Celebrating 40 Years of Volunteers at The Community Foundation of Frederick County.
Most people never see what happens inside The Community Foundation of Frederick County.
They don’t see the more than one thousand scholarship applications reviewed each year. They don’t sit in board meetings where trustees help shape the organization’s future. They don’t hear the thoughtful conversations in committee meetings where volunteers discuss how to better engage donors, tell community stories, or respond to emerging needs.
They aren’t present when a donor shares the deeply personal reason a fund was created, often rooted in love, loss, hope, or legacy.
From the outside, it can look like dollars changing hands. On the inside, it is something entirely different.
It is emotion. It is trust. It is responsibility. It is care.
And at the center of it all are volunteers.
For 40 years, the Community Foundation has connected generosity to need across Frederick County. That connection is powered by people: scholarship reviewers, trustees, and committee members who give their time not simply to read applications or attend meetings, but to steward stories, protect donor intent, and carry forward the hopes of those who give.
Their work is mostly unseen. But its impact is everywhere.
These three stories reflect the collective impact of the over 170 volunteers who fuel this work every day.
CINDY PALMER
Current Scholarship Committee Member, Past Trustee, and Board Chair
Cindy joined the Scholarship Committee more than 20 years ago out of curiosity. What she found quickly changed her understanding of the work.
“It wasn’t administrative; it was so much more than that.”
Each spring, the Scholarship Review Committee comes together in a remarkable display of care, diligence, and community commitment. Comprising more than 125 volunteers, this group spends several weeks reading every scholarship application submitted to the Community Foundation. Volunteers thoughtfully evaluate each applicant against established criteria while honoring the specific intent of the donors who created the funds. Some fund founders even participate directly in the process, bringing a deeply personal perspective to the work. After this careful review, volunteers join a larger committee to deliberate, discuss, and ultimately recommend to the Board of Trustees which students should be awarded scholarships.
For Cindy, this work quickly became personal. She recalls sitting face-to-face with families navigating grief, honoring loved ones, and preserving personal legacies through the creation of scholarships. “I realized the impact of that almost immediately,” she said. “This wasn’t just individuals or organizations giving money for scholarships. There was something deeply personal tied to it.”
Those experiences made the work personal.
More than two decades later, Cindy still shows up to volunteer every scholarship season.
“I feel really strongly about making sure that every year is a good experience for the donor.”
Cindy also served as a Trustee from 2010 to 2016, including a term as Board Chair from 2014 to 2015, bringing decades of perspective to the work.
BRANDON CHAPMAN
Current Trustee and Strategic Communications Committee Member
Brandon first connected with the Community Foundation while working at a nonprofit that had received grant funding. As his career shifted into the for-profit world, volunteering became a way to stay connected to meaningful impact.
“What I love about volunteering is being able to learn what it’s like, being able to understand something that I may not have understood fully. That’s the joy of volunteering for me: being able to learn, have empathy, and then help create change.”
As a trustee and member of the Strategic Communications Committee, Brandon helps shape how the Community Foundation communicates its mission and remains responsive to community needs.
He said one moment stood out in his work with the committee: helping shape a new mission statement. He said, “Knowing I played a role in creating a mission statement that will live on and continue shaping this work is deeply meaningful to me.”
JEFF WALTZ
Current Engagement Committee Member
Jeff’s connection to the Community Foundation is rooted in family history.
“My connection to the Community Foundation really starts with my family,” Jeff shared. “My grandfather, Norman ‘Bob’ Waltz, was one of the original trustees. Upon his passing in 2016, I wanted to figure out a way to honor him and his legacy, which is a big part of what inspired me to get involved.”
Serving on the Engagement Committee, Jeff sees his role as part of something much larger.
“I see my role as one small part of a much greater effort. The Community Foundation has a unique ability to identify needs and respond in thoughtful, meaningful ways.”
He believes volunteers play a vital role in keeping the Community Foundation deeply rooted in the community it serves.
“They bring perspective, experience, and a shared commitment to the community. They help ensure the Community Foundation remains connected to the people it serves.”
Cindy, Brandon, and Jeff represent the many volunteers whose time and dedication power the Community Foundation’s mission. Behind every scholarship, grant, and initiative are people working quietly to ensure generosity becomes lasting impact for Frederick County.