Overview of the Foundation

The Horizon Foundation is a strategic, action-oriented philanthropy dedicated to improving community health and wellness. An independent, not-for-profit public charity, our mission is to promote and enhance the health and wellness of the Howard County, Maryland community. 

The Horizon Foundation Board of Trustees has adopted a broad view of health and wellness that encompasses physical, mental, social, and other factors, and is not equated with the simple absence of disease or disability.

On a community level, the concept of health and wellness includes the ability of all residents to access a high quality of life, basic human services, effective health care, a safe and non-threatening environment, and ample educational and economic opportunities.

While The Horizon Foundation is highly responsive to community needs, our outlook is aimed at addressing the underlying determinants of community health and wellness. Problem-solving requires a command of relevant issues, sustained commitment, multifaceted interventions, a high degree of planning, the active involvement of public and private stakeholders and, where warranted, the involvement of experts in areas of particular interest.

Horizon Foundation funding supports an array of initiatives intended to overcome barriers to community health and wellness, ameliorate disparities in health status, and increase opportunities for all Howard Countians to lead healthier lives. The Horizon Foundation will take reasonable risks to improve community health by providing seed funding for new initiatives, through direct confrontation of difficult problems, and by facilitating systemic change.

The Foundation was established in 1998 as a result of the merger of Johns Hopkins Medicine with Howard County General Hospital.