Search Through Grants for Special Education in Maryland in the U.S.

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.  

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.

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.

Background

The Dresher Foundation is a family foundation, founded in 1989 by Jim and Virginia Dresher. The foundation has a strong history of philanthropic efforts and partnerships in Harford County, Maryland. Committed to inspiring hope in community life, the Dresher Foundation supports nonprofit organizations whose programming addresses health, education, human service needs, and civic and cultural opportunities.

Funding Priorities

Human Services

The Dresher Foundation supports programs that provide basic services that enable individuals and families to improve their quality of life, including food, housing and employment opportunities.

Health

The Dresher Foundation supports organizations that improve health and well-being including programs that address behavioral health, healthy lifestyles, dental care and special needs populations.

Education

The Dresher Foundation supports programs that provide enrichment and increased opportunity to children and youth, including summer camps and community youth programs. Funding for public and private schools is restricted to institutions that have a current relationship with the Foundation.

Civic & Culture

The Dresher Foundation supports civic and cultural organizations that contribute to a vibrant community with projects such as beautifying public spaces, cultural activities, and enjoyment of the arts.

Please refer to FAQ for additional guidelines.

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.

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.  

WHO WE ARE: AN OVERVIEW

The mission of the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington is to create strong and vibrant communities by connecting caring citizens with worthy community causes. For donors‚ this means we take the guesswork out of giving by identifying the best community-based charities in Washington D.C. and nearby Maryland and Virginia counties. For nonprofits‚ it means we raise visibility through the distribution of our annual print Catalogue‚ events‚ and campaigns‚ and we create resources and run educational workshops throughout the year to help elevate their capacity to do good.

PLEASE NOTE: The Catalogue is NOT a grant-making organization. To facilitate the giving process for donors‚ we accept donations as agents of our charities and pass these on to them‚ as directed by donors. (Donors also make direct contributions to our nonprofit partners. We ask donors to tell their recipients that they found them in the Catalogue.) We charge no fees for the work we do and are supported entirely by outside donations.

WHY APPLY

Being part of our network means you’ll be recognized as one of the best high-impact‚ community-based nonprofits in our region—something that means so much to supporters‚ both existing and new. While we do not guarantee a specific financial benefit‚ our track record shows that when nonprofits engage in a committed partnership with us‚ they receive both financial and other returns. (The Catalogue has helped raise over $40 million since 2003.)

Benefits of a Catalogue Partnership

What we'll do:

Collaborate with you on a powerful story about your work and your impact, to use in our Catalogue, and in your marketing, fundraising and other materials;

Promote your story through our direct mail efforts (70,000+ local households), media partnerships (e.g., City Paper), our Giving Tuesday campaign, a personalized webpage on our website, features in our blog, social media promotion, and more;

Give you access to our Nonprofit Portal, with access to an online resource library and marketing materials (e.g. Catalogue seal);

Invite you to professional development workshops, webinars, and collaboration events through our Learning Commons program. These trainings, which are free to our partners, include our Orientation workshop for new nonprofits, as well as workshops and collaborative sessions on development, communications, program evaluation, volunteer management, and board development;

Continue this partnership for four years.

There is no financial obligation of any kind associated with applying to or being featured in the Catalogue for Philanthropy. Leading institutions and generous individuals in the Washington region support the Catalogue as a service to the community.

What you'll do:

Work with Catalogue staff to approve written content and provide photos or other imagery for your Catalogue feature;

Meet the rest of the Catalogue network and learn how to make the most of your partnership by attending our Orientation workshop and our annual event, Community Changemakers;

Be available to participate in media opportunities and donor education events when appropriate;

Help us track our impact, by reporting Catalogue-inspired donations made to you throughout the years that you are featured in print and online;

Bring your Catalogue webpage to life by uploading information about your events, recent press hits, volunteer opportunities, and impact throughout the year;

Spread the word by using the Catalogue's co-branded materials, especially the "One of the Best" stamp, on your homepage, stationery, newsletters, and email signatures.

Philip L. Graham Fund Grant

Named for the late Publisher of The Washington Post and President of The Washington Post Company (now Graham Holdings Company), the Philip L. Graham Fund devotes its resources to the betterment of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Fund awards several million dollars in grants annually to groups providing educational, health, community enrichment, and arts programs and services to communities in and around Washington, D.C.

