Search Through Community Development Grants in Baltimore, Maryland in the U.S.

Our History

Aaron and Lillie Straus created the Straus Foundation in 1926 with a focus on rescue and relief of Jewish communities and families throughout the world as well as and connecting children in the Baltimore region to opportunities that could help them build strong and secure futures. Since the Strauses had no heirs, the stewardship of the Foundation was entrusted to the Directors of Reliable Stores Corporation, which Aaron Straus had founded. The Strauses were actively engaged in their philanthropy during much of their lifetime and their mission and vision remains an indelible blueprint for the work of the Foundation.

Today, the Straus Foundation is governed by a Board comprised of descendants of the original corporate Board as well as outside Directors with expertise in various aspects of its community interests.

Our Mission

Aaron and Lillie Straus’ clearly focused philanthropic vision, to give the people of Baltimore protection, education, and opportunity, continues today in a contemporary context. With the Foundation’s long-term support of critical policies and programs, our intention and aspiration remains a reflection of their original vision: to connect families of Baltimore to avenues of hope and opportunity that tap their potential for a more secure future.

Our Approach

In order to maximize the impact of our limited resources, we remain singularly focused on the Baltimore community by shining a light on its unique assets, talent and vibrancy, while continuing to search for solutions for our most entrenched inequities.

We optimize the possibility of impact by taking risks on emerging leaders and community solutions by providing partnership, capital and technical assistance.

When leaders and solutions show promising impact, we will commit funding over a long period of time to promote growth.

Our Priorities

The Straus Foundation has identified the following program areas to serve as a blueprint for our grantmaking. However, we acknowledge that there will be many intersections between all four areas.

Jewish Community Services

The Straus Foundation has deep Jewish roots, and supporting Jewish families will always be a priority. Jewish values, particularly the value of social justice, inform all of our grantmaking. The Foundation’s grantees in this priority area are Camps Airy & Louise, a boys and a girl’s camp in Western Maryland for Jewish children. The camps were started by Aaron and Lillie Straus to provide the values and development of a camping experience to Jewish children from Baltimore and the surrounding area, regardless of their economic background. Today, the camps continue this tradition by providing opportunities for self-growth, life skills, life-long friendships, an appreciation for the natural world, and an affirmation of Jewish identity.

Immigration Advocacy and Services: Making Baltimore a Welcoming City

For close to 100 years, Aaron and Lillie Straus devoted time, resources, and a strategic vision for the health and resettlement of waves of immigrants coming into Baltimore. The understanding was that new Americans would thrive both personally and professionally, with great benefit to the city. 

While this same premise holds true today, with 50,000 foreign-born immigrants living in Baltimore City, immigration policy must be urgently addressed while ensuring legal and social services are delivered upon their arrival.

Access to Quality Health/Mental Health Services: Creating Opportunities for Personal and Community Well-Being

While structural racism, violence and persistent underinvestment in communities have led to many in Baltimore experiencing significant trauma, the people of this city also have immense strength and resilience. With that knowledge, the Foundation strives to connect children and families to early detection and prevention as a strategy to decrease the use of emergency room and other services on the most expensive side of the health delivery system and to make readily available the full array of family planning services. We look to fund opportunities that create culturally competent, community-based access to health services as well as advocacy efforts around rights and reimbursement.

Social Innovation, Leadership and Entrepreneurship

For the last decade, The Straus Foundation has focused on the intersection of social innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship for the purpose of catalyzing the unique assets and talents of the city of Baltimore. In a short period of time, Baltimore has created a growing ecosystem that attracts and celebrates new leaders seeking more effective, efficient, and sustainable solutions to strengthen the city. We seek to equitably support promising entrepreneurs and their ideas in order to democratize opportunity, provide capital, support technical assistance, and create a new vibrancy in our city.

Alternative Grantmaking

In addition to making grants in its five program areas, The Straus Foundation will, from time to time, make allocations in the following ways:

• Foundation-Driven Initiatives: Specifics Requests for Proposal will be issued for these initiatives, and grants will be made through a competitive process;
• Funding Collaboratives: Straus Foundation dollars will be pooled with other private and public resources for a specific programmatic purpose. The collaborative will then make grants through a competitive Request for Proposal process;
• Loans: The Foundation will occasionally make a loan instead of a grant to an organization for a specific project or programmatic interest. The Foundation does not make loans to individuals or organizations for emergency needs; and
• Program-Related Investments: The Foundation will, on occasion, invest a portion of its corpus for the purpose of meeting a programmatic need as well as receiving a market-rate return on its investment.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Global Impact Cash Grants

Identifying and incubating innovative early-stage solutions. We identify, incubate, and develop innovative early-stage solutions with the highest potential for impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We're looking for programs that fit within our investment sectors, focus on the underserved, and use technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services.

We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. A brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI) is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application. Please expand and carefully review each of the three sections below to learn more

Our priority social impact sectors

We focus on investing in innovative, tech-enabled solutions to the challenges and opportunities that matter most to communities in need, prioritizing four social impact sectors:

Cisco Crisis Response

Mobilizing to provide essentials to communities in need and those in crisis, including food, housing, secure connectivity, and disaster relief

By leveraging Cisco’s people, technology, financial resources, and strategic partnerships, we help strengthen community resilience and drive long-term recovery from crises.

Education

Supporting students, teachers, and schools by increasing engagement, building skills, promoting subject mastery, and expanding their capacity to thrive

Cisco is committed to inclusive access to digital skills training and supporting those who use technology to educate. Through programs like Cisco Networking Academy and social investments in education, we create new opportunities for individuals to thrive.

Economic Empowerment

Transforming communities through skill development, long-term career opportunities, entrepreneurship, and access to financial products and services

Strategic grants that unlock economic prosperity and growth for individuals and communities.

Climate Regeneration

Building an inclusive, regenerative, and resilient climate future through education, regenerative agriculture, conservation, protection, and clean energy solutions

Our efforts began in 2021, when the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over 10 years to fund nonprofit grants and impact investing in climate solutions. 

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation promotes social justice and human rights through its five program areas: Jewish life, strengthening Israeli democracy, health and mental health, educational opportunity, and human rights. Support is provided to organizations in the United States and abroad.

