A network of funders across Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC is helping to ensure the best possible water quality for the area's scenic Chesapeake Bay. 

Known as the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network (CBFN), this group engages about 30 different foundations including the Rauch Foundation, Baltimore Community Foundation, Abell Foundation and the Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, and provides opportunities for grantmakers to network and exchange information about protecting and restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.

The network offers objective information on the policy and science behind the Bay restoration; a forum to discuss hot issues and project experiences in a funders-only setting; and opportunities for funders to communicate and collaborate on a number of projects.

The Chesapeake Bay Funders Network provides an excellent avenue for funders from across the Chesapeake area to deepen and sustain Chesapeake Bay improvements by leveraging the resources of many funding institutions, notes Jamie Baxter, Program Director for the Chesapeake Bay Trust, a private, nonprofit organization that has makes grants to help protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers. 

For example, seven of the foundations in the network pooled approximately $850,000 per year to implement the Capacity Building Grant Program, a special initiative to provide organizational needs assessments and targeted grants to help watershed organizations improve their capacity.

This effort includes tailored training as well as one-on-one follow-up to help the watershed organizations put the training into action, notes Baxter.  By working together, CBFN partners build a critical mass of funds that help move environmental restoration efforts to the next level.