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?

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 for a Small Grant?

For first-time or returning applicants with grant requests of $10,000 or less. We accept and review small grant applications on a rolling basis. There is no deadline to apply for a small grant.

Ready to Apply for a Regular Grant?

For returning applicants and those who have a verified fit with the Foundation’s priorities for requests greater than $10,000. Regular grant applications are reviewed at one of five Board meetings each year.

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

Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance

$5,000 / 2006 / Criminal Justice and Addiction
Organizational start-up costs to develop a network of businesses and citizens promoting the development of the local economy and increasing the sustainability of business practices. Activities include an educational and marketing campaign encouraging Baltimore area residents to buy food, goods, and services from local, independently owned businesses and farms; a pilot recycling program in ten schools; and development of a biofuel cooperative.

Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity

$35,000 / 2006 / Criminal Justice and Addiction
Toward the restoration of seven Chesapeake Habitat houses in the Patterson Park community for sale to low-income families. Chesapeake Habitat works to maintain affordable housing using the Habitat model of volunteer labor and “sweat equity.”

Carroll Museums, Inc.

$25,000 / 2006 / Criminal Justice and Addiction
Capital funding toward a major restoration of Carroll Mansion, shuttered from 1997 to 2002. The refurbishing will serve as a cornerstone for Jonestown’s renaissance. As part of the Heritage Walk, Carroll Mansion will expand its collaborations with neighboring cultural institutions and become a venue for community gatherings and cultural events.

Belair-Edison Neighborhoods, Inc.

$35,000 / 2006 / Criminal Justice and Addiction
For continued support of program expenses for residential and commercial revitalization efforts, including expansion of the Foreclosure Prevention Initiative. The purpose of this project is to provide counseling sessions and homeowner workshops to assist victims or potential victims of predatory lending. The Belair-Edison Neighborhoods initiative seeks to reduce incidences of foreclosures by developing a preferred realtor program, and by linking qualified buyers to Healthy Neighborhoods loan products.

Baltimore Development Corporation

$25,000 / 2006 / Criminal Justice and Addiction
For continued support of administrative expenses for Maglev- Maryland, a program to develop a magnetic levitation high-speed train between Baltimore and Washington. When fully operational, the train could reduce the travel time between the two cities to less than 20 minutes.

Header photo courtesy of Thread.