The Foundation supports organizations that promote systemic change, involve constituents in planning and decision-making, encourage volunteer and professional development and engage in ongoing program evaluation.

Health & Mental Health Program Area

Mental Health 

The Foundation invests in programs that address mental health issues affecting low-income communities in the Baltimore region, with a focus on prevention and innovative service models utilizing evidence-based practices offered in community-based settings. The Foundation is particularly interested in bringing mental health services into community settings to complement other services already in place. Special consideration is given to programs focusing on children or older adults as well as efforts that combine direct service and policy advocacy.

Generally, the Foundation does not provide support for clinical services for people with serious mental illness. The Foundation will consider program and capital grants in the mental health portfolio. Funding is restricted to the Baltimore metropolitan area.

Access to Health Care

The Foundation is committed to supporting local and national advocacy and public policy initiatives to ensure access to quality care among low-income families with the goal of ensuring that everyone can use the health services they need without risk of financial ruin or impoverishment to maintain a high quality of life. The Foundation invests in legislative, legal and policy efforts focused on expanding health care coverage to additional citizens, improving the quality and accessibility of health care services and defending access to existing health care entitlements.

The Foundation does not support state or local advocacy efforts outside of Maryland but will consider national campaigns that engage a cluster of states. The Foundation will consider program and general operating grants in this portfolio.

Environmental Health 

The Foundation invests in organizations seeking to minimize the impact of toxins on people’s health. The Foundation prioritizes organizations that use science-informed research as the basis of local and national legislative, policy and market-based campaigns as well as organizations that include involvement of the communities most impacted by the toxins.

The Foundation does not support state or local advocacy efforts outside of Maryland but will consider national campaigns that engage a cluster of states. The Foundation will consider program and general operating grants in this portfolio.

Strengthening Public Education 

Seeking to improve the lifetime outcomes and opportunities for Baltimore youth and the region, the Foundation invests in strategies to strengthen Baltimore’s public school system. The primary focus of this program is to support efforts that improve the quality of leadership and teaching within the school system. The Foundation funds alternative pathway programs for principals and teachers and supports professional development programming to deepen teacher content knowledge and practice, particularly in the areas of arts, literacy, progressive education practices and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). The Foundation also supports efforts to improve school climate, with a focus on restorative practices and social emotional learning. The Foundation will, from time to time, consider support for district-identified priorities.

The Foundation also supports public policy, legislative and litigation efforts related to securing equitable public funding for Baltimore City public schools.

The Foundation does not support programming or capital needs of individual schools, although it will consider programs working across a cluster of schools. Funding is restricted to Baltimore City.

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

Abell Foundation Grants over $10,000

The Abell Foundation is dedicated to the enhancement of the quality of life in Maryland, with a focus on Baltimore City. The Foundation is committed to improving the lives of underserved populations by supporting innovative, results-oriented efforts to solve systemic social, economic, and environmental problems. Our areas of interest are education, workforce development, health and human services, community development, criminal justice and addiction, environment and arts.

In an attempt to be responsive to the changing needs of the community, the Foundation approaches its grantmaking by: 

• responding to unsolicited requests for funding that are initiated by organizations and institutions, and demonstrate a high-priority need and a measurable impact; 
• requesting that an organization or institution submit a proposal for a special program if its purpose furthers the Foundation's goals; and
• initiating programs that address key issues that reflect community-wide needs and show promise of impacting the quality of services and effecting long-term systemic change.

The Foundation seeks to address complex challenges to break through the cycles of urban poverty by supporting efforts to identify solutions that are both innovative and results-oriented. 

Areas of Interest

Within these areas, the Foundation provides seed funding, support for ongoing community programs and services, general operating support, and funding for capital projects, research, and program-related investments.

Education 

The challenge to Baltimore City’s leadership is to provide its children, the vast majority of whom qualify for free and reduced meals, with access to high-quality educational options from birth through college and/or career. The Foundation has a strong commitment to the PreK-12 public education system in Baltimore and its educational partners. With a focus on increasing achievement for city students, the Abell Foundation supports efforts to provide quality instruction in all content areas, provide a broad portfolio of effective schools, create successful transitions to and through college and work, increase family engagement, and promote literacy enrichment. In recognition of the pivotal role of quality teaching and school leadership, the Foundation also supports teacher and principal recruitment and retention efforts as well as leadership development strategies. After-school and summer programming with an academic orientation have received ongoing support to help fill gaps in school-day offerings. The Abell Foundation is committed to supporting children and youth who are educationally vulnerable while also preserving educational options that serve advanced learners.

Workforce Development

In recognition that a competent, skilled workforce is essential to the economic health and growth of Baltimore City, the Abell Foundation supports job-skills training that enables low-income, unemployed and underemployed job seekers to secure jobs that pay family-sustaining wages. Priority is given to programs that link hard-to-serve job seekers with employment, that promote job retention for at least one year of employment, and that enhance opportunities for low-wage workers to improve their skills and move into higher wage jobs.

The Foundation works with nonprofit organizations, employers and public agencies to identify and support effective workforce initiatives and to link them to public and private funding. The Foundation also works with nonprofit organizations to increase job seekers' access to needed services, including literacy services, transportation, substance abuse treatment, and services for ex-offenders. Finally, the Abell Foundation seeks to strengthen program and policy initiatives that support low-income families and enhance wages. These initiatives include increasing access to income supports such as the earned income tax credit and benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Health & Human Services

The health of a community can only be as strong as the well-being of its citizens. Through grants awarded in this area, the Abell Foundation seeks to address societal issues associated with economic insecurity, access to health care, family planning, domestic violence, children's health and well-being, hunger and homelessness. The Foundation also supports legal services and advocacy programs promoting access to health and mental health services, a stronger child welfare system, resources for current and former foster youth, and a comprehensive system of services for the homeless. Finally, the Foundation supports programs that provide opportunities for low-income families to live in quality housing in good neighborhoods throughout the region.

Community Development

The Abell Foundation encourages initiatives that attract resident investment in neighborhoods, promote sustainability, increase economic development opportunities and nurture entrepreneurial talent to increase the livability of neighborhoods, the number of residents, the number of jobs and the size of the tax base. As successful households are key to neighborhood health, the Foundation supports efforts to remove barriers preventing residents from stabilizing household finances and invests in community-led projects to improve energy efficiency, increase fresh food access, enhance neighborhood amenities and reclaim neighborhood green space. In addition, the Foundation maintains an interest in programs that tie the economic health of Baltimore City to the region and state through housing mobility, regional planning and environmental stewardship.

Criminal Justice and Addiction

High levels of substance abuse and related crime in Baltimore City are causing high rates of incarceration and a significant deterioration in the quality of life in communities throughout the city. In recognition that drug addiction is a complex disorder that touches every aspect of an individual’s life, the Foundation seeks to increase access to substance abuse treatment and supportive services such as housing and job training for uninsured and drug-addicted individuals living in Baltimore. The Foundation works to increase the impact and effectiveness of treatment services through cutting-edge research and support of innovative service models designed to reach underserved populations.

In addition, the Foundation supports programs and initiatives that increase public safety and reduce rates of repeat criminal behavior (recidivism). Emphasis is placed on initiatives that address the barriers facing the returning ex-offender, particularly including efforts to provide transitional housing and the necessary wraparound services to support a successful return to the community. Finally, the Foundation supports efforts to reform the criminal justice system, reduce violence, and achieve juvenile justice. 

Environment

Protection and preservation of Maryland’s abundant natural resources is critical to promoting a healthy and sustainable environment, society and economy in the state. Partnering with the public and private sectors, the Abell Foundation supports programs aimed at promoting air and water quality, preserving undeveloped land, and protecting the Chesapeake Bay, in Baltimore and across the state. The Foundation supports efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, with a particular focus on the development of renewable energy. In all of its work in support of a cleaner and healthier environment in Maryland, the Foundation seeks to ensure environmental health and justice in underserved communities. 

Arts

In recognition of the overall economic health of a city, the Foundation seeks funding opportunities to strengthen existing cultural arts organizations and emerging arts groups, with a focus on those working to provide programming for underserved communities in Baltimore. The Foundation looks for initiatives that help attract artists to live and work in Baltimore, use the cultural arts to improve student academic achievement, and stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods.

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Kahlert Foundation

The Kahlert Foundation's mission is to provide grants to non-profit organizations to improve the quality of life and well-being of the community in the areas of health care, education, youth programs, veteran organizations, and human services. Our focus are the states of Maryland and Utah.

Areas of Focus

The Kahlert Foundation has five main areas of focus: health care, education, youth programs, veteran organizations, and human services, mainly providing funding in the states of Maryland. Funding is intended to improve organizations’ capacity to make a positive impact on the local communities and their citizens. Grants impacting multiple funding areas are especially appealing. Some examples are Outward Bound which impacts youth & education and Primary Children’s Hospital which impacts health care and youth.

Health Care

It is our goal to provide better health care for as many individuals as possible. This includes hospitals, hospice & palliative care, and organizations providing free physician exams & medicine for uninsured and under-insured people. The foundation also supports health care research including cancer, urology, diabetes, and alzheimers disease. Health care represents the largest portion of our funding, accounting for about 50% of grants.

Youth Programs

The youth are the future of our country and it is our desire to support programs that develop their skills and values. We support a wide variety of youth programs which include education, after school programs, mentorship, and health care.

Education

The foundation supports K-12 public education with an emphasis on higher education. Our children are the next generation of leaders and will have a significant impact on the future of our country. Children and adults obtaining degrees greatly benefit our local communities and economy. Grants are typically for scholarships and student assistance with a current focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs.

Veterans

The Kahlert Foundation proudly supports organizations that help United States of America veterans and their families. So many of our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country and our freedom. Areas of focus include medical care, research on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), housing, scholarships, and financial assistance.

Human Services

The health of a community can only be as strong as the well-being of it’s citizens. We especially like to support programs that focus on helping individuals improve their own lives. Areas of grants include food banks, housing, elderly, literacy, and health & wellness.​

Who We Are

The France-Merrick Foundation concentrates its grant making within the state of Maryland with a primary focus on the Greater Baltimore area.

The Foundation favors one-time, project-oriented requests which have defined beginnings and endings, as opposed to annual giving or ongoing operational support. Funding is targeted to organizations that already demonstrate the ability to sustain their work and are looking to the Foundation to provide one-time funding to enhance the organization’s ability to fulfill its mission over time. The Foundation’s funding is aimed at increasing capacity of organizations to have a positive impact on lives and communities.

Many of the Foundation's grants support new construction or renovations of existing buildings. In capital grant making, special attention is given to sustainable building practices and energy conservation measures incorporated into the project. High priority is placed on demonstration of financial sustainability and good business practices, including audited statements.

Focus Areas

Civic and culture

Since its inception, the Foundation has had a consistent commitment to supporting the region’s civic and cultural vitality believing that is a key component for a healthy, livable community. Within the civic arena, priority is placed on projects that reinforce civic pride amongst residents, improve livability for residents, promote Baltimore as a strong and vibrant city, and help attract tourism to Baltimore.

Within the cultural realm, grants provide cultural experiences that enrich residents’ lives, bring people together, revitalize public spaces, help communities thrive, and make the metropolitan area a desirable place to live. Many of the cultural grants seek to achieve the dual purposes of showcasing creativity and contributing to strengthening community development and engagement. The Foundation is interested in growing the economic impact of arts and culture through promoting greater collaboration amongst cultural organizations, assisting in facility and infrastructure improvements, supporting creative industry growth, and expanding audiences. The Foundation also wants to drive new residential and tourism activity to Baltimore through efforts that enhance the region’s external reputation as a creative hub. At the same, The Foundation recognizes the need to invest in existing cultural assets to enhance the character of neighborhoods and to build a sense of community connection, assisting in resident retention and community engagement.

Community and economic development

The Foundation has a history of supporting neighborhoods and communities with a legacy focus on East Baltimore. The foundation prioritizes workforce development, economic development and neighborhood stabilization

The Foundation is interested in supporting workforce development efforts that expand training and skill development for low-income, underemployed and unemployed workers. Programs that support youth in job readiness and skills are of particular interest. Programs with strong ties to growing industries offering employment opportunities with career ladders and family sustaining-wages are preferred.

