Horizon Foundation of Howard County (Horizon Foundation)
Horizon Foundation of Howard County Inc. (known as Horizon Foundation) is a Howard County, Maryland-based left-of-center health-focused advocacy organization that promotes policy change, community engagement, and left-of-center ideas related to race and race relations within health care. It is Maryland’s largest independent health foundation. 1
Contents
The foundation was started with the proceeds from the sale of Howard County General Hospital to Johns Hopkins Medicine. 2
Activities
The 2024 grant year was the first under the Horizon Foundation’s new strategic plan as it shifted to “trust-centered philanthropy.” This approach provides the grantees and the Horizon Foundation a partnership with shared values, allowing the grantees to co-create programs and policy solutions to meet the two organizations’ shared goals. This is to eliminate any power dynamics that might have previously existed between Horizon Foundation and its grantees. 3
Abortion
Horizon Foundation actively supports organizations that support and promote abortion services. In 2023, the foundation awarded $100,000 to Planned Parenthood of Maryland specifically for reproductive and abortion services. 4
The Horizon Foundation created the Maternal Health Workgroup with left-leaning organizations in Maryland, including Planned Parenthood of Maryland, Stillborn and Infant Loss Support, the Howard County Health Department, the Luminus Network, and the Morgan State University Foundation in exchange for the Horizon Foundation granting $3,000 to each of the organizations. These five participants will work together to create relationships and determine maternal healthcare policy change possibilities. 3
The Horizon Foundation, along with the Community Foundation of Howard County and the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County expressed dismay at the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which upheld Mississippi’s law banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. 5 The organizations claim the decision negatively affects low-income women and racial minority women. 6
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) principles guide the Horizon Foundation in its programs, policies, and granting subsidies. In January 2022, the foundation created the Howard County Racial Equity Collaborative, which joined grantees together to receive monthly racial equity training, coaching and development to advance equity and fight systemic racism, and participate in joint equity-policy campaigns. 7
The Horizon Foundation published “The 2020 Vision for Health in Howard County,” a report highlighting the racial health disparities across the county. The report stressed the importance of prioritizing racial equality to advance community health and healthcare in Howard County. According to the report, there is a lack of diversity among health care providers and from the “nation’s founding to today” there are stark inequalities where some people benefit, and others do not. To meet the Horizon Foundation’s equity and diversity initiatives, it provides grants to community organizations that follow the same DEI goals to enact policy change. 8
Housing
The Horizon Foundation created a workgroup consisting of several left-leaning Maryland organizations including Bridges to Housing Stability, Building Families for Children Inc., the Columbia Housing Center, the Community Action Council of Howard County, the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, the Luminus Network, MakingChange, and Maryland Inclusive Housing to focus on housing insecurity for Black and Brown communities throughout the state to create policy change in exchange for a $10,000 grant. 3
Health
The Horizon Foundation is a financial supporter of the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative (MCHI), also referred to as Healthcare for All, a coalition of nonprofit and for-profit organizations that advocate for left-leaning health care policy in Maryland. 9 In 2013, the Horizon Foundation awarded $35,000 to MCHI for a public health campaign. 10
Financials
The majority of Horizon Foundation’s revenue is generated from investment income and net gains from the sale of assets. 11
Leadership
Nikki Highsmith Vernick became the president and CEO of the Horizon Foundation in March 2012 12 and serves as a trustee on the board. 13 Her total compensation from the Horizon Foundation is $477,345. 14 She is the immediate past chair of the Center for Health Policy Development whose board of directors handles the management and oversight of the organization, which includes the nonprofit National Academy for State Health Policy. 15
Glenn Schneider is the treasurer of the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative Education Fund 16 and simultaneously has worked for the Horizon Foundation since 2011 as the chief program officer. 17 In 2023, his total compensation from Horizon Foundation was $233,048. 18
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
| Year | Total Assets | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $98,806,463 | $6,650,191 | $5,071,556 | View |
| 2023 | $93,191,948 | $5,160,566 | $4,851,156 | View |
| 2022 | $88,105,636 | $6,341,900 | $5,410,956 | View |
| 2021 | $103,137,379 | $8,300,918 | $6,804,757 | View |
| 2020 | $95,051,877 | $2,906,262 | $6,535,227 | View |
Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
Revenue Detail
Expenses Detail
Employee Compensation
- Number of Employees: 11
Highest Earning Employees
| Employee | Title | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Nicolette Highsmith Vernick | PRESIDENT & CEO | $440,716 |
| Glenn Schneider | CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER | $188,573 |
| Anne Brinker | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | $166,723 |
| Cat Harmon | DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS | $128,736 |
| Kenitra Fokwa Kengne | PROGRAM DIRECTOR | $107,292 |
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $927,283
- Number of Grants: 8
- Number of Funders: 2
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:
| Amount | Year | Funder | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| $125,000 | 2020 | American Heart Association, Inc. | Childhood obesity |
| $100,000 | 2023 | United Way of Central Maryland | DESIGNATED AND OR GRANTED IN SUPPORT OF AGENCY PROGRAMS |
| $100,000 | 2021 | United Way of Central Maryland | Designated and or granted in support of agency programs |
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $10,577,932
- Number of Grants: 174
- Number of Recipients: 101
Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years: