Grants for Nonprofits Serving Disabled in Maryland

NOTE: If you are new here, please send an email with a description of your nonprofit organization & programs and we will get back to you within six weeks. 

Powering our communities is just the beginning. BGE considers it our responsibility to improve the quality of life for people in the communities where we live, work, and serve.

BGE focuses our corporate giving in four areas - building Exelon's future workforce, energy empowerment in our communities, enrichment through local vitality, and equal access to arts and culture. We support and value diversity, equity & inclusion; we try to reflect the communities in which we operate. BGE is proud to support nonprofit organizations and students in our local communities. 

BGE Directs Corporate Giving to Four Key Areas:

We fund programs that deliver measurable, sustainable improvements in the communities we serve. We invest in organizations that have proven track records in these areas:

Building Exelon's Future Workforce

BGE supports programs that teach students fundamentals of energy and build excitement for our industry. We partner with programs designed to spark interest in and pursuit of careers in energy, engineering, IT, and trade programs that encourage and ensure the industry's future workforce by focusing on educational opportunities starting from middle school to adulthood.

Energy Empowerment in Our Communities

BGE prioritizes programs focused on clean air, water, resiliency, fighting the effects of climate change, the innovative use and promotion of alternative sources of energy and environmental stewardship. We also work to sustain families and self-sufficiency by supporting programs to assist community members facing the most significant financial challenges and instability. 

Enrichment Through Local Vitality

BGE's priority focuses on supporting chambers of commerce and economic development organizations who are critical to the growth of job and income equity in our local communities. We also provide support to community anchors that educate and engage customers in building strong communities, including organization like the United Way of Central Maryland who promote employee giving and volunteerism across a wide variety of community and nonprofit organizations. 

Equal Access to Arts and Culture

Arts and culture encourages rich and diverse engagement. BGE will fund programs that increase access to the arts for underrepresented communities, especially low-income students, individuals and families, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. We achieve this by working with community-based nonprofits that offer programming in schools and neighborhood settings at free, or reduced cost to under resourced communities. 

The Coca-Cola Foundation is our company's primary international philanthropic arm.

Since its inception in 1984, The Foundation has awarded more than $1.4 billion in grants to support sustainable community initiatives around the world.

Giving Back to Communities

The Coca-Cola Foundation, the independent philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company, is committed to a charitable giving strategy that makes a difference in communities around the world. In 2021, The Coca-Cola Foundation contributed $109.2 million to approximately 350 organizations globally.

Read more about our priorities in the 2021 Business & Environmental, Social and Governance Report.

Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – 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.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general support

The John J. Leidy Foundation has been supporting Maryland’s nonprofits for more than 50 years.

The Foundation was formed in 1957 by Baltimore native John J. Leidy, the owner of the former Leidy Chemical Company. The Foundation is a member of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers. 

Areas of Interest

• Social and Economic Welfare 
• Arts & Culture 
• Health and Human Services 
• Education 
• Disabled persons 

Grant/Funding Type Provided 

• Operating Support 
• New and/or Ongoing Programs 
• Equipment 

Background

Mid Atlantic Tours brings the best of the performing arts to communities across the mid-Atlantic region. Presenters select from a curated roster of artists that changes annually but maintains a programmatic commitment to a diversity of performance genres, regional artist representation, and engaging with communities underserved by the arts. 

Grant Information

Presenters located in the mid-Atlantic region who engage a Mid Atlantic Tours Roster Artist during the project period receive up to 50% subsidy for the Roster Artist’s compensation (including artistic compensation, housing, per diem and travel) as well as a presenter capacity support. Presenters work directly with the Roster Artist’s Tour Manager to negotiate terms, including engagement dates and compensation. 

Once terms are confirmed between Presenter and Tour Manager, the Presenter completes a short application to Mid Atlantic Arts. Applications are not competitive, but Presenters interested in engaging a Mid Atlantic Tours Roster Artist during the project period are encouraged to confirm terms with the Artist’s Tour Manager as soon as possible as funding is limited. Final grant award distribution is determined by Mid Atlantic Arts staff in collaboration with Tour Managers.

Roster

Visit midatlanticarts.org to review the roster.

The Mid Atlantic Tours roster is curated by Mid Atlantic Arts staff with curatorial advisement from performing arts colleagues from the mid-Atlantic region. As a final step in the curatorial process, mid-Atlantic region Presenters indicate interest in prospective Roster Artists through a presenter interest survey conducted via email.

The selection process for the Mid Atlantic Tours roster prioritizes:

• Projected touring success for Roster Artists: tour feasibility & presenter interest
• Broad representation of multiple performance genres
• Broad geographic representation from artists based in different states/jurisdictions in the mid-Atlantic region
• Artists and creators who are actively engaged with diverse communities to energize the transformative power of the arts

Mid Atlantic Arts is committed to countering structural inequities based on race, gender, disability status, sexual orientation, class, age and geography through our programs.

