What is Moving Dorchester Forward?

Moving Dorchester Forward (MDF) is the county’s collaboration hub, connecting people, bridging gaps, and building community partnerships to improve the quality of life for everyone in Dorchester County, Maryland.

Too many children and families here face persistent barriers: high rates of poverty and unemployment, limited access to quality childcare and early learning, and a shortage of affordable housing and workforce opportunities. To change this, we bring people, partners, and resources together to create real, lasting solutions.  

As Dorchester County’s nonprofit Local Management Board, MDF aligns partners—agencies, schools, nonprofits, businesses, faith and community groups, residents, and funders—around a unified vision to end childhood poverty and strengthen families in Dorchester County.

Our work is grounded in community voice because we believe that change starts locally, block by block. We co-create solutions with residents and engage and equip community members, including youth, to turn lived experience into leadership. 

Together, we transform isolated activities into coordinated strategies rooted in community priorities to Move Dorchester Forward.