registration is free, and space is limited: https://secure.everyaction.com/DCnaKPaOaUWBw1W4MOkSBg2

Our next First Thursday gathering on Thursday, July 2nd at 10 am, will give participants a chance to share updates on th...
06/22/2026

Our next First Thursday gathering on Thursday, July 2nd at 10 am, will give participants a chance to share updates on their work. Learning about each other's work helps break down silos and foster collaboration so we can work together to expand impact.

To RSVP, please email our Senior Power and Movement Building Officer, Gerardo Benavides. DM us if you need his contact information.

Our team at the Horizon Foundation wants to wish you and your communities a joyful Juneteenth! Our office will be closed...
06/19/2026

Our team at the Horizon Foundation wants to wish you and your communities a joyful Juneteenth! Our office will be closed today in honor of the holiday.

We were proud to sponsor and participate in this year’s Legacy Builders event hosted by the Baltimore Banner. Our presid...
06/17/2026

We were proud to sponsor and participate in this year’s Legacy Builders event hosted by the Baltimore Banner. Our president and CEO, Nikki Highsmith Vernick, joined Dr. Francesca Weaks and Dr. Shondelle Wilson-Frederick on a panel that examined how structural bias shapes health outcomes and access to care, and how we can empower communities to help improve our healthcare system. In particular, Nikki highlighted the unacceptable disparities that Black and Brown women and birthing people face in maternal health outcomes and how racial bias has shaped institutional policies and practices on how care is delivered and received. We have a lot of work to do to ensure respectful maternity care here in Maryland. Thanks to The Baltimore Banner for having us!

06/16/2026

Our team left the Grantmakers In Health Conference inspired and recommitted to improving health equity. Our CEO, Nikki Highsmith Vernick, and Board Member, Lou Hutt III, delivered an inspiring presentation that reminded us that this moment calls for courage, but we can accomplish amazing things if we work together.

Our team loved connecting with grantees, partners, and national health leaders, including Behavioral Health System Baltimore, Bridges to Housing Stability, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Maryland Health Care for All!, Health Care for the Homeless, ProInspire, Ibram X. Kendi, Joseline Peña-Melnyk, Community Development Network of Maryland

06/15/2026

Now that I am the Speaker, I do not have as many chances to engage on health policy as I used to when I chaired the Health and Government Operations Committee. So today’s plenary speech to kick off the Grantmakers in Health Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy was a special treat for me. More than 250 health care foundations from across the country are gathered in Baltimore to explore the importance of partnerships and collaboration between philanthropy and government on health policy priorities.

In Maryland, we’ve seen what’s possible when government and philanthropy work hand in hand.

The Horizon Foundation helped seed the Greater Baltimore Crisis Response System. More than a decade later, the GBCRS is now a regional network spanning 17 hospitals, behavioral health leaders, and community partners across multiple counties.

And the Doula Alliance of Maryland, born from a 2024 partnership with the Maryland Department of Health and funders interested in advancing birth equity, is expanding access to doulas and working to eliminate racial disparities in birth outcomes that disproportionately affect the Black community.

In many cases, these joint initiatives are tackling challenges such as food insecurity, social isolation, and violence reduction — things that we now understand as fundamental to public health. At a time when federal actions are creating new challenges for states and communities, these partnerships aren’t just valuable, they’re essential.

When it comes to helping our fellow citizens, all of us have a role to play — and when we work together, our power is multiplied. I am thankful to have been in a room full of leaders committed to the idea that health care is a right, not a privilege. And that together, we have the power to build a system that truly works for everyone.

In Howard County, 1 in 3 residents is a renter yet renters are often left out of conversations about housing. We invite...
06/15/2026

In Howard County, 1 in 3 residents is a renter yet renters are often left out of conversations about housing. We invite renters to join and share their experiences, discuss challenges and help shape a more affordable, safe and accessible housing system.

Here are the details for our free Renters Town Hall:

📅 Monday, June 29
🕒 6:00 - 8:00 pm
📍Horizon Foundation (10221 Wincopin Circle, Suite 200, Columbia MD 21044)
🥗 Dinner will be provided.

Join the growing movement to create a better housing system in Howard County!

Space is limited. Click here to register: https://secure.everyaction.com/tFu3mFvSJ0WGb6q8PNzi9A2

Our President and CEO, Nikki Highsmith Vernick, and Board Member, Lou Hutt III, did a great job during their session abo...
06/12/2026

Our President and CEO, Nikki Highsmith Vernick, and Board Member, Lou Hutt III, did a great job during their session about board governance during challenging times at the Grantmakers In Health conference. We must remain steadfast and strategic, yet flexible and adaptable. We must ensure we are spending time in partnership with grantees, helping them build their power and listening deeply about what they truly need in this moment. Most importantly, we must practice what we preach and ensure our actions directly align with our values.

06/11/2026

This week, we joined other Grantmakers in Health conference participants to tour and learn about Patuxent Commons, a new mixed-income apartment building where 25% of the units are for individuals with disabilities.

See their beautiful new space and learn more. Thanks to all our partners who made this site visit possible, including Mission First Housing Group, Autism Society of Maryland, Grantmakers In Health, Community Development Network of Maryland, Bridges to Housing Stability and Funders Together for Housing Justice

How can leaders continue to support health equity in challenging times? That's the question at the center of a panel dis...
06/11/2026

How can leaders continue to support health equity in challenging times?
That's the question at the center of a panel discussion at the Grantmakers In Health conference, led by our President & CEO, Nikki Highsmith Vernick, and board member, Lou Hutt III. Here are some of the key takeaways:

Address

10221 Wincopin Cir, Suite 200
Columbia, MD
21044

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+14107150311

Website

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