Chesapeake Bay Trust

**Our Mission** To engage and empower diverse groups to take actions that enrich natural resources and local communities of the Chesapeake Bay region. **Our Vision** The Chesapeake Bay and local watersheds are healthy and safe, our waters are fishable and swimmable, local communities benefit from these healthy resources, and everyone participates in restoring and protecting our natural resource treasures. **History** The Chesapeake Bay Trust is a nonprofit grant-making organization dedicated to improving the watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland Coastal Bays, and Youghiogheny River. Created in 1985 by the Maryland General Assembly, our goal is to increase stewardship through grant programs, special initiatives, and partnerships that support K-12 environmental education, on-the-ground watershed restoration, community engagement, and the underlying science of these three realms. Through our grants, the Trust engages hundreds of thousands of students and volunteers in projects that have a measurable impact on the natural resources of our region. Grantees include schools, local governments, community groups, faith-based groups, watershed organizations, and other not-for-profit entities. Grants made by The Trust include resources from a variety of sources: the Treasure the Chesapeake vehicle license plate, donations made through the Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species Fund on the Maryland State income tax form, donations from individuals and corporations, and partnerships with private foundations and federal, state, and local agencies. The Trust leverages resources from these sources in the most cost-effective way: 90% of the Trust’s expenditures are directed to its Chesapeake Bay restoration and education programs, and the Trust has consistently received the top rating, four stars, from Charity Navigator to acknowledge our efficiency. Our goal is simple: we believe that getting residents involved is key to restoring the Chesapeake Bay.