The Sarbanes Center
Lifting Up Nonprofits
The Sarbanes Center is a nonprofit convener and project booster dedicated to strengthening communities through partnership, civic engagement, and practical innovation. We support coalition-building to push change forward, but insist on anchoring such efforts in tangible, on the ground initiatives. The Center is particularly motivated by the work of youth-led and youth-serving organizations and looks for opportunities to support that work in all its dimensions.
Founded in 2024 by Congressman John Sarbanes, the Center honors a family legacy of service passed down from grandparents Spyros and Matina Sarbanes, who came to the United States from Greece over a century ago seeking opportunity and a better life. Their emphasis on education and civic engagement shaped the lives of their three children – Paul, Anthony, and Zoe – and inspired subsequent generations of the Sarbanes family to carry that mission forward.
Today, the Sarbanes Center brings together nonprofits, community leaders, foundations, businesses, and public institutions in support of collaborative projects that strengthen democracy, improve community health, and protect the environment.
We are honored to affiliate with a number of other initiatives and organizations that bear the Sarbanes name such as the Sarbanes Center for Career and Civic Engagement at Anne Arundel Community College, named in honor of the late Senator Paul Sarbanes.
Our Mission
Focusing on impact-driven projects, The Sarbanes Center partners with other nonprofits to promote:
Civics & Democracy
Healthy democracies depend on active citizens. Through partnerships and community projects—especially those engaging young people—the Center embraces civic participation and informed discourse, with the goal of strengthening our democratic institutions.
Whole Health
Communities thrive when physical and mental health needs are addressed together. The Center partners with organizations developing innovative solutions that expand access to care and boost our public health infrastructure, with a special focus on the opportunities that exist in the school setting.
Environmental Stewardship
Addressing climate disruption requires both public leadership and grassroots action. That begins with connecting young people to the outdoors in meaningful and restorative ways. The Center facilitates environmental education, service learning, and career development opportunities with projects that enhance access to community-based natural resources and build a lasting commitment to environmental stewardship.
Featured Work
Supporting Youth Civic Engagement
Promoting Physical and Mental Health
Advancing Environmental Stewardship
Guiding Principles
The Sarbanes Center operates with service, integrity, and trust at its core.
We Believe In:
- Big ideas anchored in focused, action-oriented initiatives that can scale over time
- Partnership across sectors, recognizing that meaningful change requires collaboration
- Civic engagement as the foundation of democracy
- Communities as the drivers of innovation and resilience
- Government, nonprofits, and private partners working together for the public good and for the greatest impact
The Center is proudly nonpartisan and collaborates broadly to build solutions that serve all communities.
Get Involved
The Sarbanes Center is constantly building partnerships with nonprofits, foundations, community organizations, and leaders who are working to strengthen democracy, improve health, and protect the environment.
Interested in Collaborating or Learning More?
Join us in building practical solutions that leave a lasting footprint.