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

A Step Forward

$5,000 / 2006 / Criminal Justice and Addiction
Toward stipends to provide nighttime staffing at a licensed halfway house for drug-addicted homeless ex-offenders. By providing nighttime supervision, A Step Forward hopes to increase its retention rate from 45 percent to 75 percent.

Advocates for Children and Youth

$60,000 / 2006 / Health and Human Services
For continued support of the Baltimore City Child Welfare Reform Program. Advocates will monitor the Department of Human Resources’ efforts to reduce caseloads for child welfare workers and to develop a database to track child-welfare outcomes mandated by the Child Welfare Accountability Act. The program will also encourage aggressive foster-family recruitment and increased foster care reimbursement rates.

Alternative Directions, Inc.

$50,000 / 2006 / Criminal Justice and Addiction
For continued support of the Turn Around Program (TAP), a transition program providing re-entry services, case management, and self- advocacy training for female ex-offenders, both in the correctional facility and upon their release in the community.

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Maryland

$50,000 / 2006 / Education
For continued support of the Baltimore City Education Reform Project. The purpose of the project is to represent the interests of disadvantaged students, particularly in Baltimore City, by ensuring increased operating and capital funding, and continued management reform. ACLU will monitor the Baltimore City Public School Systems’ budget allocations to assess whether expenditures are translating into academic improvements.

American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Maryland

$200,000 / 2006 / Health and Human Services
For continued support of the Regional Equity in Housing Project. The purpose is to provide more than 6,000 families the opportunity to move from inner-city Baltimore to communities offering greater educational, employment, and housing opportunities, and increased safety. ACLU attempts to reduce barriers undermining the ability of low-income families to move to low-poverty areas.

Header photo courtesy of Thread.