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 reach out to an Abell staff member to discuss their idea or submit a short letter of inquiry prior to submitting a regular grant application.

Contact Us or Email Us 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

Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services

$150,000 / 2012 / Workforce Development
For support of the Maryland House of Correction Inmate Deconstruction Project, an inmate workforce development training program. The project provides 50 inmates with training in occupational safety and the removal of hazardous materials. Fourteen buildings are slated for deconstruction.

Maryland Community Health Initiatives, Inc.

$246,815 / 2012 / Workforce Development
For Year Two support of the Partnership for Growth initiative, an education and job-training program created to serve 60 clients of Penn North, an integrative and addiction recovery center that offers acupuncture and mediation programs for the treatment of addiction. Partnership for Growth offers training in street cleaning, lawn and property maintenance, landscape design and installation, ground-level tree trimming, touch-up painting, and hauling. Along with the required fieldwork, participants spend at least two hours a day in the classroom, focusing on resume writing, job-search strategies, effective communication, job interviewing, dressing for the work place, computer literacy, and budgeting.

Maryland Center for Arts and Technology, Inc.

$40,000 / 2012 / Workforce Development
For continued support of health care and evening GED training for 20 unemployed and underemployed youth and adults in Baltimore City.

Living Classrooms Foundation

$5,000 / 2012 / Workforce Development
Toward renovation costs of the Ex-Offender Mentoring Academy. In partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, Living Classrooms is assisting 342 ex-offenders who are re-entering the community.

Job Opportunities Task Force

$125,000 / 2012 / Workforce Development
Toward continued support of the JumpStart Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program, which serves 70 low-income Baltimore City residents. The 13-week program provides participants with training in handling tools; construction math; workplace safety; and specialized training in the carpentry, electrical, and plumbing trades. Classroom instruction is followed by job placement. Candidates must remain employed for 90 days before they can enroll into a four-year apprenticeship program.

Header photo courtesy of Thread.