Economic development grantmaking is directed towards projects that create new job opportunities. The Foundation wants to support efforts that attract, strengthen and retain businesses and residents in neighborhoods within the Greater Baltimore community.

Neighborhood stabilization funding is focused on strengthening and sustaining safe, economically diverse, inclusive and connected communities, through urban planning, transportation and infrastructure improvements. The Foundations hopes to contribute to building community by creating or enhancing programs and spaces that support individuals, families and act as stabilizing forces in local neighborhoods.

Environment

The Foundation has been dedicated for decades to supporting organizations that are involved in preserving and protecting the waters and natural areas in the State of Maryland. The continued increase of carbon and other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is leading to global changes in our climate. Recognizing the global scale of climate change, the Foundation is acting locally by preserving and restoring habitats and ecosystems that promote the health, biodiversity, and resilience of the Chesapeake Bay, prioritizing areas threatened by the effects of climate change. A newer interest is to support solutions that enable Baltimore City and the region to reduce our climate impact and increase the community's resilience to the negative effects of our changing climate. As we focus as a Foundation on ways to make the greater Baltimore area stronger and more vibrant, we know that environmentally sound and forward thinking solutions are needed to ensure a healthy future for our community. The Foundation is interested in investing in new ways to reduce our community's carbon footprint, while planning for adaptation, to ensure our related interests in housing, community revitalization, and health, among other community investments, will continue to have the desired impact.

Education

The Foundation’s education funding is its largest area of focus, representing over 40% of annual grants. The Foundation supports K-12 public education, independent private school education and higher education, including these priority areas of interest:

Public: The Foundation supports projects directed toward improving educational quality and equity in Baltimore City with the understanding that education is a prerequisite to a strong civil society and an employed workforce—two keys to a better Baltimore. Specifically, as it relates to K-12 outcomes in public education, the Foundation is focused on three specific areas: (1) improved literacy as the foundation of all other learning, (2) effective socio-emotional learning and trauma interventions in schools and (3) enhanced career readiness education resulting in graduates who possess the academic, technical and job readiness skills necessary to succeed and advance in the workforce.

Private: The Foundation funds independent private schools for both capital projects and scholarships. The scholarship support is intended to help increase diversity and inclusion as well as provide positive educational experiences to qualified students, regardless of income.

Post-Secondary Student Success: The Foundation aims to increase the number of students who access and complete two- and four-year colleges and universities – especially low-income and working class, first generation, and underrepresented students in the Greater Baltimore area. One way to accomplish this is reducing cost as a barrier to college entry and completion. The Foundation’s funding has already provided over $9 million to 19 universities supporting students throughout Maryland, benefitting approximately 160 students a year. We are also interested in other non-scholarship, innovative ways to help students attend and thrive in post-secondary education programs. Since college completion is the goal, the Foundation is interested in boosting the number of students who graduate and find jobs as well as creating successful pathways that connect K-12, post-secondary education, and employment.

Anchor Institutions: The Foundation has always been interested in the role that colleges and universities play in their surrounding communities. More explicitly than in the past, the Foundation aims to leverage the intellectual and economic capital of higher education anchor institutions to positively impact their surrounding communities by assisting with strong community engagement, neighborhood revitalization, local hiring, career pathways and other economic development partnerships.  

Health and human services

The Foundation’s grants in this area often assist people that face multiple disadvantages, and funding has evolved to support programs that focus on helping individuals improve their own lives. Funding in this area has grown over time, and has been especially informed by the Foundation’s work in East Baltimore.  

The Foundation is specifically interested in improving health and wellness, with a focus on prevention and population health. Furthermore, the Foundation is focused on increasing access to care for disadvantaged populations and strengthening health care provision in community based settings. Due to the Foundation’s concurrent interest in community development, the Foundation also supports anchor health institutions in improving neighborhoods around their hospital with dual health and community development benefits.

Due to its dual interests in health and human services, the Foundation funds programs that ensure people will have access to sufficient and nutritious food. The Foundation funds community food banks, and the organizations they partner with, to effectively process and distribute goods to those in need. The Foundation also prioritizes increasing access to fresh produce and proteins in the community and nutrition education to contribute to healthier eating.

The Foundation has seen the importance of housing as it relates to many issues of poverty and therefore funds effective strategies that move families out of homelessness through placement into long-term housing with the necessary supportive services, such as rapid re-housing, permanent supportive housing and creation of new affordable housing.

The Foundation also provides capital and other one-time capacity building grants focused on improving or expanding programs and services for individuals with physical, emotional, mental, or cognitive disabilities, ensuring that those with disabilities can receive needed services in the community.

Historic preservation

The Foundation’s focus on historic preservation is firmly grounded in Robert G. Merrick’s original interest in the built environment and his belief in the value and importance of preserving the best from the past. The Foundation funds projects aimed primarily at restoring and maintaining sites and properties of historical and architectural significance in the Baltimore region and in Maryland. It is the Foundation’s intent that these historical assets spur economic development, and teach people about the history of their communities. The Foundation also hopes that future generations experience and discover their own connections to these historical places through innovative and engaging preservation and education efforts. The Foundation will invest in projects that strengthen the capacity of the regional preservation movement. When possible, the Foundation will give priority to projects that positively impact community development and contribute to environmental sustainability, thereby connecting to some of the foundation’s other giving areas.

Background

The William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund was established in 1964 by Mary S. Baker in memory of her husband. Awarding grants that range from $1,500 to $45,000 the Baker Fund continues its founders’ civic-minded philanthropic tradition benefiting the residents of the greater Baltimore area. The Baltimore Community Foundation has managed the Baker Fund’s grants program since 1985.

Guidelines

The William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund believes that arts and culture play a central role in the development and growth of healthy individuals and thriving communities and commits its resources to promote and sustain a vibrant arts and culture sector in metropolitan Baltimore. Its grants support organizational effectiveness, promote local artists and their work, and provide cultural experiences that welcome people of all backgrounds, enhance residents’ lives, and strengthen the region’s sense of cohesion and identity.