What We Support

Understanding the broad and changing needs of the communities in and around Washington, D.C., the Philip L. Graham Fund is dedicated to supporting organizations that provide a wide array of direct services to individuals and families. The Fund awards grants across four focus areas and a geographically vast area that includes 10 counties in Virginia and Maryland as well as the District of Columbia.

The Fund is always looking for innovative and efficient organizations to support. Over the past several decades, the Fund has invested tens of millions of dollars in the physical infrastructure, information technology, and transportation needs of local nonprofit organizations. The Fund’s five-member board prefers to fund requests for one-time projects or expenses, but does occasionally award grants for program and general operating expenses.

In 2017, the Philip L. Graham Fund awarded $4.1 million in grants to 138 organizations across Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Twenty grants went to first-time grantees. Together, grants in the Health & Human Services and Education focus areas represented 84% of the Fund’s giving last year.

Focus Areas

From its inception, the Fund’s mission has been to use its resources for the betterment of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. In the past, the Fund also worked to foster improvements in the fields of journalism and communications. Grantees include large, regional organizations as well as small, community-based groups; all share a commitment to our community.

Health & Human Services

The Health & Human Services segment of the Fund’s portfolio is the largest portion of the Fund’s giving and includes a wide array of services designed to ensure everyone in the greater metropolitan area has access to the tools necessary for healthy and productive living. Nonprofits providing shelter, food, medical care, and workforce development programs to members of our community are a high priority for the Fund as well as efforts to increase access to fresh foods, legal services, routine primary care and dental visits, and comprehensive behavioral health services for children and adults.

Education

The Philip L. Graham Fund is committed to supporting efforts to advance and expand educational offerings for children and adults in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Fund gives high priority to programs that improve public education and adult literacy.

Arts & Humanities

From its earliest days, the Philip L. Graham Fund has supported both large and small arts organizations in and around Washington, D.C. Many of the city’s largest and most innovative theater companies, museums, dance companies, and arts education programs can trace their earliest funding back to the Graham Fund. The Fund remains committed to supporting longstanding organizations devoted to bringing high-quality and unique programs to the community and to seeking out new organizations bringing fresh ideas and offerings to the metropolitan area. The Fund is specifically interested in arts programming that shows a clear intersection with one of the Fund’s other focus areas.

Community Endeavors

Recognizing the importance of Washington, D.C., to the nation and the world, the Fund considers requests from institutions that tell the stories of our country’s history, values, and accomplishments and strengthen the greater metropolitan community as a whole. This includes support for a broad spectrum of organizations, such as institutions of national significance located in the metropolitan area, improvement of local parks and playgrounds, and efforts to help our community through programs that strengthen families and neighborhoods.

As a family foundation in Pittsburgh, PA, our philanthropic traditions are well rooted in our continued support of organizations that foster transformative programs which best serve the local community as a whole in the areas of arts and culture, education, environmental, health and medical, human services, and religion.

Even though the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation encompasses many broad areas of concern, or categories, there is no one area deemed more important than the next. Nevertheless, the Foundation has found it beneficial underwriting grants that are tangible in nature or serve a higher number of individuals within the community and surrounding areas. The Foundation continually aids organizations that are endlessly striving to serve the community in various ways such as improving social conditions, expanding education, and working to better the environment.

Category Definitions

The Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation’s Board of Directors has designated several areas of concern comprised of specific intentions.

• Arts/Culture: Performing arts, humanities, media and communications, multipurpose museums, public broadcasting, and historical preservations.
• Education: Promotional programs for elementary, secondary and vocational systems, colleges/universities, graduate programs, adult and multipurpose libraries.
• Environmental: Support of natural resources, beautification programs, pollution control, environmental education, and horticultural/botanical programs.
• Health/Medical: Rural health care, crisis intervention, special programs in health centers, and prevention/treatment of specific diseases.
• Human Services: Youth development and recreation, disaster relief, employment training/ placement, multipurpose agencies, and abuse prevention.
• Religion: The theological education and ecumenical programs as well as the mission of many churches, synagogues, and religious charities.
• Miscellaneous: Because every grant cannot be included into a category, the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation permits grants for animal welfare, community development, sports, camps, fire and police departments and economic development as miscellaneous grants.  

