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

The Johns Hopkins University/ Center for Social Organization of Schools

$15,000 / 2004 / Education
For an evaluation of the Educational Opportunity Program at two new high schools located at the Southwestern Campus.

The Johns Hopkins University/ Center for Social Organization of Schools

$30,700 / 2004 / Education
For an evaluation of the impact of new teachers hired by the Baltimore City Public School System. At the point of hiring, this study will make comparisons among: 1) teachers who have full professional certification; 2) teachers who have alternative certification (such as Teach For America and the Baltimore Teaching Residency Program); 3) and teachers who have conditional certification. The evaluation will study teacher retention and daily attendance, PRAXIS (national teacher certification test) scores, contract renewal rates, subject-area expertise, and tuition reimbursement.

The Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute

$20,000 / 2004 / Health and Human Services
For support of the Community Health Worker Program, which provides free health services to the uninsured in East Baltimore. The institute will recruit ten AmeriCorps volunteers from East Baltimore to serve as community health workers; after training, each worker will follow as many as 50 patients, providing individual medical monitoring and support through home visits and telephone calls. The status of each patient will be tracked by computers.

The Justice Policy Institute

$50,000 / 2004 / Health and Human Services
To provide research and guidance to the Campaign for Treatment Not Incarceration, designed to reduce Maryland’s prison population and expand drug treatment and alternatives to incarceration.

The Samaritan Center

$50,000 / 2004 / Health and Human Services
Two grants for continued funding of the Travel Voucher Program, which helps homeless people in need of travel assistance. The programs provide bus vouchers to more than 400 homeless people who want to leave Baltimore to reunite with family, find employment, or receive treatment for substance abuse.

Header photo courtesy of Thread.