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.
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.
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.
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.
Log into the grant portal below to return to your saved application or submit a report for a previously awarded grant.
Springboard Collaborative, initiated in Philadelphia in 2011, is designed to close the literacy gap by closing the gap between home and school. Now operating in 10 cities, Springboard offers summer, afterschool, and in-school programs that combine targeted reading instruction for PreK-3rd graders; weekly workshops training parents to teach reading at home; a rigorous coaching cycle for teachers; and an incentive structure that awards learning tools to families—from books to tablets—in proportion to their kids’ reading progress. Springboard’s Summer pilot in Baltimore increased reading levels for 330 students by 4.3 months in 6 weeks, and engaged 73% of parents in school and home literacy learning. This grant from Abell and funding from Baltimore City Schools will enable Springboard to launch its Afterschool Program in Spring 2019 for 900 low-performing K-3rd grade readers.
Southwest Partnership is a partnership of seven neighborhoods and six anchor institutions formed to focus on community redevelopment while preserving the uniqueness of these communities. The former Lord Baltimore Theater, is an iconic building along the historic retail strip that SWP has targeted for redevelopment as a cultural arts/education center. This grant provided support for a consultant to develop financing structure for redevelopment of the Theater, and assist SWP with the establishment of a nonprofit organization to oversee the property.
Sisters Circle, founded in 2000, is a long-term mentoring program for girls, with a primary focus on young women of color. Participants enter the program in cohorts of 30 during their 6th grade from Commodore John Rodgers, Henderson Hopkins, and City Springs elementary schools, and are paired with a cadre of caring mentors who commit to a minimum of 10 years. Sisters Circle supports these students as they transition to several high schools, colleges, and job training/certification programs, and provides opportunities to engage in programs that consist of academic readiness, summer internships, college prep, and career exploration.
Roberta’s House provides grief education, counseling and support through group programs for children, teens, families, and individual adults suffering from the death of a loved one. This grant supported the construction of a three-story 21,000 square foot bereavement center to replace 11 vacant properties on the 900 block of East North Avenue. The new center will include art activity rooms, a theater, a large family gathering area, a game room, an expression room, conference rooms, administrative offices, workstations and a resource library.
MERIT, founded in 2011 by a TFA City teacher, is now a comprehensive academic and career mentorship program supporting Baltimore City public school students who aspire to careers in medicine. MERIT scholars take advanced academic classes on Saturdays, work in hospitals and lab during paid summer internships, and receive long-term college and career mentorship. Serving over 300 talented students as early as 8th grade, MERIT can boast that 96% of its participants enroll in 4-year colleges with an aim of 90% college completion. The current Abell award will specifically support the college-prep and pre-med curriculum development for Baltimore’s aspiring health professionals in MERIT’s 8th grade through College program.
Header photo courtesy of Thread.