About CFAAC

Our mission is to inspire and promote giving in Anne Arundel County by connecting people who care with causes that matter.

CFAAC is a tax exempt, 501(c)(3), publicly supported philanthropic organization with the long term goal of building permanent funds that provide support to local nonprofit organizations through grants and special projects.

Established in 1998, CFAAC is one of the largest funders of nonprofit organizations in Anne Arundel County. CFAAC distributes nearly $2.3 million in grants each year to a variety of nonprofit organizations. 

With support from local donors, we have created a permanent endowment whose earnings will be used to reinvest in the community year after year. As the endowment grows, so will our ability to provide support for community projects that need our attention. 

We are committed to increasing access to high quality capacity building training for nonprofit professionals to ensure more effective and efficient nonprofits in the county. 

History of the Fund for Anne Arundel

One of CFAAC’s primary goals is to increase the dollars that the foundation has available to strategically align grantmaking with the most critical needs in the county. The Fund for Anne Arundel is a fund created to help meet critical needs and improve the quality of life for all county residents, now and in the future.

As federal, state, and local funding support for nonprofits continues to decline for countless reasons, individual donors and community foundations are being called on, now more than ever, to fill the gaps so that nonprofits can continue to provide essential community services.

In 2017, CFAAC was awarded a $300,000 Challenge Grant from the Deerbrook Charitable Trust to begin building the Fund for Anne Arundel. In 2018, CFAAC Board Trustee, Jim Humphrey added another $150,000 to the challenge, which effectively turned this opportunity into a 3:1 match! To date, CFAAC has raised over $600,000 to support the Fund for Anne Arundel.

In the summer of 2019, a committee of community leaders and CFAAC Board of Trustee members and staff, convened to develop a strategic and comprehensive grantmaking approach to meet the needs of Anne Arundel County. Through a review of the most recent community needs assessment, the committee determined that the first focus area for grantmaking will support nonprofit organizations that address the needs of children in Anne Arundel County.

Fund for Anne Arundel

The Fund for Anne Arundel was created to help meet critical needs and improve the quality of life for all county residents, now and in the future. The Fund for Anne Arundel will make grants to programs that prioritize the health of children and families. This includes access to physical, mental, and behavioral health programs.

Examples include, but are not limited to, programs that:

• Ensure equitable access to comprehensive primary health care services for children that are family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally competent,
• Foster healthy social and emotional development and support positive parent-child relationships,
• Improve caregiver understanding of what it means to support optimal child health, as well as social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development,
• Promote an understanding of and treatment for improved mental health, focusing on loneliness, anxiety, depression and/or suicide prevention,
• Encourage regular preventative health, developmental, and behavioral screenings to learn about and celebrate developmental milestones, identify any delays and challenges early, and provide families with supports and services as needed so all children stay on track for success,
• Support families in accessing healthy food, nutrition education, and other resources.

Purpose

The Maryland Elevates Grant Program is designed to enhance and sharpen the State’s steadfast focus on narrowing gaps for infants and toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families in a comprehensive system of early intervention and special education services, birth through age 21. With a heightened emphasis on high-leverage strategies and evidence-based practices necessary to transform early intervention and special education, Maryland Elevates targets disparities impacting children and families across a range of priority needs. Maryland Elevates is elevating outcomes with Focus Area and High Leverage Strategies.

Eligible applicants represent non-profit organizations, community-based partners, and Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) demonstrating a commitment to:

• Equitable and accelerated outcomes in inclusive and rich learning environments in a birth through age 21 continuum of special education supports and services.
• Implementation of processes grounded in evidence-based practices, equitable solutions, and data-driven outcomes, and
• Out-of-the-box solutions for growing teacher capacity, instructional leadership, and professional expertise.

Mission

The Joseph Robert Foundation is a small Pennsylvania private foundation whose primary purposes are to provide financial support for the arts, animal welfare, and the environment. Our main geographic focus is the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., but in special cases we may provide support to organizations located outside this area.

We are interested in awarding grants to non-profit organizations addressing significant issues of interest to our Board. We are especially interested in supporting smaller, local organizations that have fewer resources and more limited objectives, although we may also help fund regional or national organizations having specific program or project objectives. Both general operating and project/program support is available.

