Baltimore City Mayor’s Office, Fiscally Sponsored by Baltimore Civic Fund
$63,000 / 2021 / Community Development
In the 2020 Abell Report “Baltimore’s Digital Divide,” researcher and author John Horrigan’s analysis of the 2018 American Community Survey revealed that 96,000 households in Baltimore City (or 40.7%) do not have wireline internet service, such as cable, fiber, or digital subscriber line service. Recognizing that cost is a barrier to access, in December 2020, the U.S. Congress appropriated $3.2 billion of emergency coronavirus relief toward a new Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) for low income households to receive up to $50 toward monthly internet service and $100 toward a computing device. To maximize program participation in Baltimore City, the Mayor’s Office will offer small grants to a number of community organizations to promote the new benefit and assist low income households qualify and receive benefits.
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Whitelock Community Farm, Fiscally Sponsored by Fusion Partnerships, Inc.
$25,000 / 2021 / Community Development
Whitelock Community Farm, over its 10 year history, has harvested over 40,000 pounds of organic produce. Distribution sites include a Reservoir Hill farm stand, neighborhood mobile market sites, community supported agriculture (CSA) program, a city wide farmers market and local restaurants. This grant will support activities and programming that will increase the levels of healthy, affordable food available to residents in Penn North and Reservoir Hill; and improve Farm operational efficiencies and reduce food waste.
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University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation
$60,000 / 2021 / Education
The Positive Schools Center (PSC) in an initiative housed within the University of Maryland School of Social Work that partners with school leaders and school staffs to build restorative and supportive schools. The Positive School Center collaborates with school leaders to ensure trauma-responsive educational approaches and restorative practices are integrated into every area of the school by providing training, staff and leadership coaching, direct community supports, and technical assistance.
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Purpose Built Communities Cherry Hill Initiative, Fiscally Sponsored by Dream Big Foundation
$50,000 / 2021 / Community Development
The Dream BIG Foundation is the lead partner in the effort to formally establish the Purpose Built Communities – Cherry Hill Initiative. It is a three pronged placed-based community revitalization effort focused on mixed income housing, community wellness, and cradle-to-college education pipeline. This grant will support expenses associated with the recruitment and hiring of key staff who will cultivate and coordinate investments in the three pillars of the Purpose Built Model.
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Public Justice Center, Inc.
$150,000 / 2021 / Community Development
Public Justice Center is leading a multi-year campaign to advocate for changes in laws and practices that limit tenants’ rights and deny due process to tenants in Baltimore City’s Rent Court, which results in more than one in 17 renter households being evicted each year. According to a 2020 Stout Risius Ross, LLC report on right to counsel for Baltimore tenants facing eviction, 96% of landlords have lawyers or specialized agents in eviction cases, while only 1% of tenants do. This grant supports PJC’s Rent Court Reform and Eviction Prevention Initiative, which employs a combination of litigation, administrative advocacy, and legislative advocacy to advance the rights of tenants in Baltimore, prevent evictions and reduce household insecurity.
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