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

New Leaders-Baltimore

$100,000 / 2012 / Education
For continued support of the New Leaders-Baltimore program, with a goal of recruiting 12 school principals for leadership roles in Baltimore City Public Schools for the 2012-2013 school year. The new cohorts participate in a four-week summer institute, followed by a year-long residency working under an experienced principal. The following year, they are placed in schools with on-the-job networking and support for two years. New Leaders will also launch a one-year Emerging Leaders training program.

National Council on Teacher Quality

$15,700 / 2012 / Education

For support of the annual Teacher Prep Review, which will be published in U.S. News and World Report. The review will cover 800 teacher education programs in the U.S., including analyses and ratings for 20 schools in Maryland. The objective of the review is to create a communications strategy that demonstrates ratings are credible, fair, and accurate, and can provide useful information to advocacy groups working for change in state legislatures and school boards.

Mariposa Child Success Programs

$30,000 / 2012 / Education
For the development of an evaluation tool for the Promoting School Success Program, which serves teachers in Baltimore City Public Schools. The 32-hour program focuses on teacher training in student-relationship skills, and its objective is to reduce overall classroom disruption.

LET’S GO Boys and Girls, Inc.

$100,000 / 2012 / Education
Toward expansion of the STEM curriculum to reach 395 Baltimore City children at Callaway Elementary School and Mount Royal Elementary/Middle School, and at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Baltimore. LET’S GO trains teachers to provide informative, hands-on science, math, and engineering programming one day a week for 90 minutes in an after-school setting. The objectives are to improve attitudes toward science and math, achieve higher attendance rates, assist students in choosing middle and high school STEM schools, and increase the number of qualified applicants to the Ingenuity Program.

KIPP Baltimore, Inc.

$75,000 / 2012 / Education
For expansion of the KIPP Ujima Village Student Intervention Math pilot program for the 2012-2013 school year. The objectives of the program are to close the achievement gap among low-performing students, increase overall MSA math scores, and create a remediation model for replication.

Header photo courtesy of Thread.