Baltimore Re-Entry Resources, Inc., Return Home Baltimore
$21,750 / 2020 / Criminal Justice and Addiction
Baltimore Re-Entry Resources, Inc. created a reentry website, returnhome.org, to provide accessible information about critical reentry services such as healthcare, housing, jobs, treatment, etc. The website is targeted to returning citizens from Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Funding from the Abell Foundation will support two enhancements to the website: 1. Adding a geo location feature so that a map will appear on each resource’s page and tie into bus schedules; and 2. Providing ongoing web scraping to ensure that the website always has the latest, most accurate information.
Baltimore Education Research Consortium (BERC)
$200,000 / 2020 / Education
BERC pursues long- and short-term data analysis and research, and subsequently interprets and shares the findings with Baltimore City Public Schools, community leaders, and other stakeholders. This grant will strengthen BERC’s core operating budget, which will support the onboarding of a new executive director and maintain the robust data archives that are the foundation of BERC’s work.
Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition, Fiscally Sponsored by Digital Harbor Foundation
$50,000 / 2020 / Community Development
The Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition (BDEC) was formed in March 2020 to help provide digital access for those without in Baltimore in the wake of COVID-19 shutdowns and closures. To date, this volunteer-led effort has focused its efforts in four areas: (1) access to devices; (2) greater Internet connectivity; (3) digital skills training and support; and (4) advocacy. While volunteers continue to be engaged and committed to the Coalition’s goals and priorities, the Coalition’s work demands are steadily growing and requires dedicated staff time. Grant funds will be used to support costs associated with the hiring of a full time staff position to expand the capacity and elevate the work of the coalition.
Baltimore Corps
$50,000 / 2020 / Community Development
Baltimore Corps supports Baltimore City’s social innovation sector by recruiting and deploying mission-driven young professionals to Baltimore City’s public agencies and social sector organizations. Kiva-Baltimore will target Black-owned small-business and micro-enterprise operating in Baltimore City and struggling to survive the economic collapse due to COVID-19. Grant funds will be used to support staff costs to meet expansion needs and increased demand from small and micro-business for ongoing advice and consultation through the Kiva-Baltimore platform.
Baltimore Community Lending, Inc.
$87,500 / 2020 / Community Development
Baltimore Community Lending (BCL) is an intermediary lender under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Microloan Programs. The foundation will provide the balance of matching funding to create a 15 percent loan loss reserve to launch the program. In supporting the small business assistance infrastructure in Baltimore City, the first year’s SBA Microloan fund of $750,000 is expected to fund loan amounts between $10,000 and $50,000 to between 15 to 75 small businesses, with special outreach to Black-owned businesses and businesses owned by people of color in Baltimore City.
