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 for a Small Grant?

If you have never received an Abell small grant (requests of $10,000 or less), you must attend an information session to confirm fit with eligibility criteria and funding priorities prior to submitting a small grant application. 

Sign up for an info session

Considering Applying for a Regular Grant?

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?

If you are a returning applicant or have met our eligibility criteria and requirements and are ready to apply for a grant, you may do so on the apply page.

Start a Grant Application

Returning to a Saved Application or Submitting a Report?

Log into the grant portal below to return to your saved application or submit a report for a previously awarded grant.

Return to Your Application or Submit a Report

See Our Past Grants

B’More Clubhouse, Inc.

$30,000 / 2019 / Health and Human Services

B’More Clubhouse, founded in 2009, is a community in mid-town where adults living with mental illness receive supportive services. Accredited by Clubhouse International, the organization benefits from the strengths of a national and international network of 292 accredited Clubhouses in 34 countries. B’More Clubhouse has an active membership of 120 and an average of 40 members in attendance on any given day. Services include employment assistance, housing access, and connections to community resources. This grant helped support the partial salary of the program’s social worker/program director. 

Baltimore City Foundation, Mayor’s Office of Employment Development

$75,000 / 2019 / Workforce Development

The Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) operates the sixth largest summer employment program among larger cities, last year employing 7,808 young people between the ages of 14 and 21 for five weeks.  In 2019, MOED expects to employ 8,000 youth, providing employment opportunities at 680 worksites.  Funding from Abell will support 47 YouthWorks positions at nonprofit organization worksites.   

Baltimore Community Rowing

$10,000 / 2019 / Health and Human Services

Reach High Baltimore, a project of Baltimore Community Rowing, was founded in 2011 to provide after-school and summer rowing programming to Baltimore middle and high school students. The program serves about 150 youth a year through spring, summer, fall, and winter sessions. Reach High students have become skilled rowers, training for and participating in competitive races throughout the region, and a few rowers have competed in national and international races. This grant supported the partial salary of Reach High’s Director of Youth Rowing. 

Baltimore Education Research Consortium (BERC)

$21,000 / 2019 / Education

For over 10 years, BERC has analyzed data from the National Student Clearinghouse and Naviance to provide Baltimroe City Public School principals and staff with the latest district- and school-level figures on college access behaviors, college enrollment and degree completion amoung City hgh school graduates. In an effort to both produce an annual report and reduce high costs, BERC will automate the development of the Baltimroe City College Fact Book. In addition, an updated, online College Fact Book will be published describing college access behaviors district-wide and by individual high school (i.e., applications, acceptances, FAFSA completions, college “match”, summer melt attrition), college enrollment, and degree completion for the Classes of 2012 through 2018.

Baltimore Medical System, Inc.

$13,965 / 2019 / Health and Human Services

Baltimore Medical System (BMS) is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides primary and specialty health care to low income residents of Baltimore City and the surrounding area. BMS operates six community-based clinics and eight school-based clinics, serving nearly 50,000 patients annually.  This grant supports BMS’s family planning program by providing funds to purchase long-acting reversible contraceptives for uninsured patients.  

Header photo courtesy of Thread.