Why is a Beverly Hills foundation holding $7.6 million from Prince George’s County?

A Beverly Hills, California, organization that boasts partnerships with household names in sports, music and more has found itself at the center of a controversy over millions in Prince George’s County grant funding.

The Edward Charles Foundation, led by professional tennis player-turned-executive Kent Seton, operates as a fiscal sponsor umbrella, providing its partner organizations nonprofit status, financial oversight and support in areas such as accounting and human resources.

The foundation’s recent LinkedIn posts tout partnerships with NFL quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Bryce Young and the Baltimore Orioles’ Pete Alonso.

It’s also the fiscal sponsor of a Prince George’s County organization called Community on the Frontline, to which Council Chair Krystal Oriadha has directed $8.6 million.

The Edward Charles Foundation has held Community on the Frontline’s funds in a restricted account.

But, in the face of intensifying scrutiny, local officials are demanding most of the money back. And Community on the Frontline says it wants a new sponsor.

Intensifying scrutiny

News reports and local officials have in recent weeks thrown a spotlight on Community on the Frontline for its ties to the council chair and the millions in public funding it has been awarded.

The organization’s director, Janna Parker, is close friends with Oriadha and the godmother of her son.

Oriadha has said their friendship stems from years of working together in community advocacy and nonprofits.

Following an NBC4 Washington report that the council awarded millions to Community on the Frontline this year, and after calls from two council members for an outside investigation, the county’s top officials issued a demand.

County Executive Aisha Braveboy and Oriadha sent a joint letter to the foundation calling for the return of more than $7.6 million.

Of the $8.6 million awarded to Community on the Frontline, nearly $764,000 has been spent and about $7.8 million remains with the Edward Charles Foundation or another organization, according to the County Council.

An unnamed Edward Charles Foundation spokesperson said in a statement that the foundation will return the money it holds but “the final figure is being reconciled” with the county’s finance office.

The foundation declined to answer follow-up questions about how much it received from the county, how much it has provided to Community on the Frontline and how much remains.

When reached for comment, county executive spokesperson Brian Fischer referred The Banner to a news release from Tuesday, which says Braveboy has been “troubled by the allegations of irregularities” in the council’s grant program.

Braveboy has also called for an independent investigation of the funding given to the Edward Charles Foundation and Community on the Frontline.

“It would not be appropriate to comment further,” Fischer wrote in an email Thursday.

Parker did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

A statement posted to Community on the Frontline’s website says the organization is planning to find a new fiscal sponsor and reapply for funding from the county.

“Our mission has never been about who holds the funding,” the statement says. “It has always been about who benefits from it.”

Why Edward Charles?

Oriadha said in a statement Friday that she has wanted to “prioritize large scale funding to organizations that operate under a fiscal sponsorship,” an arrangement she said frees organizations to focus on the services they’re providing.

She said in a recent social media post that she selected Community on the Frontline to receive millions in funding not because of her relationship with its executive director but because of the added oversight that she said comes with having a fiscal sponsor.

On the Edward Charles Foundation, she said Friday that “the selection of that particular foundation was not my decision.”

Community on the Frontline’s website describes the Edward Charles Foundation as “the premier outsourced solution for fiscal sponsorship.”

The website states that the foundation provides a variety of support services, including accounting, human resources and compliance.

Fiscal sponsors often require compensation for handling administrative tasks, usually by charging a percentage of the funds an organization raises, according to the People’s Law Library of Maryland.

The foundation’s spokesperson declined to answer a question about the specific terms and conditions of the fiscal sponsorship with Community on the Frontline, including any agreed-upon fees.

Oriadha has said she was looking to establish Community on the Frontline as an “anchor organization.”

A presentation linked in her recent social media post describes the “anchor organization” model as one allowing Community on the Frontline to coordinate services with nonprofits, municipalities and others while having a fiscal sponsor providing administrative support and financial oversight.

Her presentation says any payment the Edward Charles Foundation approves “goes directly to the vendor and never passes through” Community on the Frontline’s accounts.

Parker has said her organization offers and supports a wide range of services, including speaking events, food drives, meal deliveries, gift cards for groceries, general financial assistance, senior lawn care and tutoring.

Community on the Frontline’s 2026 Impact Report says the organization has provided lawn care services to an average of 273 homes per month since April.

The organization brought young people to the World Bank Group through its Oriadha Global Fellowship Program, helped children’s early speech development through District Seven Learning Circles and provided resources and support through its Mothers First Initiative, the report says.