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?

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 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.

Start a Small Grant Application

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.

Start a Regular 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

The Enterprise Foundation

$75,000 / 2004 / Health and Human Services
For the expansion of the Re-entry Partnership (REP) Initiative, a program designed to help prepare inmates for transition from prison back into their communities. The program incorporates pre-release and post-release components. As part of the case management re-entry plan, ex-offenders participate in vocational and educational programs prior to being transferred to the Metropolitan Transition Center. Support services include transportation of the ex-offender, so that upon release the individual is linked directly with community resources.

Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning

$81,500 / 2004 / Health and Human Services
For staffing and related costs to expand legal representation of tenants in Rent Court. The funding will be used by the staff to educate clerks and judges about a new law requiring landlords to register and comply with lead paint laws before filing a complaint in Rent Court. The law has the potential to reduce the number of eviction cases while increasing compliance with childhood lead paint laws. It is expected that the laws will improve housing conditions and lower the incidence of childhood lead poisoning.

Chase Brexton Health Services

$50,000 / 2004 / Health and Human Services
Capital funding for renovation costs of a facility at 10 West Eager Street to house the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for substance-abuse treatment. Heroin is the drug of choice for approximately 45,000 people in Baltimore City; not surprisingly, the incidence of intravenous drug use among Baltimore City’s poor is high. The IOP addresses the multiple health needs of this high-risk population.

The Center for Fathers, Families and Workforce Development

$400,000 / 2004 / Health and Human Services
Sixth-year funding of STRIVE Baltimore, a comprehensive job training and placement service for unemployed and underemployed men and women. The three-week program prepares participants for the workforce through workshops that focus on attitude modification and job readiness. Core services include job placement with long-term follow-up, one-on-one and group counseling, and case management.

Catholic Charities

$250,000 / 2004 / Health and Human Services
Capital funding toward the construction of the new Our Daily Bread Employment Center. The center will house four programs: Our Daily Bread, supported by volunteers and donors, serving meals to an average of 750 homeless people per day and breakfast on weekdays to more than 100 seniors and disabled persons; Christopher’s Place Employment Academy, a residential program helping homeless men find and maintain full-time employment at a living wage and permanent housing; St. Jude’s Employment Center, providing poor, homeless, and disadvantaged persons with a transition back into the work force; and The Samaritan Center, providing travelers’ aid service and bus vouchers to homeless persons who want to leave Baltimore City to reunite with family, find employment, or access substance abuse treatment.

Header photo courtesy of Thread.