On June 9, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held for Howard County’s first nonprofit center. The center, which has been 20 years in the making, will be home to local nonprofit organizations and human services organizations.

The goal of the center is to help the nonprofits cut down on operating costs and to make it easier for citizens to receive services. The concept for the center somewhat resembles the incubator model for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

The Baltimore Sun reports:

The nonprofit center model aims to reduce operating costs and create a more efficient and convenient place to receive services. Organizations share conference rooms, event space, printers and a mail room and collaborate on client referrals and programs.

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The Howard County Housing Commission, one of two anchor tenants, holds the center’s master lease, while the Association of Community Services, a nonprofit organization that works with the county’s human service entities, manages the project. HopeWorks, a nonprofit agency that serves victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in Howard County, is the other anchor tenant, joining other organizations like the Howard County Autism Society and Bridges for Housing Stability.

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In his county budget, Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman included $300,000 in one-time costs and committed $210,000 per year in rent subsidies — required by local lawmakers to continue for 10 years — to jumpstart the project. Three spots remain vacant.

“It really is a one-stop shop for almost everything we have in Howard County,” Kittleman said.

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The nonprofit center is part of Kittleman’s vision to create a community resources campus in the same corporate park. His budget includes funds to help the county’s Department of Housing and Community Development, the county’s Department of Community Resources and Services and the Maryland Department of Social Services relocate to the same corporate plaza.

For more information read the article in The Baltimore Sun.