2026 Maryland Nonprofits Legislative Preview

12 January 2026 | 09:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Whether your organization is new to advocacy or a long-time advocacy leader in the sector, this must-attend event will help you navigate a legislative session that could lead to critical new funding for your mission.

The Maryland Nonprofits Legislative Preview, co-hosted with the Maryland Philanthropy Network, is your opportunity to learn what other nonprofits will be working on, how the legislature will function, how you can be an effective advocate in the coming year, and how to access opportunities for your organization. During this virtual convening, you will hear from public officials and leading nonprofit advocates.

Featured Speakers

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen
Delegate Jefferson L. Ghrist, Dist. 36, House Appropriations Committee
Delegate Jheanelle K. Wilkins, Dist. 20, House Ways and Means Committee (Chair)
Benjamin Orr, President & CEO, Maryland Center on Economic Policy

Breakout Session Topics	Name	Organization
1. Meeting Needs for Shelter and Housing in MD	Claudia Wilson Randall Matt Hill Debra Monk	Community Development Network Public Justice Center Interfaith Works
2. Climate and Environmental Priorities	Kristen Harbeson Josh Tulkin	MD League of Conservation Voters Sierra Club - MD Chapter
3. Future of the Blueprint and Early Childhood Issues	Beth Morrow Ellie Mitchell Riya Gupta Alex Fizz	MD Family Network Most Network Strong Schools Maryland Infant Mental Health Association
4. Arts and Culture Enhancing Quality of Life	Jeannie Howe Elizabeth Scott Shatto Rachel McGrain Nicholas Cohen Meagan Baco	Baltimore Cultural Arts Alliance Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area Arts Education in MD Schools MD Citizen for the Arts Maryland Museums Association
5. Protecting and Prioritizing State Fiscal Resources	Kali Schumitz	Maryland Center on Economic Policy
6. Behavioral Health Issues and Challenges	Adrienne Breidenstine Katie Rouse Vernessa Scurry Catherine Eaton Darci Curwen-Garber Tiffany Daniel	Behavioral Health System Baltimore On Our Own of Maryland Inc. Sante MD Counseling Association Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition CTLDomgroup
7. Transforming MD Transit	Brian O'Malley Lindsey Mendelsohn	Central Maryland Transportation Alliance Maryland Sierra Club
8. Making Democracy Work Voting and Elections	Nancy Soreng Linda Kohn Nikki Tyree Michelle Whittaker	MD League of Women Voters MD League of Women Voters MD League of Women Voters Ranked Choice Voting MD
9. Issues for immigrants in Maryland	Kamal Essaheb Jo Moley	Governor's Office of Immigrant Affairs
10. Nutrition Needs and Access to Food	Claudet Miranda Julia Gross	MD Hunger Solutions MD Hunger Solutions
11. Continuum of Care for Children and Families	Diana Banks Celia Flye	Progressive Life Center- PLC Progressive Life Center- PLC
12. Victims of Domestic and Family Violence	Lisae Jordan Laure Ruth	MD Coalition against Sexual Assault MD Network Against Domestic Violence
13. Protecting Disability Rights	Leslie Margolis Thomas Horejes	Disability Rights Maryland The Access Foundation
14. Marylanders Against Poverty - MD Safety Net Issues	Abby Snyder Anne Wallerstedt	Baltimore Jewish Council MD Food Bank
15. Justice System Reforms	Elizabeth Hilliard	Office of the Public Defender
16. Protecting Medicaid and ACA Benefits	Glenn Schneider	Horizon Foundation - Medicaid Advocates Network
17. Developmental Disabilities Issues	Laura Howell Ande Kolp	MD Association of Community Services The Arc Maryland
18. Trans Rights Issues	Lee Blinder Josie Caballero Charlotte Hoffman	TransMaryland Advocates for Trans Equality TransMaryland
19. Issues Aging in Maryland	Andrea Nunez Megan Peters Sara Westrick Barbara Givens	MD Dept. of Aging Alzheimer's Association AARP Maryland GATCCS Guardian Angel
20. Workforce Development	Elisa Basnight Uma Ahluwalia	WIN_NextGen Leapp Strategies, LLC
21. Importance of Youth Development	Alex Zequeira	St. Ignatius Loyola Academy
22. Condominium and HOA Reforms	Thomas Allen
23. Disaster Relief: Access & Resource Sharing	Noah Smock	Toolbank USA
24. Challenges for Small and Minority-Owned Businesses	Kim Jones	Montgomery County Black Collective

Registration

There's strength in numbers, and we're offering a special group registration rate to encourage you to bring all your colleagues to this year's Legislative Preview.

For the price of $49, you can register 1 attendee.
For $89, you can register everyone in your organization. To clarify, the maximum your organization could have to pay to register everyone you'd like to bring is $89. If you have not yet finalized your attendee list, you will be able to make a Regfox account and log in to add additional attendees to an existing registration at a later date.
Nonprofit Development Center participants attend for free. Learn if you qualify for the Nonprofit Development Center, a free program for new and small nonprofits.

Scholarships

A limited number of individual scholarships are available to Maryland Nonprofits members who otherwise cannot afford to attend this event. Email your request with your name and organization to [email protected] with the subject line “Scholarship Request”. If you are not sure of your organization’s membership status, you may email [email protected] call 410-727-6367 to check.

Registration Options

Individual Registration (1 person) ($49.00)
Sign up one person.
Group Registration (2+ people) ($89.00)
Sign up 2 or more people for a total of $89. Click "add attendee" below to register each additional participant. If you have not yet finalized your attendee list, you will be able to make a Regfox account and log in to add additional attendees to an existing registration at a later date.
NDC Participant (1 person) ($0.00)
Nonprofit Development Center participants register for free. Click "add attendee" below to register each additional participant. Email [email protected] to find out if you are an NDC participant.

Sponsorship Opportunity

Sector Supporter ($500.00)
Sponsorship benefits include your logo on the event website, acknowledgment during the event, and one registration (Please contact Rachel Mygatt at [email protected] or 443-438-2343 if interested or for more information.)

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Accessibility

Zoom auto-transcription (closed-captioning) will be provided during this meeting. If you have a disability and require accommodation in order to fully participate in this event, please contact [email protected]. Requests should be made as soon as possible but at least 2 weeks prior to the scheduled event.

Cancellation Policy

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