The MASSB Minute

Greetings Everyone! As the days are getting longer and spring approaches, I encourage everyone to participate in the MASSB Winter Conference (March 7, 2026). As one of our signature events, it offers a key opportunity to strengthen our collective advocacy by gaining timely, actionable knowledge about current legislation affecting social services. The goal is to translate the knowledge gained from the Conference into effective board strategy, partnership-building, and community impact through focused board networking. MASSB also supports this strategic focus by providing guidance on building strategic plans and fundraising efforts and offering mini-grant opportunities to help launch board-led or DSS-partnered initiatives.

Finally, as you map out the year, make sure to plan for October's Annual MASSB Conference, our other signature statewide event. As in previous years, the Annual Conference serves as an opportunity not only to deepen learning and advance shared priorities, but also to celebrate local impact through the Lifting Lives Awards, which recognize outstanding service and meaningful outcomes for Maryland communities. Together, through shared learning, purposeful advocacy, and celebrated service, we will continue to lift lives and strengthen communities across Maryland.

Best,
Tony

March 7, 2026, 9am–12pm, at the Howard County Dept. of Social Services, 9780 Patuxent Woods Dr., Columbia, MD 21046.

Please join us in learning about current state and federal legislation that relates to social services, presented by Justin Hayes, Acting Director of Government Affairs at DHS, and team. We will follow with additional partnership and networking as well as board training topics. Light refreshments will be available. Of note, while we plan to offer a hybrid format, we may move to fully virtual closer to the event date if needed.

Register Here

Congratulations to MASSB board member, Dr. Shawn Ashworth! Shawn was recognized with the MLK Drum Major Award for her outstanding service to the Anne Arundel County community. Shawn is founder and President of Food 4 Thought Community Outreach, Inc., a local non-profit organization with a mission to assist individuals, families and Veterans in need of nutrition, housing, counseling and job skill development. Thank you, Shawn — your selfless dedication to helping others inspires us all!

Visit Food 4 Thought Community Outreach

Want to tackle some projects this year but don't know where to start?

1. Develop Vision and Mission Statements, or adapt the MASSB Foundation statements for your purpose.
2. Identify needs in your community. Talk to the DSS staff and local nonprofits to learn where they are helping, and what they see as unmet needs.
3. Organize the information you've collected around common themes (e.g. transportation, eldercare, young adults).
4. Prioritize areas based on the severity of need and your board's ability to help.
5. Set goals for your selected areas. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely (SMART).
6. Develop short-term objectives for each goal.
7. Develop an action plan for each objective.

Need help? Please reach out to the MASSB Executive Team. We have members available to coach or facilitate workshops and would love to help you reach your goals.

Download the Strategic Plan Checklist

When planning a fundraiser, be honest about the amount of effort required and the availability of committed volunteers. Especially if your board is new to fundraising, starting small is the way to go. Remember that most fundraisers serve two purposes: raising funds and raising friends. Bringing visibility to your board and its mission can result in future board members and donors, which is as valuable as raising funds. As always, please contact the MASSB team for help getting started. Good luck!

View Fundraiser Ideas

Over the last year we've learned that to be a successful advocate, and to attract donors and volunteers, people must know who we are. We want to use social media to:

• Build brand awareness
• Advocate for policies and programs that further our vision
• Educate the community on the needs of vulnerable people in Maryland
• Publicize events and share news about successes and good works
• Attract donors and volunteers
• Invite partnerships

We've tasked a workgroup with developing a plan to post regular, consistent and engaging content across our platforms. Additionally, to guide our professional and ethical use of the MASSB Foundation social media platforms, we've drafted a policy which will apply to our Executive Committee and the local boards. Board Chairs — please be on the lookout for an email from Tony Wohlers asking for your comments on the draft policy.

We know that many boards are not ready or able to take on a social media initiative. That's OK! We would love to share your posts on our Foundation's platforms (Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn). Here are some ideas:

• Advertise projects and fundraisers
• Give a shout out to an outstanding volunteer, DSS staff, or partner organization (get permission for photos!)
• Educate the community about local needs
• Share a video, photo, or testimonial from someone who has benefitted from your programs
• Share a video, photo, or testimonial about why you love volunteering with MASSB!

E-mail your content to Nate Poerio for posting, and please like and follow our pages!

We will be sending a brief website survey soon to DSS Directors and Advisory Board Members to assess how well the site supports your work, how easy it is to find key resources, and what improvements would make it more useful and user-centered. Please watch for the survey link in your email in the coming days. As you know, your feedback will directly inform website updates and help strengthen the site as a practical, role-relevant resource for our community.

Grants up to $2,500 are now available for local boards. The grant funds are intended to kick-start new initiatives and may be used for direct customer support or fundraising expenses. The project or initiative should be board-led, or conducted in partnership with DSS. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

View Application