Objectives

• Enrich metropolitan Baltimore life
• Support a lively cultural environment
• Deepen civic connections and engagement through arts and culture
• Ensure that programs are inclusive and outreach efforts broad
• Sustain a healthy cultural ecosystem
• Provide funding opportunities to strengthen the programs and practices of organizations that offer significant cultural experiences, foster sector cooperation and alliances and sponsor an artist awards initiative that supports and promotes local artists through a nonprofit intermediary

Funding Priorities

Strengthening Organizational and Artistic Practices

• Capacity programs to improve internal organizational and management practices—including board training, strategic planning, fundraising and marketing expertise, budgeting and financial planning, program planning, professional development, technology upgrades and training and operating support for key partners.
• With submission of a full proposal, qualified applicants may apply for a working capital reserve or fixed asset replacement reserve grant requiring a 1:1 match. See Reserve Fund Grant Program Application.
• Occasional capacity requests from arts magnet schools
• Professional development programs for the benefit of metropolitan Baltimore artists

Innovative Programs

• Inclusive, innovative programming initiatives and projects to engage new audiences
• Small program grants (up to $1,500) for innovative programming for nonprofit organizations with budgets under $75,000 or their fiscal agents requiring description of the organization and proposed project, project budget, most recent year-end organizational budget, list of key personnel and board members and their roles, current Maryland Cultural Data report in Baker format and the organization’s or its fiscal agent’s IRS Determination Letter. Application Form not required. Requests accepted year-round.

Cultural Sector Collaboration

• Strategic alliances that support collaboration and cooperation across the cultural community and strengthen organizational abilities to work at the highest levels.

Program Areas

Since our founding, we have awarded more than $60 million in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Today, we award approximately $2.5 million in grants each year across five program areas:

Arts & Humanities

Our founders valued arts and humanities for the well-rounded education it brings to humanity and the role it can play in strengthening a community.

Today the Foundation supports performing, visual and instructional arts programs in the community.

Catholic Activities

The Catholic faith and the Catholic Church community were of central importance to our founders – it was their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Knott responded to the needs of the clergy both out of gratitude for the compassion their own family had received, and a desire to support the work of men and women of integrity whom they saw serving the needs of the broader community. They supported the development of clergy and lay leaders to strengthen the Catholic Church, the reputation of the Catholic Church, and the Catholic community.

Our founders’ devotion to the Catholic faith and support of the Catholic Church has its roots in family history. Mr. Knott’s grandmother died young, and his own mother and aunt were raised and schooled by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. That act of kindness made a huge impression on Mr. Knott and he felt indebted to repay their generosity. Mr. Knott desired to support the Catholic Church in part because of what the Church had done for his family, and also because of the role that faith played in his life.

The Foundation honors this legacy by supporting organizations and programs that espouse the values and doctrines of the Catholic Church. Through our focus on Catholic activities, we support churches, faith communities, religious orders, retreat houses and spiritual centers.  

Education

• Catholic Schools and Private Schools
• Private colleges and universities

Henry and Marion Knott, our founders, believed that education was the key to success. They sought to support both students who were excelling academically and students who had limited access to opportunity. They believed that hard work combined with access to a quality education was the foundation from which all people could succeed in life.

Mr. and Mrs. Knott prioritized Catholic education both because of their personal faith and because they valued both the character development it nurtured in students and the moral stability it provided to the community. And though they primarily supported Catholic education, their interests were not exclusive. They sought to support the greater Baltimore community by providing opportunity to motivated students in and outside the Catholic faith.

When investing in education, Mr. Knott had high standards for schools and students alike. He supported schools that were producing leaders, and that were well-run institutions. He expected that schools would be financially sound, have excellent academics, and show successful outcomes for students. His expectation was that students, after benefitting from educational opportunity, would emerge as active citizens, ready to give back and become leaders in their communities.

Today, the Marion I. and Henry J. Knott Foundation continues our founders’ commitment to education by prioritizing Catholic education. We also support special needs schools, private colleges and universities, out-of-school-time programs, and other education-related activities that provide opportunity for students and produce lasting outcomes within the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Health Care

Our founders raised a family during an era where good medical care was hard to come by. Hospitals were just beginning to be built as pillars within communities and were not as accessible as they are today. Mr. and Mrs. Knott saw the potential that accessible, quality care had for strengthening the community, and they were also empathetic towards the strife that illness and death causes in a family.

During his lifetime, Mr. Knott used his business acumen and builders experience to purchase and then donate land to Johns Hopkins for their west campus expansion, as well as to other institutions. He knew that having world class medical facilities would bring recognition and strength to the Baltimore community.

Today the Foundation continues our founders’ commitment in health care by supporting compassionate care needs of families and their caregivers. We concentrate on programs that provide curative, preventative, rehabilitative, and palliative care, as well as patient support services.

Human Services

Mr. and Mrs. Knott both came from humble beginnings and did not grow up wealthy. As a result, they had sincere compassion for others in need. Mrs. Knott, whose parents died when she was a young teen, had incredible compassion for people undergoing hardships in life. Mr. Knott started out driving a tomato truck, then spent time learning about construction, and eventually launched his own building business. He was given opportunities that changed the trajectory of his own life, and he wanted to do the same for others. They both believed in supporting people who wanted to help themselves and get ahead, and they hoped it would engender in them a spirit of giving and opportunity to pass on to others. 

While they prioritized creating opportunity for people, our founders weren’t above meeting basic needs. While living on their family farm and after having achieved success, they worked the land and donated the fruits of their labor to those in need. At another time, Mr. Knott’s children recalled their father being particularly happy. Reportedly he had just gone to a coat manufacturer to buy out the remaining inventory at the end of season, and was on his way to donate the hundred or so coats to Catholic Charities to give to the homeless.

Compelled by their own life experiences and their faith, our founders had sincere compassion for the poor, the hungry, the sick, and in particular for women, children and families in crisis.

The Foundation continues this support by meeting many human service needs within the community. Our grants touch numerous areas -- from helping to meet people’s basic needs, to housing and homelessness, to workforce development, to family and children’s services.

Projects

Within these Program Areas, we currently fund the following projects:

• Capital expenses
• Development
• New and/or ongoing programs
• Operating expenses
• Technology

Funding

Our work in these areas includes distinct funding opportunities: 

Grants

We generally award grants under $100,000 but remain open to opportunities for greater impact with larger sums. 

