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 reach out to an Abell staff member to discuss their idea or submit a short letter of inquiry prior to submitting a regular grant application.

Contact Us or Email Us 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 a saved application or submit a report for a previously awarded grant. Report forms can be found under the “Requirements” tab.

Return to Your Application or Submit a Report

See Our Past Grants

PREPARE Prepare for Parole and Reentry, Fiscally Sponsored by Fusion Partnerships, Inc.

$100,100 / 2021 / Criminal Justice and Addiction

PREPARE, formerly the Second Chance for Women (SCW), assists inmates in the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women (MCIW) to prepare for parole hearings.  Abell is supporting a full-time position to assist PREPARE to expand its efforts to serve more people in the prison system, including men.  As part of this expansion, volunteers will be trained to work directly with individuals on their parole packets and reentry planning.

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POP Inc.

$12,650 / 2021 / Education

The Play On Purpose Freedom School program serves 200 students for six weeks during the summer and is open to students citywide.  The Freedom Schools program provides a research-based, multicultural curriculum that emphasizes high-quality literacy and character-building activities, parent/family involvement, civic engagement and social action, intergenerational servant leadership development, sports, and fitness.

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Patterson Park Audubon Center

$40,000 / 2021 / Community Development

Patterson Park Audubon Center leads hands-on activities that connect a multicultural community with nature in an urban setting. It empowers neighbors through action projects to enhance bird habitat and improve quality of life in Baltimore. Bird-Friendly Baltimore is PPAC’s effort to increase bird-friendly infrastructure in Baltimore.  It will create bird-friendly buildings and community-based gardens. Up to 1 million migrating birds die each year due to collisions with buildings, especially in dense cities like Baltimore. PPAC’s bird-friendly buildings activities will include: connecting with municipal leaders to explore policy opportunities; establishing relationships with downtown building managers to reduce reflectivity of surfaces, up-lighting, and unnecessary use of lights at night, particularly during migration. PPAC will also work with partners in targeted neighborhoods to explore their interest in bird and butterfly garden development. Two community-centered, bird-friendly gardens will be designed, facilitated, and planted. This grant will support staff costs for the launch of the Bird-Friendly Baltimore initiative.

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Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners

$50,000 / 2021 / Community Development

Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners is a financial empowerment and coaching provider that serves low-income workers. Its in-house team of financial coaches specializes in the challenges facing workers today: volatile income, tight cash flow, lack of emergency savings, and burdensome debt. They help clients prioritize savings, take control of their debt, and create a road map to achieving their financial goals. This grant will support staff expenses to assist up to 200 Baltimore individuals affiliated with five Baltimore-based partner organizations.

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National Center on Institutions and Alternatives

$100,000 / 2021 / Community Development

In 2017, the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA) opened a vocational training center at 301 S. Center Avenue in Baltimore, providing occupational skills training in automotive repair, Commercial Driver’s License Class B, HVAC (healthing, ventilation, and air conditioning), culinary arts, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) piloting. Abell funding will support NCIA  in training 267 SNAP-eligible Baltimore residents, with 200 earning industry-recognized credentials and being placed into jobs with an average starting hourly wage of $17.

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Header photo courtesy of Thread.