ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced he has filed legislation with the Howard County Council to renew Howard County Government’s multi-year agreement with the Howard County Housing Commission and the Association of Community Services of Howard County (ACS), for the NonProfit Collaborative (NPC) for another 10 years. The new agreement will support the expansion of the NPC for the first time in the past decade, allowing for at least 12 additional local human service focused non-profits to call the space home. Photos from the event can be found on the County’s Flickr website and video on the County Executive’s Facebook page.
The NPC is a proven model of efficiency, effectiveness, and service innovation. Here, under one roof, the NPC provides easier access to multiple services for county residents, enhances coordination and collaboration among local non-profit service providers, and improves productivity. As the needs of our community continue to grow, this is critical time for our nonprofit community. Through this expansion, we are opening doors to even more services, more community engagement, and more opportunities for synergy among providers, while reaffirming our commitment to creating a Howard County where community service agencies thrive together.
Located at 9770 Patuxent Woods Drive in Columbia, the NPC provides residents with a one-stop shop where an extraordinary range of community needs can be met, including housing stability, disability supports, conflict resolution, employment assistance, crisis intervention, food access, and more.
“The Non-Profit Collaborative powerfully illustrates the achievements possible when organizations collaborate with a shared vision,” said County Council Chair Opel Jones. “I am thrilled about today’s announcement and partnership with the County’s Housing Commission and Association of Community Services. Thank you, County Executive Ball, for enabling additional nonprofits to expand their services and leverage shared resources.”
“By co-locating nonprofits alongside County departments such as Community Resources and Services, Social Services, and the Housing Commission, we are making it easier for residents to access multiple services in one place,” said County Council Vice-Chair Christiana Rigby. “This model reduces barriers, improves coordination, and helps ensure that people can receive the support they need with dignity and efficiency.”
The NPC currently stands at roughly 27,300 square feet, with approximately 9,700 square feet utilized by the Housing Commission for office space and the remaining 17,600 square feet leased out by the Housing Commission to ACS and 11 additional non-profit Howard County service providers (collectively referred to as the NPC):
- Autism Society of Maryland
- Bridges to Housing Stability
- Camp Attaway
- Compass, Inc.
- Heritage Housing Partners Corporation
- HopeWorks of Howard County
- Howard EcoWorks
- MakingChange
- Mediation & Conflict Resolution Center
- S.A.F.E. -Supplying Allergy Friendly & Emergency – Food Pantry
- United Way of Central Maryland
Nineteen additional local nonprofits currently rent mailboxes at the NPC, giving them a street address instead of a PO Box. In its most recent fiscal year, the NPC collectively served more than 15,000 community members.
“The Collaborative is a proven model. Under this roof, nonprofits have access to affordable office space and critical resources like meeting rooms, training facilities, technology, and more. This has enabled many of them to maintain expenses, hire staff, and expand their services,” said Sam Paul, Director of Administration, Howard County Housing Commission. “Efficiencies like these have allowed them give more back to the members of our community who are in need. It has also allowed us to do more for the 4,000 Howard County households that we serve.”
“Since opening in 2017, the NPC has enabled its nonprofit tenants to expand their programs and services, achieve greater stability, and develop stronger relationships with each other. It’s also become a hub for the nonprofit community, as additional nonprofits use the shared meeting spaces for a wide range of activities,” said Lois Mikkila, Executive Director, Association of Community Services. “We’re grateful to the County Executive for his support of the NPC and look forward to being able to expand and include even more nonprofits.”
Under the new agreement, the Housing Commission will continue using a portion of the property for its office space, while subleasing the remainder to ACS and the other participating non-profit entities. The expansion will bring the NPC to 35,500 square feet, of which 9,700 square feet will be utilized by Housing Commission and 25,800 square feet will be leased to the NPC tenants. This reflects an additional 8,200 square feet or roughly 46 percent more space dedicated to nonprofits in the NPC. Through this expansion, ACS anticipates there are at least 12 additional nonprofits interested in leasing this additional space and joining the NPC.
Additionally, under the current agreement, which is set to expire this June, the County provided a financial subsidy covering approximately 62 percent of the rent for nonprofit tenants (excluding the Housing Commission). This financial subsidy has allowed the NPC’s non-profits tenants to grow their programs and services because of their reduced overhead expenses.
Here’s what NPC members had to say:
- Melissa Rosenberg, Executive Director, Autism Society of Maryland – “The Autism Society of Maryland is ecstatic to see this opportunity expand to more nonprofits in Howard County. Since moving here in 2017, our organization has been transformed—not only through cost savings and access to modern technology and meeting space, but through meaningful collaboration with fellow nonprofits. Being immersed in a shared space allowed us to exchange ideas, strengthen our work, and better serve the community. We benefited, and so did the residents of Howard County. This is truly an exciting and forward-thinking opportunity.”
- Lori Lilly, Executive Director, Howard EcoWorks – “The NPC was instrumental in the development and growth of Howard EcoWorks. NPC allowed us to support our staff and crew with professional offices, meeting rooms and training space. The network and support that we have found from the other NPC tenants and ACS's on-site learning opportunities have been incredible. The NPC is a wonderful resource for the Howard County community and we are so excited to see the County's continued and expanded investment so that other nonprofits may benefit as we have.”
- Grace Morris, Executive Director, Heritage Housing Partners – “The NPC is more than just a physical space. It represents a smart, mission-driven investment by the County that allows nonprofits like ours to focus resources where they are most needed. By sharing space, we are able to reduce expenses, and increase efficiency. The Collaborative creates opportunities for collaboration that simply doesn’t happen when organizations work in isolation.”
The NPC is situated in the County’s Human Services Campus, which also houses other key human service agencies, including:
- The County’s Departments of Community Resources and Services and Housing and Community Development, Offices of Human Rights and Equity and Consumer Protection, and soon the County’s Office of Workforce Development;
- The Maryland Department of Human Services’ Howard County Department of Social Services; and
- The Community Action Council of Howard County
To learn more about the NPC, visit https://npchoco.org/.