Discretionary Grants

We provide a limited number of discretionary grants on a rolling basis throughout the year. These grants, most often ranging in amounts from $500 to $2,500, are designed to diversify our grantmaking options as well as enhance our responsiveness to community needs.  

Lockhart Vaughan Foundation

The Lockhart Vaughan Foundation, Inc. was established in 1990. It directs its grants to Sec. 501 (C)(3) organizations in Baltimore, Maryland. Our areas of focus are education, environment, and community development. We have set ambitious goals and selected strategies to help achieve those goals.

What We Fund

Through strategic grant making, the Lockhart Vaughan Foundation seeks to do its part in achieving three ambitious goals for Baltimore, Maryland.

• Education:
  • Goal: Baltimore children will have access to a quality public education in pre-K through 12th grade.
    • The Foundation has selected certain strategies to help achieve that goal:
      • Strategies:
        • Support childhood literacy in the very earliest years.
        • Support efforts that promote school readiness for children 0-3.
        • Strengthen reading readiness instruction in pre-K and Kindergarten programs.
        • Support programs that challenge motivated students in public schools.
        • Promote school choice for students and parents.
        • Support the recruitment, training, and mentoring of able instructional leaders for public schools.
        • Support cost-effective, school-based after-school programs.
          • For after-school and summer learning programs, the trustees favor programs that have intense and sustained contact with the same group of students with a consistent message of high expectations.
        • Support summer learning opportunities.
          • The trustees favor programs that offer robust, high dosage learning experiences that are academically rigorous and intended to help prevent “summer slide”. 
• Environment:
  • Goal: Baltimore residents will enjoy a greener environment and a cleaner Chesapeake Bay with healthy watersheds.
    • The Foundation has selected certain strategies to help achieve that goal.
      • Strategies:
        • Support greening efforts in Baltimore that are visible to the wider community.
        • Support efforts in Baltimore to improve the Chesapeake Bay and its watersheds.
        • The Foundation also allocates approximately 15% of the grants budget for preselected organizations that are addressing climate change. 
• Community Development:
  • Goal: Baltimore will be a city with vibrant neighborhoods.
    • The Foundation has selected certain strategies to help achieve that goal.
      • Strategies:
        • Support community organizations that have a record of attracting financial investments for their neighborhood revitalization efforts.
        • Support organizations that provide technical assistance and enhance the capabilities of groups that are working for community development in Baltimore.

Lockhart Vaughan Foundation

The Lockhart Vaughan Foundation, Inc. was established in 1990. It directs its grants to Sec. 501 (C)(3) organizations in Baltimore, Maryland. Our areas of focus are education, environment, and community development. We have set ambitious goals and selected strategies to help achieve those goals.

What We Fund

Through strategic grant making, the Lockhart Vaughan Foundation seeks to do its part in achieving three ambitious goals for Baltimore, Maryland.

• Education:
  • Goal: Baltimore children will have access to a quality public education in pre-K through 12th grade.
    • The Foundation has selected certain strategies to help achieve that goal:
      • Strategies:
        • Support childhood literacy in the very earliest years.
        • Support efforts that promote school readiness for children 0-3.
        • Strengthen reading readiness instruction in pre-K and Kindergarten programs.
        • Support programs that challenge motivated students in public schools.
        • Promote school choice for students and parents.
        • Support the recruitment, training, and mentoring of able instructional leaders for public schools.
        • Support cost-effective, school-based after-school programs.
          • For after-school and summer learning programs, the trustees favor programs that have intense and sustained contact with the same group of students with a consistent message of high expectations.
        • Support summer learning opportunities.
          • The trustees favor programs that offer robust, high dosage learning experiences that are academically rigorous and intended to help prevent “summer slide”. 
• Environment:
  • Goal: Baltimore residents will enjoy a greener environment and a cleaner Chesapeake Bay with healthy watersheds.
    • The Foundation has selected certain strategies to help achieve that goal.
      • Strategies:
        • Support greening efforts in Baltimore that are visible to the wider community.
        • Support efforts in Baltimore to improve the Chesapeake Bay and its watersheds.
        • The Foundation also allocates approximately 15% of the grants budget for preselected organizations that are addressing climate change. 
• Community Development:
  • Goal: Baltimore will be a city with vibrant neighborhoods.
    • The Foundation has selected certain strategies to help achieve that goal.
      • Strategies:
        • Support community organizations that have a record of attracting financial investments for their neighborhood revitalization efforts.
        • Support organizations that provide technical assistance and enhance the capabilities of groups that are working for community development in Baltimore.

About the Fund for Change

Mission

The Fund for Change assists groups working to build a society that is democratic, egalitarian and participatory. The Fund supports groups that organize underserved individuals and communities and influence policy makers by advocating for social change. Most of our funding is in Baltimore, although Maryland and national groups are considered. 

Philosophy

We believe that a healthy city is made up of families and individuals who have the personal and financial stability to reach their their goals and to raise their children. To that end, the Fund supports efforts to increase opportunities for those with the least wealth.

What We Fund

The Fund for Change supports systems change, community organizing, and advocacy efforts in the following areas:

• Housing and Community Development
• Behavioral Health and Healing
• Criminal Justice Reform
• Environmental Justice

Grant Size

The average grant size is $10,000-25,000 although there are exceptions on both ends.

RFP- Northeastern Region Programmatic Field Liaisons and Community Liaisons Grant

Overview

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) seeks several qualified contractors to provide technical assistance under two distinct roles: 

• Programmatic “field liaisons” to broadly support applicants and grantees for the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF) and Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program (CAHSP), within NFWF’s Northeastern region. This support will help to advance CBSF and CAHSP goals to improve grantee and applicant experience and increase the quality and scale of qualified proposals to the program. The contractor will provide support for one year (with the option to renew for up to one additional year) and report to the Program Director for Chesapeake Bay and Central Appalachia, or to one of their direct reports. 
• For CBSF, “community liaisons” embedded within specific geographic areas of interest to provide education, coordination, and networking among a variety of community-based organizations and other community stakeholders, NFWF, and its existing grantee and partner networks. This support will help ensure community-level interests and priorities are integrated into NFWF grant programs and portfolios, inform and advance capacity building models in support of locally led environmental and conservation programming, and improve the quality and impact of associated proposals and projects through NFWF’s CBSF programs and portfolios. Specific geographic areas of interest include, but are not limited to, communities within greater metropolitan areas of Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia.

