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

International Documentary Association

$5,000 / 2012 / Community Development
Toward production costs of “American Village,” a documentary on the history of racial change in West Baltimore.

Job Opportunities Task Force

$75,000 / 2012 / Workforce Development
For continued support of the Baltimore CASH Campaign, an initiative designed to increase the use of the earned income tax credit. Each year, the campaign serves more than 8,000 residents by operating 15 to 17 free tax preparation sites, and partnering with sites that offer tax preparation and asset development services.

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.

Jobs, Housing & Recovery, Inc. (JHR)

$25,000 / 2012 / Criminal Justice and Addiction
Toward the salary of an additional full-time Homeless Services Coordinator at the JHR Housing Resource Center. This coordinator will ensure a 30 percent increase in client contacts, and result in “needs assessments” and referrals for 80 percent of clients seeking services.

Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies

$8,000 / 2012 / Community Development
Two grants for the 2012 and 2013 Abell Awards in Urban Policy, presented annually to an undergraduate student who writes the most compelling paper on a pressing problem facing Baltimore City and crafts a recommendation for addressing the issue.

Header photo courtesy of Thread.