Grants

The Abell Foundation awards grants to nonprofit community partners working to improve the quality of life in Baltimore. We provide seed funding for innovative pilots, support for ongoing community programs and services, and funding for capital projects. In addition to providing grant funding, the Foundation supports our nonprofit partners through connection to our local and national networks, as well as our team’s deep experience in and knowledge of Baltimore as it relates to our program areas.

Learn More About Our Process

Eligibility and Review Criteria

For all nonprofit organizations seeking grant funding, regardless of the request amount. 

Small Grants Process

For grant requests of $10,000 or less.

Reviewed on a rolling basis. There is no deadline to apply.

Regular Grants Process

For grant requests greater than $10,000.

Reviewed at one of the Foundation’s five annual Board meetings.

Submit an Application

Considering Applying?

First-time applicants with grant requests greater than $10,000 should submit a short letter of inquiry prior to submitting a regular grant application. For guidance on what to include in your LOI, please reference our frequently asked questions.

Submit an LOI

Ready to Apply for a Small Grant?

For first-time or returning applicants with grant requests of $10,000 or less. We accept and review small grant applications on a rolling basis. There is no deadline to apply for a small grant.

Start a Small Grant Application

Ready to Apply for a Regular Grant?

For returning applicants and those who have a verified fit with the Foundation’s priorities for requests greater than $10,000. Regular grant applications are reviewed at one of five Board meetings each year.

Start a Regular Grant Application

Returning to a Saved Application or Submitting a Report?

Log into the grant portal below to return to a saved application or submit a report for a previously awarded grant. Report forms can be found under the “Requirements” tab.

Return to Your Application or Submit a Report

See Our Past Grants

Public Justice Center, Inc.

$150,000 / 2021 / Community Development

Public Justice Center is leading a multi-year campaign to advocate for changes in laws and practices that limit tenants’ rights and deny due process to tenants in Baltimore City’s Rent Court, which results in more than one in 17 renter households being evicted each year. According to a 2020 Stout Risius Ross, LLC report on right to counsel for Baltimore tenants facing eviction, 96% of landlords have lawyers or specialized agents in eviction cases, while only 1% of tenants do. This grant supports PJC’s Rent Court Reform and Eviction Prevention Initiative, which employs a combination of litigation, administrative advocacy, and legislative advocacy to advance the rights of tenants in Baltimore, prevent evictions and reduce household insecurity.

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Parks & People Foundation

$10,000 / 2021 / Community Development

Parks & People Foundation offers a paid youth internship and environmental education after school and summer YouthWorks program called ‘Branches’ to address two critical issues: the need for meaningful employment for economically disadvantaged youth and the need for a trained workforce caring for parks and green spaces in the City. Participants in the Branches program gain hands-on experience and skills designing and implementing projects that have a community impact while contributing to the areas where many of them live and attend school, including neighborhoods which have high levels of poverty and few opportunities for positive development of young people. During COVID-19 in person restrictions the program will be offered virtually.

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Parity Baltimore, Inc.

$40,000 / 2021 / Community Development

Parity is an equitable development nonprofit organization launching in Harlem Park, one of Baltimore’s many culturally and historically rich African American neighborhoods. Parity intends to acquire vacant houses and renovate them for sale to new homeowners. Parity has cultivated a cohort of pre-committed and pre-qualified homebuyers. Grant funds will be used for four homebuyer purchase incentives of $10,000 each to support redevelopment and reduce the cost of each house purchase.

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Moveable Feast, Inc.

$50,000 / 2021 / Health and Human Services

Founded in 1989 as a volunteer-led organization providing home-cooked meals for people with HIV and AIDS, Moveable Feast is now the leading provider of home-delivered medically tailored meals for people with chronic health conditions in the Baltimore region. The organization delivers approximately 500,000 meals annually to over 1,300 individuals who are medically compromised and have diseases that are impacted by nutrition. In addition, 40% of its clients receive medical nutrition therapy to help them make lasting changes to their diets to support improved health. Beyond direct services, Moveable Feast is an active participant in the national Food Is Medicine coalition, an association of nonprofit food and nutrition service providers that collaborate to advance public policy, promote research, and share best practices on the provision of medically tailored meals and nutrition education. This grant provides general support for Moveable Feast’s operations.

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Maryland New Directions

$120,000 / 2021 / Workforce Development

Maryland New Directions, Inc., (MND) is a private, nonprofit, career counseling and job placement agency that provides one-on-one job coaching for immediate job placement as well as occupational skills training for careers in the transportation and logistics industry. Funding from Abell will support MND in assisting more than 200 job seekers in Baltimore.

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Header photo courtesy of Thread.