Who We Are
ACT is a non-partisan, nonprofit alliance of congregations and community groups in Anne Arundel County representing over 20,000 people.
We meet people face-to-face, listen and build relationships, and act on issues in our communities, county, and state to improve people’s day-to-day lives.
Listening to our communities, we find new and emerging community leaders who want to work with us for change, and engage others who can help us achieve our goals.
We believe in building power in order to have the capacity to act: power that is reciprocal, that is tempered by our values and traditions, and that includes more people in the dynamics of public life.
ACT does not seek or receive government funding. We do not endorse candidates or work with or for any political parties, but we work with elected officials and candidates on the issues we care about.
Our Values
ACT works to create a “beloved community”— a society where all, regardless of race, religion or creed, are seen and loved for who they are, where their worth and dignity is valued and respected. Our end goal is for all people to live in a safe, democratic, and pluralistic society of peace and love.
ACT has three core values that inspire our efforts to create beloved community:
JUSTICE
We ACT to create a just and peaceful society by advocating for just laws and fair treatment for all people. Justice for us is righting power imbalances that leave people with no voice to advocate for their rights. We ACT to create power and change so that their lives matter. We work in solidarity with the marginalized so that equity and human dignity prevails in Anne Arundel County and beyond.
RELATIONSHIPS AND POWER
We ACT to build power. One-on-one relationships and deep listening are our building blocks. We seek to be honest, genuine, and curious, in our relationships. Being respectful of individual boundaries and institutional autonomy, we form diverse, multicultural, and inclusive relationships as we build power together. We believe that when we express our values one-to-one they become magnified and expressed on a larger level that builds collective power in and for the communities we serve.
ACCOUNTABILITY
We ACT to create accountability. Relationships with our members and community partners are built on integrity, strength, transparency, collaboration, and trust. We ACT to change unjust structures and to challenge stale thinking. Because we hold each other accountable, we are able to speak truth to power and hold those with power accountable to creating just and equitable outcomes for all people, especially those in underrepresented communities.
ACT Member Institutions
Annapolis Friends Meeting House, Annapolis
Anne Arundel Muslim Council, Annapolis
Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church, Odenton
Asbury Broadneck United Methodist Church, Arnold
Asbury United Methodist Church, Annapolis
Broadneck Baptist Church, Annapolis
Christ Our Anchor Presbyterian Church, Cape St. Clair
First Christian Community Church, Annapolis
First Presbyterian Church, Annapolis
Islamic Society of Annapolis, Pasadena
Joy Reigns Lutheran Church, Edgewater
NAACP of Anne Arundel
St. Andrew By the Bay, Annapolis
St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Annapolis
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Annapolis
Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, Annapolis
United Church of Christ Annapolis, Edgewater
Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church, Severna Park
Become a member institution today.
Our Staff
-
Katie Zinler
LEAD ORGANIZER; MARYLAND STATEWIDE ORGANIZER
Brings 15 years of experience organizing communities to win campaigns in Maryland and beyond.
-
Carlos Childs
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
A seasoned community organizer with a proven track record of success in advocating for social justice and civil rights.
-
Katie Wenger
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Engages ACT leaders, donors, press, and other stakeholders to promote and support our work.
ACT Strategy Team
Rev. Tim Stern, retired from Ark & Dove Presbyterian Church
Rev. John Crestwell, Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis
Moira McGuire, Islamic Society of Annapolis
Rev. Mihee Kim-Kort, First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis
Debbie Saylor, Ark & Dove Presbyterian Church
Sara Palmer, Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis
The Maryland Just Power Alliance
Together with our sister organizations AIM and PATH, we make up the Maryland Just Power Alliance. As a coalition, we represent broad people power in Maryland and make change at the state level on issues ranging from housing to climate and educational equity.
ACT, AIM, and PATH are also three of the founding members of the Just Power Alliance, a collective of organizations from the Midwest and East Coast with a focus on building multi-racial, multi-class, multi-generational, multi-faith and multi-issue coalitions—because sharing power amplifies power.
Ways to Give
Each year, ACT works with thousands of individuals to build relationships, develop leadership skills, and deliver tangible victories through collective action.
Your support is essential to our work—and there are many ways to contribute. Here are just a few ways to guide you to a meaningful and strategic giving experience for you and your loved ones.
-
Our growing community of ACT Allies show a deep commitment to our work by giving recurring monthly donations. We hope you will join us as a ACT Ally—whether the amount is $5 or $50 a month, it will make a big difference and help sustain our work. Donate at: actaaco.org/donate, and select the “Monthly” giving option. Then enter your credit card or bank account information.
-
Donate online at: actaaco.org/donate and select “One-time” donation and the amount. Then enter your credit card or bank account information. Alternatively, you can mail a check to: Anne Arundel Connecting Together, PO Box 6053, Annapolis, MD, 21401.
-
You can easily make your annual gift to ACT by recommending a grant to our organization through your donor-advised fund. If you need ACT’s tax ID, it is 83-2013555. Please let us know if you authorize a grant, so our team can be on the lookout for your donation.
-
By donating appreciated assets held longer than one year, you can avoid paying capital gains taxes that would otherwise apply if the asset were sold. Please note: It can take several weeks to process these types of gifts, even for ACH and wire transfers.
-
Individuals aged 70½ and older can direct up to $108,000 per year from their traditional IRAs to charities like ACT through QCDs. A QCD can be used to satisfy all or part of the donor’s RMD and is not considered taxable income. RMDs are mandatory for those aged 73 and above.
-
A beneficiary designation is one of the most efficient ways to make an estate gift and leave a legacy with ACT. You can specify individuals and charities you wish to support and designate the percentage of assets each beneficiary will receive. Common assets that allow beneficiary designations include retirement plans, investment accounts, life insurance policies, wills, trusts, and more.
Please contact us if you are interested in a legacy gift to ACT.
ACT is a registered 501c(3) nonprofit (Tax ID: 83-2013555).
Thank you for your generous support. Your contributions will make a tangible impact on our communities, county, and state.
