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

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. 

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.

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.

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.

See Our Past Grants

Baltimore City Health Department

$169,000 / 2011 / Health and Human Services
For support of the Baltimore Vision Screening Initiative in Baltimore City public schools. The initiative will revamp the current vision-screening program to screen 95 percent of students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade, and provide follow-up care with medical providers for those who fail the screening. The Bureau of School Health will also recruit and train qualified volunteers to conduct screenings in an effort to reach 95 percent of eighth-grade students.

Baltimore City Health Department

$47,000 / 2011 / Health and Human Services
Toward support of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative. The objectives of the initiative are to create a multi-agency collaboration aimed at improving reproductive health services, to strengthen sex education in City Schools, to promote effective contraceptive methods, and to improve family planning services for teen mothers. The long-term goal of the initiative is to reduce teen births in Baltimore City by 15 percent by 2015.

Baltimore City Public Schools – City Neighbors Charter School

$50,000 / 2011 / Education
In support of the development of a new charter high school, now serving 180 ninth- and tenth-grade students. Based on the progressive model charter school, the City Neighbors High School features the independent project-based learning and advisory system called PODS (groups of 15 students) that meet and work with a teacher for 90 minutes in their own workspaces. PODS were designed to provide leadership development and mentoring for academic skills and work habits.

Baltimore City Public Schools – National Academic League

$177,000 / 2011 / Education
For support of the 2011-2012 National Academic League (NAL) in 28 Baltimore City public middle schools, involving up to 675 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students, in a year-long scholastic extracurricular activity. The NAL games are designed to function as competitive events, with team coaching after school two to three times a week under the guidance of teachers. Interscholastic competitions are held every two weeks. Teams that place first and second go on to compete nationally through video conferencing. The purpose is to bring the visibility and spirit of school rivalry of sports competition to academic competition.

Baltimore City Public Schools – National Academy Foundation High School

$5,000 / 2011 / Education
For the purchase of 30 NOOK eReaders for the 11th-grade English class, to encourage reading e-books inside and outside of school.

Header photo courtesy of Thread.