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

Johns Hopkins University

$100,000 / 2011 / Community Development
To provide two awards for the competitive Johns Hopkins Alliance for Science and Technology Development Program. The goal is to encourage scientists and researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Baltimore to promote technology transfer through the development of marketable products and services.

Johns Hopkins University

$197,604 / 2011 / Education
Two grants in support of a study, “Connecting Housing and Education Policy: Examining Educational Outcomes for the Children of the Baltimore Mobility Program.” The purpose of the study is to determine how residential relocation through the mobility program can affect access to school quality for Baltimore City children in the Thompson housing assistance program, as compared to achievement levels of those children who have not yet moved.

Johns Hopkins University – Center for Social Organization of Schools

$114,948 / 2011 / Education
For support of the Baltimore Education Research Consortium (BERC) core research program, and for continued work on College Access for Baltimore City students. Research includes analysis of college retention rates for graduates of city schools, and an evaluation of the CollegeBound College Retention Program. Forthcoming research topics will include: Understanding Under-Credited Students and Credit Recovery, Teacher Pipeline and Pathways, Best Practices for City School Attendance, Access to Higher Education, and Boys Thriving in Baltimore Schools.

Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Concern

$35,000 / 2011 / Community Development
Toward Phase II of Project Gado, a robotic scanning technology initiative. By adopting a social enterprise model to build a revised, easier-to-assemble version of the robotic scanner, the project will digitize archival images, which will serve as primary sources for publishers, film-makers, and researchers. The scanned images can then be entered into a Web-enabled database system for eventual publishing online.

Johns Hopkins University School of Education

$14,797 / 2011 / Education
For an evaluation of the 2011 SummerREADS book distribution program. The evaluation will determine the project’s effect on maintaining student achievement in reading over the summer.

Header photo courtesy of Thread.