The idea for ACS originated in January 1963, when fourteen representatives from local health, education, welfare, and religious organizations came together with a shared goal: to strengthen coordination among the services supporting Howard County residents. Their early efforts focused on improving cooperation between agencies, identifying unmet needs in the community, and working collaboratively to address them. Four months later, they held the first official meeting, and ACS was formally incorporated in May 1972.
For more than 60 years, ACS has continued to build on that original vision. We have brought organizations together to address critical community needs and have represented the nonprofit sector on numerous county boards, commissions, task forces, and work groups on issues ranging from financial self-sufficiency and behavioral health to human trafficking.
ACS has also grown into a vital capacity-building organization supporting Howard County’s nonprofits through training, advocacy, and collaborative initiatives. Click here to learn more about our programming.