We welcome first-time grant seekers, support applications from prior grant recipients, and reach out to find eligible organizations that share our goals and interests.

What We Fund

Arts

We believe strongly in the power of the arts to transform both individuals and communities and are committed to reinforcing the importance of the arts as a vital component of our culture. In challenging political times such as these, the role of the arts is too often overlooked, or even denigrated. We want to play our part in asserting the value of the arts by encouraging artists to take risks, explore new possibilities, and reach out to both new and familiar audiences. By nurturing creativity and innovative thinking, we can help artists make an impact on the world around them.

While we are supportive of all forms of creative expression, the interests of the Foundation are primarily in the visual arts. We will also look favorably upon interdisciplinary projects/programs with a visual arts component, or an arts program/project that would further the goals of either of the other of the Foundation’s areas of interest.

Animal Welfare

The plight and circumstances of animals, whether domestic, farm or wild, are areas of deep concern to the Foundation. We are interested in rescuing, protecting, rehabilitating, and providing homes and sanctuaries for the non-human inhabitants of this planet. We are especially interested in helping organizations that identify and provide resources for animal populations in underserved communities. We are also interested in helping with programs that train and educate wildlife rehabilitators and other animal rescue workers.

Environment and Sustainable Resources Management

With ever increasing attacks on the environment and environmental protection, it is critically important to protect and preserve our natural resources, open lands, forests, oceans, waterways, watersheds, and green spaces. The Joseph Robert Foundation is primarily interested in supporting smaller, local organizations that can have a direct impact on their communities, whether through education or through sustainability projects. We may also be interested in contributing to larger organizations that provide essential services to protect and safeguard the environment from threats of all natures.

Grant Period

The normal grant period will be one year, starting from the date the award has been granted. When appropriate, grantees may reapply for Joseph Robert Foundation funding upon the submission of a final report at the end of the funding period.

Grant Amount

Most grant awards to organizations will be under $10,000. First-time grant awards will be limited to $5,000 or less, unless there are compelling circumstances. Determination of the grant amount will be made based on organizational and/or program/project budgets, scope of proposal, organizational qualifications, and overall application quality. Grants to individuals will be limited to $2,000 or less, with sources of matching and in-kind funds considered.  

Grant Type

Organizations may apply for general operating (GO) and/or program/project funds, but larger organizations are limited to applying for program/project funding.

Individual applicants may only apply for project funds.

About Us

For three decades, we have helped translate simple good intentions into powerful acts of philanthropy that build a stronger, more vibrant community not only for today but for the future.

We're Here to Help

We've guided thousands of generous Frederick County citizens, like you, in creating funds that capture their unique visions or contributing to existing funds that closely match their charitable intentions. These funds provide scholarships to students pursuing their educational dreams, and grants to area nonprofits.

The Community Foundation of Frederick County Rolling Grant

The Community Foundation’s Rolling Grant program provides grants for any purpose, including a wide range of field of interest and special purpose funds, and support for individuals served by nonprofits or government agencies.

 Workforce Development Grant

The Workforce Development grant program supports professional development programs, scholarship opportunities for job training, continuing education for career advancement, and organizations that offer various workforce development programs to the public. Special emphasis will be placed on programs serving people with disabilities, high school juniors and seniors, non-traditional students, nonprofit professionals, and skilled professionals in fields that serve vulnerable populations in our community.

APPLICATION MAXIMUM: $7,500

Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund (RMPIF):

The objective of the Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund (RMPIF) is to help raise the overall standard of living in rural areas to a level that meets or exceeds statewide benchmark averages by 2030 while preserving the best aspects of cultural heritage and rural way of life. Resources provided to RMPIF are designed to facilitate significant targeted investments in important economic and community development programs and promote regional and intergovernmental cooperation. These investments will also enable local and regional public and nonprofit organizations to leverage additional non-state financial and human resources to facilitate the realization of sustainable rural development objectives.

Rural Workforce Development:

Rural Workforce Development: The Council supports apprenticeships and community colleges so young adults can stay in their rural areas and become part of the rural workforce. Efforts to improve career and technology education through the implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, including specifically agriculture education. Examples include but may not be limited to youth apprenticeship programs, STEM education, and summer enrichment programs.  The FY2026 grant period will run from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The Council understands that programs that take place during the summer months may fall outside this designated time frame and special consideration will be made to accommodate these programs.

