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Explore grants for community development including housing, economic opportunity, infrastructure, and neighborhood revitalization.
2,000+
Available grants
$194.8M
Total funding
$10K
Median grant
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About Us
In 2015, Baltimore adopted the South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan, a sweeping plan to improve neighborhoods across South and Southwest Baltimore that are close to the Horseshoe Casino. The City then began to implement this plan, with the advice of the Local Development Council and funding provided by local impact grants (community grants) generated by area casino revenues.
It soon became clear that another organization was also needed to help spend these funds -– something that could be more flexible, nimble, and entrepreneurial. So, in 2016, the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership was established, governed by a Board of Directors comprised principally of residents and business owners. Now, the City and the Partnership split Baltimore’s share of the local impact grant funds.
In order to successfully implement this ambitious agenda, the SBGP created its own Strategic Plan to narrow its focus to three crucial elements of the South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan:
Community development grants support initiatives that improve infrastructure, promote economic growth, and foster social equity. These grants help nonprofits address housing, education, and public health, creating sustainable and resilient communities.
Find 303 community development grants with $64.9M available. Instrumentl’s platform offers tailored search options, deadline tracking, and funder insights to support nonprofit projects for stronger communities.
How common are grants in this category?
Common — grants in this category appear regularly across funding sources.
Over the past year, when are grant deadlines typically due for Community Development grants?
Most grants are due in the third quarter.
What's the typical grant amount funded for Community Development Grants?
Grants are most commonly $20,000.
Community development grants are available to nonprofits, workforce groups, and local organizations looking to support infrastructure improvements and economic growth through job training and employment programs in their communities. These grants suppport programs that help people build their careers, with many grants focused on helping underserved groups.
Grants in community development typically have the highest concentration of deadlines in Q3, with 29.9% of grant deadlines falling in this period. If you're planning to apply, consider prioritizing your applications around this time to maximize opportunities. Conversely, the least active period for grants in this category is Q4.
The goal of community development grants is to strengthen community infrastructure and create employment opportunities by helping people learn applicable job skills, grow small businesses, and manage their finances better. Funders support these initiatives to boost local economies and give communities the resources they need to succeed, whether they're looking to address housing, education, or public health.
On average, community development grants provide funding between $250 and $25,000,000, with typical awards falling around $20,000 (median) and $377,355 (average). These insights can help nonprofits align their funding requests with what grantmakers typically offer in this space.
Funding for community development grants typically comes from government agencies, private foundations, and corporate programs. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are major federal sources for funding community development efforts.
Private donors, like the Erich and Hannah Sachs Foundation and the Kampe Family Foundation, invest in programs that aim to reduce poverty and promote social and economic mobility. Many corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives like the Bank Of America Charitable Foundation and the Keybank Foundation also support community development by funding workforce training, small business grants, and local economic projects.
To improve the chances of receiving community development grants, applicants should:
Struggling to manage multiple grants? Learn how to stay organized with our comprehensive grant tracking spreadsheet guide.
Instrumentl simplifies the process of applying for community development grants by offering an intuitive platform that helps nonprofits discover relevant funding opportunities, track deadlines, and analyze funder-giving patterns. The platform's automated alerts ensure users never miss a deadline, while detailed funder insights help organizations tailor their applications to align with grantor priorities.
Learn more about Instrumentl’s and how you can scale your grant funding.