Community Development

We encourage initiatives that attract resident investment in neighborhoods, promote sustainability, increase economic development opportunities, and nurture entrepreneurial talent.  We aim to increase the livability of neighborhoods, the number of residents, the number of jobs, and the size of the tax base. We are interested in programs that address concentrated poverty, racial wealth disparities, and tie the economic health of Baltimore City to the region.  

As successful households are key to neighborhood health, we support efforts to: 

  • Connect residents to resources to stabilize household finances and build generational wealth
  • Invest in community-led projects, enhance neighborhood amenities, and create green space
  • Reinvest in the reuse and occupancy of neighborhood vacant buildings and lots
  • Prevent foreclosures and evictions
  • Close the digital divide 
  • Increase local fresh food access 
  • Promote small businesses, entrepreneurs, and Baltimore’s maker economy to create jobs 
Program Officers: Beth Harber and Tracey Barbour-Gillett

Considering Applying?

Learn more about our eligibility and review criteria, and small and regular grants processes.

See Our Grants Process

Featured Work in Community Development

Abell-Supported Research: Whole Blocks, Whole City

There are nearly 15,000 vacant houses and 20,000 vacant lots in Baltimore City, with many thousands more at risk, the majority of which are found in predominantly Black, low-income neighborhoods. Baltimore can break this cycle of disinvestment through a whole block strategy.

Abell Report: Examining the Opportunities and Challenges of the Rental Assistance Demonstration Program in Baltimore

The Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) is designed to preserve public housing and provide the funding necessary for long deferred capital improvements. Has the program achieved those objectives in Baltimore? This Abell Report offers some early assessments.

Photo courtesy of Eli Pousson.

Abell-Supported Research: The Costs of Baltimore’s Vacant Housing

Vacant houses, uninhabitable due to abandonment or lack of owner investment, exert a heavy cost on neighborhoods and the City as a whole. This report calculates just how steep the public cost is and provides an economic backdrop for future action.

Past Grants

Learn more about our grantees and their work to enhance the quality of life in Baltimore.
Filter our past grants by year or program area, or search by keyword.

See Our Past Grants

Contact Us

Have questions or want to discuss your idea for community development in Baltimore? Get in touch using the form below.

    Header photo courtesy of ReBUILD Metro.