MD Rural Health Care Grant

The objective of the Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund is to help raise the overall standard of living in rural areas to a level that meets or exceeds statewide benchmark averages by 2030, while preserving the best aspects of a pastoral cultural and rural way of life. Resources provided to the Fund are designed to facilitate significant targeted investments in important economic and community development programs and promote regional and intergovernmental cooperation. These investments will also enable local and regional public and nonprofit organizations to leverage additional non-state financial and human resources to facilitate the realization of sustainable rural development objectives. The Fund will serve the interests of the entire State by: 

• Encouraging the increase of entrepreneurial activity and commerce and a balanced economy in the State;
• Relieving conditions of unemployment and underemployment in rural areas;
• assisting in the retention of valuable farm and forest land for productive use by present and future generations;
• Promoting intergovernmental cooperation and public sector/private sector partnerships in and between rural and other areas;
• Enhancing the deployment of housing, transportation, water, wastewater, and broadband communications infrastructure and services in rural areas;
• Supporting rural commercial center redevelopment and community revitalization efforts; and,
• Generally promoting the health, happiness, safety, employment opportunity, and general welfare of the residents of each of the rural counties and municipal corporations of the State.

Health Care

Health care access and delivery is a major problem in the State’s rural areas. Residents often need to travel great distances to seek health care services due to health workforce shortages. This problem is in primary care, and is particularly acute in specialty care such as surgical specialties, dentistry, mental health and other medical specialty areas. 

Eligible health care projects will range from health care planning, to health program implementation and evaluation, and will include projects pertaining to the following:

• Improving access to health and medical/dental care:
  • Tele-medicine and telehealth networking
  • Transportation
  • Programs that focus on planning and/or coordination of health care
  • Programs that address rural population health needs
  • Programs that ensure health care insurance and treatment enrollment
  • Programs that implement and measure accomplishment of components of the state’s rural health plan
• Recruitment and retention of health care providers:
  • Programs to aid recruitment of health care providers
  • Rural residency programs in primary care and medical/surgical specialties and dentistry
  • Housing projects to support rural rotations of medical students/ health professions students
  • Pipeline programs for health care workers
• Behavioral and Mental health:
  • Substance abuse, including alcohol, opioids and prescription drugs
  • Depression and counseling, suicide prevention
  • Domestic abuse and violence 
• Programs that implement and measure components of the Maryland Rural Health Plan:
  • Access to care:
    • reduce barriers/remove gaps – primary care, specialists, behavioral health, oral health, and urgent/emergency facilities
  • Care coordination:
    • explore mechanisms to link health care consumers to services and improve coordination and collaboration between health care providers
  • Health literacy and health insurance literacy:
    • explore ways to increase individual health literacy and health insurance literacy of consumers
  • Outreach and education:
    • work with community-based services and health care infrastructure to provide outreach and education to citizens on relevant and emergent health issues
• Chronic disease prevention and management:
  • Health education on diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancers prevalent in rural Maryland, hypertension/high blood pressure
  • Disease management programs
  • Research and treatment of health impacts on minority populations, and in particular, prenatal care
• Oral and Dental health 

Special FY2024 RMPIF Health Care Addition: Projects to support the Rural Nonemergency Medical Transportation Pilot Program

Current healthcare research indicates that one out of five healthcare appointments are missed due to lack of reliable transportation (Syed, 2013). Research indicates that there are as many as 73,000 to 82,000 adult Marylanders who miss at least one or more medical appointments each year. Compared to the rest of the U.S. population, the transportation disadvantaged, the target population, is poorer, more female, includes more minority population groups and suffers more disease co-morbidity. 

Funding from the National Trust is awarded to nonprofit organizations and public agencies, and the majority of our funding is awarded for planning and education projects through our National Trust Preservation Funds grant program.

A grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation can be just the boost a project needs to ensure its success. National Trust grants are primarily for planning preservation projects, though some special programs focus on preservation planning in particular fields or geographic regions or allow for the funding of physical preservation (“bricks and mortar”) work.

