In 2003, there were about 2,894 regional, national, and international organizations within the state.
National medically oriented organizations with headquarters in Maryland include the National Federation of the Blind and the American Urological Association, both in Baltimore; the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the American Institute of Nutrition, the American Occupational Therapy Association, and the National Foundation for Cancer Research, Bethesda; the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Rockville; and the National Association of the Deaf and the American Music Therapy Association, Silver Spring.
Leading commercial, professional, and trade groups include the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the American Fisheries Society, Bethesda; the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Gaithersburg; and the Retail Bakers of America, Hyattsville.
Lacrosse, a major sport in the state, is represented by the Lacrosse Foundation in Baltimore and the US Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association in Chestertown. The National Rifle Association of America is based in Silver Spring. The National Amateur Baseball Federation and the National 4-H Council are also based in the state.
A number of military organizations are based in Maryland, including the Air Force Historical Foundation, the American Military Society, AMVETS (American Veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam), the Black Military History Institute of America, the Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Blue Star Mothers of America. The National Flag Day Foundation is based in Baltimore.
Historical and cultural organizations include the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Historical Society, the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, and the Folk Alliance. There are also a number of county and regional historical societies. Education and research associations on the national level include the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation, and the Wildlife Society.
Social action and civil rights organizations based in Maryland include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Catholic Relief Services, and Goodwill Industries International.