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

Maryland Institute College of Art

$5,000 / 2012 / Health and Human Services
Toward continued support of “Finding Our Wings,” a pregnancy- and dropout-prevention documentary designed to educate teen girls in Baltimore City.

Maryland League of Conservation Voters Education Fund

$10,000 / 2012 / Environment
To strengthen Maryland’s environmental voice by educating voters on priority public policy issues. These issues include open space funding, transportation, offshore wind energy, and storm water management. The league will rely extensively on email alerts, its website, blogging, and social networking, in an effort to engage its base of 241,000 online environmental activists.

Maryland New Directions

$120,000 / 2012 / Workforce Development
Toward support of the Career Focus job-training program, which is set to reach 300 unemployed Baltimore City job seekers. Each client in the employment readiness program receives approximately 10 hours of individual consultation on resume writing, benefits screening, counseling, and interview practice.

MarylandReporter.com

$35,000 / 2012 / Community Development
Toward support of an investigation and a series of articles on Maryland’s pension system. It is expected that the series of articles will engage policymakers and other government officials in discussions of the problems that have led to Maryland’s pension crisis.

Mayor’s Office of Information Technology

$53,200 / 2012 / Criminal Justice and Addiction
For the development and implementation of the CitiWatch Community Partnership program. The two components of this program include building a database of information gathered by security cameras for use in subsequent criminal investigations, and marketing the program to the community.

Header photo courtesy of Thread.