Bartus Trew Providence Preservation Fund

Grants from the Bartus Trew Providence Preservation Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation are designed to encourage preservation at the local level by providing money for the acquisition, maintenance, and preservation of historic landmarks and memorials on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. These grants enable local groups to respond proactively to a preservation challenge by providing funding for property acquisition, bricks and mortar preservation, and technical assistance, while building public awareness of the value of preserving the Eastern Shore’s unique heritage. The late Bartus Trew, a long-time resident of Chestertown, Maryland, and owner of historic Providence Plantation, provided a generous gift to the National Trust for Historic Preservation which established the Bartus Trew Providence Preservation Fund.

Eligible Activities

Trew Providence Preservation Fund grants are awarded for preservation projects on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in the area south of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Examples of eligible activities may include the following:

• The acquisition of historically significant land and/or buildings
• The purchase of perpetual easements
• Restoration, rehabilitation, or preservation of historic buildings, including bricks-and-mortar construction and repair, as well as costs associated with retaining the services of professionals in the areas of architecture, engineering, preservation, land-use planning, or natural resource conservation
• Uses related to the conservation of land that contribute to the historic or cultural heritage of Maryland’s Eastern Shore
• Preservation services that directly contribute to the preservation of a specific historic or cultural site including planning, development of promotional/marketing materials, and interpretive or educational programming

Community Solutions Challenge 

The Community Solutions Challenge (CSC), launched in 2021, works to advance health equity through the support of community-based nonprofit programming that prioritize the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of historically excluded and disenfranchised populations. To date, CSC has provided more than $2.6 million to over 100 local nonprofit programs working to address health inequities and advance opportunities in STEM among underserved communities.

Program Focus: Community-based programs must cover one of the following areas:

Nutrition

Address nutrition as a social determinant of health, including reducing food insecurity and providing comprehensive nutritional education to improve health outcomes.

Healthcare Access

Improve access to quality healthcare by addressing barriers, including health education, access to preventive screenings, and transportation services.

Lung Health

Improve lung health and achieve improved health outcomes for those impacted by asthma, COPD and lung cancer

Background

Since our founding, Greenspring has aspired to give back by making meaningful financial and relational investments in our local communities. To further our stewardship efforts and commitment to charitable giving, we created the concept of the Greenspring Grant Program in 2012 to support the mission of local non-profits.

Now in its tenth year, this effort is completely employee-run and, each year allows a new team of individuals the rewarding (but very difficult!) task of selecting and awarding monies to worthy organizations. This year we are awarding a total of $100,000 in grant monies to organizations dedicated to economic and workforce development. At its sole discretion, Greenspring awards grants ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 based on the funding requested and the needs addressed.

Grant Focus

Organizations must be focused on or have programs that address Workforce and Economic Development. Examples include (but are not limited to):

• job/skills education and training
• job creation
• entrepreneurship
• developing and maintaining career pathways
• growing internships and career opportunities
• increasing financial literacy

The Richard E. & Nancy P. Marriott Foundation

Mission

We are dedicated to uplifting communities in Washington, D.C. through strong, innovative partnerships.

Our Approach

We are dedicated to supporting nonprofit organizations primarily located in Washington, D.C. This includes a focus on helping youth secure a promising future, especially through early childhood education, mentoring and youth leadership programs. Equally important are organizations that help offer relief from hunger and homelessness; provide prospects for people to lead healthy lives; and create gainful employment opportunities for vulnerable youth and adults.

Program Areas

Each year the Foundation awards approximately 150 grants totaling $1.8 million across two program areas:

Education

The Richard E. and Nancy P. Marriott Foundation believes that every child deserves the opportunity to receive a quality education regardless of background. Our strategy strives to uplift the children of Washington, D.C. by investing in partners that support and develop the birth to five continuum.

The ages from birth to five play a crucial role in a child’s life, especially those children from homes of underserved areas. Studies show that a child’s brain development from birth to three years old is the foundation for all future learning. We look for partnerships that provide children from birth to three the emotional, behavioral, and educational support they need to be ready for Pre-K and beyond. In addition the quality of education children receive as three and four year olds plays a significant role in their later academic success. By supporting high quality Pre-K programs, we believe the achievement gap between low income children and more affluent children can be closed.

Human Services

The Richard E. and Nancy P. Marriott Foundation believes that the fulfillment of basic individual needs is an essential part of achieving a strong and sustainable community. To lead a healthy and productive life, individuals need continual access to adequate food, a safe and secure home, and the dignity of productive employment. We focus on partnerships that uplift communities and strengthen the individual members by ensuring food security for vulnerable populations and developing a workforce that can support the community.