Scope of Work

The purpose of the contemplated contract is to:

• Assist prospective applicants and current NFWF grantees and community partners in establishing, strengthening, and sustaining regional-scale partnerships and collaborative efforts to advance NFWF’s Chesapeake Bay Business Plan.
• Conduct outreach and offer assistance to potential grantees and community partners in targeted geographies to understand NFWF funding priorities, develop restoration project concepts, identify potential partnerships, and identify funding opportunities.
• Support successful project implementation through regular coordination and field-based site visits to troubleshoot potential challenges with project implementation; conduct pre-project monitoring assessments; obtain lessons learned or NFWF program feedback; collect photo documentation; provide guidance regarding projects’ long-term maintenance and stewardship plans; and to scope potential next phases of projects with grantees.
• Support NFWF staff in implementing grantee oversight activities to assist grantees who need additional guidance with reporting requirements or potential compliance issues and developing proposals to public and private funding partners for new projects and initiatives, consistent with NFWF’s Chesapeake Bay and Central Appalachia program goals.
• Ongoing engagement and participation in meetings and dialogues with EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program partnership, the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership, and other coordinating bodies advancing Bay restoration and conservation.
• Participate in team meetings with NFWF team and other field and community liaisons, generally on a bi-weekly schedule.
• Provide accurate and detailed information about site visits, grantee contacts, outreach, etc. for NFWF funder reports.
• Facilitate peer-to-peer learning among grantees and community partners through field tours, site visits, workshops, and other venues.
• Facilitate collaborative initiatives around NFWF priorities in the designated regions. 

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

How and Why Giving Back to Communities is Important to O’Reilly

From O’Reilly Auto Parts’ inception, O’Reilly co-founder C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly instilled the culture of maintaining high standards for every endeavor, including the area of building civic pride. With Chub’s good example to guide them, all four of his children adopted a business and family philosophy of “giving back” to the community as the Company grew and prospered. Supporting a large number of charitable organizations in all communities in which we operate has long been a focal point for O’Reilly Auto Parts. In order to make an even greater impact, the O’Reilly Automotive Foundation was established in 2020.

O’Reilly Automotive Foundation, Inc.

Impact

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation complements O’Reilly Auto Parts’ role as the Friendliest Parts Store in Town. The Foundation serves as an additional conduit to connect with, support, and strengthen the communities in which O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work. The Foundation continues the philanthropic legacy of the O’Reilly family as dependable community partners, seeking to support critical services in times of need to build stronger communities.

Mission

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation strives to have a lasting, positive impact in the communities where O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work by supporting organizations and programs which address issues critical to improving the quality of life for underserved and underrepresented individuals and families. In particular, the Foundation will concentrate its giving in support of organizations and programs addressing economic stability and mobility, workforce development, health and social services, and disaster relief.

Economic Stability and Mobility

Advocating for and endowing programs which provide assistance with issues including hunger, homelessness, and poverty for the economic betterment of the communities in which we operate.

Workforce Development

Promoting programs which aid in workforce readiness, technical training, and literacy, including children’s literacy, to ensure the continuance of an educated society and a capable, innovative workforce.

Health and Social Services

Championing and prioritizing matters of health, including mental and behavioral health, access to basic needs such as medical and dental care for underprivileged communities, and providing funding for organizations focused on childhood development and children’s advocacy as well as care and support for victims of domestic violence.

Disaster Relief

Providing funding and visibility to organizations specializing in providing relief from natural disasters and state of emergency, including providing temporary shelter, food, water, and hygiene or sanitation products to those affected and aiding in cleanup efforts.

Application Requirements

We will consider three principal types of grants:

Project Support Grants support specific projects or programs aligned with our mission. These requests may include some funds earmarked for the overhead costs associated with running a project.

General Operating Support Grants provide limited general operating support for the core operations or organizations whose missions and activities are aligned with our mission. These grants will often help the grantee build organizational, programmatic, and fundraising capacity. Operating support is not intended to help organizations in fiscal crisis. Applicants must have a current strategic or business plan that clearly outlines the organization’s goals and presents a plan for achieving results. Operating support grants must not exceed 15% of an organization’s total agency budget.

Capital Support Grants provide limited support for capital campaigns to fund the acquisition and construction of facilities, existing property renovation, or the purchase of major equipment. The program has a comprehensive approach to funding capital initiatives, which also includes funding for increased program capacity. A feasibility study may be required for capital initiatives to be considered.

Community Investment Tax Credits support 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations by awarding allocations of State tax credits for use as incentives to attract contributions from individuals and businesses to benefit local projects and services.

Community Investment Tax Credits complement other State funding programs which offer resources to assist communities with revitalization efforts. As part of an annual, competitive application process, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations apply to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development for tax credit allocations. The Community Investment Tax Credit program has leveraged nearly $27 million in charitable contributions to approximately 700 projects across the State.

Businesses and individuals that donate $500 or more to a qualified organization’s approved project(s) can earn tax credits equal to 50% of the value of the money, goods or real property contribution. These tax credits are in addition to the deductions on both Federal and State taxes as a result of the charitable contribution.  Visit GIVE Maryland for information on specific projects and donate now to nonprofits that have available tax c​redits.

Individuals and businesses must use the tax credits against taxes owed for the year in which the contribution was made and may not be used retroactively for taxes from a prior year. An​y individual or business contemplating making a donation is encouraged to consult with their accountant or tax professional for information about their specific tax benefits.

Projects typically involve activities such as:

• Education and Youth Services
• Housing and Community Development
• Job and Self-Sufficiency Training
• Enhancing Neighborhoods and Business Districts
• Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation
• Economic Development and Tourism Promotion
• Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
• Services for At-Risk Populations

Additional consideration will be given to initiatives that address the overarching priorities of the Moore-Miller Administration, including ensuring that all those who want to live in Maryland can do so. In addition, priority consideration will be given to those projects and places that reflect the core objectives of MD DHCD (listed below), including to create great, lovable places and to right the wrongs of the past. Great places – lovable places– result from consistent targeted investment in locally-driven and inclusive community reinvestment plans.

• Investments in designated Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments and Households (ENOUGH) areas, addressing the community conditions surrounding children in poverty, enriching community assets and services for youth.
• Investments in designated Just Communities, transforming neighborhoods into thriving communities where all Marylanders, regardless of background, have access to fair housing, and economic stability and opportunity, righting the wrongs of the past.
• Increased housing production, including mixed-income, middle market and affordable housing.
• Increased household and generational wealth building, such as through homeownership, legacy homeowner renovations, and small business development.
• Accelerated elimination of vacant properties, particularly in Baltimore City.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Renaissance Society of America

Mission

The Renaissance Society of America is the largest international organization devoted to the critical study of the world from 1300–1700 and its importance today. The RSA fosters initiatives that feature innovative, multidisciplinary research and pedagogical approaches together with well-established methodologies. It sponsors digital and print publications to disseminate knowledge, organizes in-person and virtual events to bring together diverse communities of inquiry and practice, and promotes the works of its members in the field of Renaissance studies.

Vision

The Renaissance Society of America envisions being home to a growing global membership working across disciplines and geographies to illuminate the relationships of past and present. We aspire to better develop and disseminate multidisciplinary and intersectional research and public-facing engagement within and beyond the U.S. Through discussion, research, publication, and teaching on Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania in the period 1300-1700, a successful RSA will re-envision what the term Renaissance means for our world today.

RSA–Virginia Fox Stern Center Fellowship

The RSA–Virginia Fox Stern Center Fellowship supports a one-month period of intensive research utilizing the rare book and manuscript collections of the Sheridan Libraries at Johns Hopkins University. This year’s fellowship is open to all early book and manuscript collections (pre-1800); applications are especially welcome from scholars interested to work in one of two signature collections at JHU: the Women of the Book Collection (WOTB) and the Bibliotheca Fictiva Collection. The WOTB collection constitutes the most extensive gathering of primary research materials dedicated entirely to the spiritual lives of early modern women: nuns, beate, women mystics, healers, female saints and confraternities, etc., of the Roman Catholic world, ca. 1450-1800. The Bibliotheca Fictiva constitutes the largest gathering of rare books, manuscripts, and ephemera dedicated entirely to historical and literary forgery, with particular strength in the invention, perpetuation, and demolition of fakes and forgeries of the premodern and early modern worlds.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• The scholarly quality of the proposal (scope, theoretical framework, and grounding in the relevant scholarly literature) and the project’s potential to make a significant and original contribution to knowledge about the Renaissance.
• The scholarly record and achievements of the applicant.
• The demonstrated need for access to research materials and the feasibility of accomplishing this research in the given time frame.

The Fellowships Committee reserves the right to award fewer or more fellowships in any one category, depending on the nature and size of the pool of applications, and on the financial position of the Society.

ESA's postdoctoral Research Fellowship programme offers early-career scientists and engineers the possibility to carry out research in a variety of disciplines related to space science, space applications or space technology. Research Fellowships in Space Science specifically offer the opportunity to contribute to ESA's endeavour to explore our Solar System and the Universe in the fields of heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics and fundament

What Are Space Science Fellowships?

ESA's postdoctoral Research Fellowship programme offers early-career scientists and engineers the possibility to carry out independent research in a variety of disciplines related to space science, space applications or space technology. ESA Fellowships provide a unique opportunity to work with scientists and engineers at the forefront of space science, and experience first-hand how ESA works with communities across the Member States to maximise the scientific return from our missions.

Research Fellowships in Space Science specifically offer the opportunity to contribute to ESA's endeavour to explore our Solar System and the Universe in the fields of heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics and fundamental physics.

Duration

Appointments are for a maximum of three years. The initial project is for two years. An extension for a third year requires a dedicated proposal and is very frequently granted.

Location

Research Fellowships in Space Science (SCI) can be taken at any of three locations:

• European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Villafranca del Castillo near Madrid, Spain
• European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands
• The ESA office at Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

The European Space Agency maintains a world-leading Science Programme with missions in heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics and fundamental physics. The Department for Science and Operations (SCI-S), within ESA's Directorate for Science, hosts the scientists and engineers that oversee the space missions from study to end of operations; it develops the science operation systems for the missions and conducts their science operations in flight; it archives and curates their data during operations and beyond. The main objective of the department is to maximise the scientific return of the missions for the benefit of humankind. The Science and Operations Department also supports research activities, which are coordinated by the ESA Science Faculty. Research Fellows are encouraged to take leading roles in Faculty research programmes and initiatives, in close collaboration with scientific staff. The Research Fellowship programme nurtures and strengthens the links between ESA and the scientific communities in the Member States.

Research Fellows in Space Science spend their time on their independent scientific research and can choose to spend up to 20% of the time on scientific activities in support of ESA science-related activities (e.g., archive/data science, citizen science, operations, calibration, communication). Research Fellows have no teaching obligations, but do have various opportunities to supervise undergraduate or masters-level student trainees.

Further clarifications, tips and hints are given in the Science Fellowship FAQ.

About the Maryland State Department of Education

Maryland has over 1,400 public schools, 24 local education agencies, and over 7,000 child care providers serving all of the state’s 23 counties plus Baltimore City. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) works collaboratively with the State Board of Education and stakeholders to ensure the promise of an excellent and equitable education for all students, especially those who have been historically underserved. At MSDE, we are a dedicated team of educators, specialists, and administrators joined together by a single vision: to be a system of world-class schools where students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for success in college, career, and life.

Lacrosse Opportunities Grant

Program Description

The State of Maryland is committed to helping Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and nonprofits maximize opportunities for minority students to participate in lacrosse in their communities. The Lacrosse Opportunities Program Grant funds programs to develop and provide comprehensive education and training in the sport of Lacrosse.

Purpose

Provide lacrosse opportunities for children under the age of 18, with a specific focus on increasing participation among minority students.

The Lacrosse Opportunities Grant Program supports LEAs and eligible nonprofits (recognized by USA Lacrosse as members of the Urban Lacrosse Alliance) serving jurisdictions where at least 80% of students are minority students. Funds may support salaries, supplies/equipment, and costs for on- or off-season clinics.