We believe that employment provides more than just financial benefits; it connects the individual to the community and builds self-esteem. While most everyone wants a job, it can be hard for those with limited or out-dated skills and those reintegrating to the community to find a stable job. Our partners provide the job training and employment counseling that help individuals prepare for the job market and find opportunities at livable wages. With the Marriott family’s long history in the hospitality industry, we have a special focus on programs with the hospitality and technology industries where diverse people can succeed along many paths.

Funding Request Range

Grants from the Foundation typically support general operations. First-time requests are advised to be in the $5,000-$10,000 range.

About us

We are one of more than 750 similar tax-exempt public charities throughout the United States that work to make their community a better place to live. We are a local organization staffed by residents of the community and led by a board of trustees who have an in-depth knowledge of the issues that shape our County.

This Community Foundation was created by and for the people of Washington County MD, and exists to improve the quality of life for all of our citizens, now and for generations to come, by building community endowments, addressing needs through grant making and providing leadership on key community issues.

Field of Interest Fund

Field of Interest Funds communicate a donor’s preference to provide support to initiatives within an area of special interest, such as the arts, education or a specific demographic.

Field of Interest Fund - Together With Families Fund Grant

This fund was created to support local programs that promote optimal development of young children with activities for children and caregivers and education to help parents understand child development milestones and behaviors; to support local programs which promote the stability of families at risk of poverty, abuse, and neglect by assisting and supporting them to develop more effective parenting skills and to fulfill their educational, work, family and personal goals. Such services and resources for young families this fund could support include:

• Physiological needs (housing, food, clothing and medical)
• Mental health needs (services and medications)
• Educational needs (books, materials, supplies, tutoring services, GED materials, and graduation requirements or needs)
• Transportation needs (gas, bus vouchers, ride sharing and taxi services, car repairs or maintenance)
• Work-related needs (daycare and dress clothing)
• Connection and support needs (phone and electronic devices)

About the Presser Foundation

The Presser Foundation was formally established in 1939 under various deeds of trust of the late Theodore Presser. In the charter of incorporation, The Foundation’s purposes are set forth to promote primarily the cause of musical education and musical philanthropy as follows: to provide scholarships for promising students; to increase the value of music education by erecting suitable buildings; and to administer aid to worthy teachers of music in distress.

While The Foundation’s priorities have evolved over time, it has provided much needed funding to further the cause of music for over 75 years. It has been said that Theodore Presser wanted to give back to music what he had made from it. When he died in 1925, he left no children. He had been widowed twice, and the bulk of his fortune was left to The Foundation.

The small staff and Board of Trustees continue to oversee the work of The Foundation. The Foundation is fortunate to have had a founder who clearly stated the purpose which he desired to achieve. The Board of Trustees includes prominent local and national leaders in music. All Trustees share a passion for music and all are committed to carrying out the intentions of the benefactor.

Special Projects Grants

Introduction & Purpose

The Trustees of The Presser Foundation created the Special Projects Committee to consider grant requests that fall outside the Foundation’s core grantmaking programs. Grant amounts typically range from $5,000 to $25,000 annually for music organizations operating in a broad range of music traditions, genres, and styles. In 2024-25, 9% of The Presser Foundation’s distributed funds ($320,230/$3.73 million) went to Special Project grants. This fiscal year (2025-26), the Special Projects Committee will consider applications for:

• General Operating Support for newly established music organizations (up to 5 years in existence).
• Resilience Grants for small music organizations impacted by government funding or policy changes. These grant requests of up to $7,500 are for organizations with operating budgets under $150,000. Organizations seeking support for the following are encouraged to apply:
  • Artistic and/or organizational development (e.g. workforce programming) projects that have been impacted by government funding cuts;
  • Organizations seeking legal, financial, fundraising, or communications guidance to navigate government funding or policy changes;
  • Efforts to share costs and collaborate* with another nonprofit organization to maintain financial stability for the organization; and
  • Other efforts to maintain your organization’s core mission and/or financial viability in response to the changing arts funding landscape will be considered.
  • *Not intended for one-time creative collaborations.

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.