Touring Preparation Residency

Each Mid Atlantic Tours roster artist may work with one presenter for a Touring Preparation Residency that does not include a public performance. All other guidelines and procedures for Mid Atlantic Tours engagements must be met, including the artist fee match from the presenter to the Roster Artist. The presenter is eligible for artist fee and presenter capacity support subsidies.

Suggestions for engagement activities for the preparation residency include, but are not limited to:

• extended technical residency
• work-in-process showing
• a rehearsal or demo of a prospective community engagement activity
• working with a dramaturg
• developing marketing materials
• refining a technical rider

If you are interested in partnering with a Mid Atlantic Tours Roster Artist to host the Roster Artist’s Touring Preparation Residency, reach out to the Artist’s Tour Manager.

Grant Award Details

Presenters meeting the eligibility criteria who engage a current Mid Atlantic Tours roster Artist for at least two engagement activities during the project period are eligible to receive a grant award from Mid Atlantic Arts to support the following:

• Artist compensation subsidy up to 50% of the artist compensation agreed upon between the Presenter and the Roster Artist (including artistic salary/fees, housing, per diem and travel). Minimum request: $750.00 USD;
• Other eligible expenses up to 2,000.00 USD to support direct project expenses including program staff salary, direct technical personnel fees, audience development, marketing and promotional expenses, project-specific purchases or consulting related to increasing access for disabled artists, staff, audiences or community members, technical and equipment rental expenses for virtual or in-person engagements, artist travel/lodging expenses, and/or expenses related to public health measures for in-person engagements.

NOTE: Applications may be submitted at any time during this funding cycle, open from Feb 1 to the deadline above. Please note that applications will only remain active in our system for 90 days, and at the end of this period they will be automatically rejected.

Guidelines

Local Community grants range from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $5,000. Eligible nonprofit organizations must operate on the local level (or be an affiliate/chapter of a larger organization that operates locally) and directly benefit the service area of the facility from which they are requesting funding.Organizations may only submit a total number of 25 applications and/or receive up to 25 grants within the 2019 grant cycle.

NOTE: Artists must apply to Ibermúsicas for support before October 1, 2022. All presenters interested in receiving grant subsidies and forming part of selected tours must submit their online grant form by April 25, 2023. Presenters must invite artists for a public performance in addition to a community engagement activity between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.

Background

Mid Atlantic Arts was established to promote and support multi-state arts programming in a region that includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is one of six regional arts organizations in the United States, and works in close partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and its member state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Mid Atlantic Arts distinguishes itself through its work in international cultural exchange, model programs in performing arts touring, its knowledge and presence in the jazz field, and its support of folk and traditional arts.

Mission

Mid Atlantic Arts nurtures and funds the creation and presentation of diverse artistic expression and connects people to meaningful arts experiences within our region and beyond.

Vision

Mid Atlantic Arts envisions a future in which artists and creators are actively engaged with diverse communities to energize the transformative power of the arts.

Iber Exchange Grant Program

Mid Atlantic Arts believes in the power of the arts to promote a greater understanding of other cultures. Iber Exchange is a grant program designed to increase availability of international music programming throughout the Mid Atlantic region and to promote a greater understanding of other cultures through the performing arts. Iber Exchange provides fee support grants to nonprofit presenters located in the mid-Atlantic region that contract artists as part of the Iber Exchange program in collaboration with the Ibermúsicas organization.

Mid Atlantic Arts recognizes that international touring is most cost-effective for presenters and artists when multiple presenters collaborate to bring an artist to various communities in one trip. This program offers the opportunity for both presenters and artists to receive funding to facilitate collaborative cultural exchange.

About Ibermúsicas

Ibermúsicas is a nongovernmental organization dedicated to supporting the diversity and growth of the Iberoamerican music sector. Members include Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Spain, and Uruguay. Ibermúsicas provides grants to support the mobility and development of musicians in their member countries.

How it Works

This initiative is a partnership grant program featuring cross-cultural collaboration between artists and presenters.

• Artist Selection: 
  • Artists must be based in Ibermúsicas’ member countries to apply for funding and meet eligibility criteria.
  • Nonprofit presenters in mid-Atlantic Arts’ region interested in inviting an international music ensemble or solo musician should provide a letter of invitation to the artist so that artists can apply directly to Ibermúsicas.
  • Artists selected following panel review will receive grant support directly from Ibermúsicas to defray visa costs.
• Presenter Grant Support:
  • Nonprofit mid-Atlantic presenters who provided letters of invitation to these artists when they applied to Ibermúsicas will be eligible for grant support from Mid Atlantic Arts for up to 50% of the negotiated artist fee.
  • Grants will generally range between $2,000 - $8,000 per presenter.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

The Foundation seeks to be responsive to community issues and needs. Our process is highly competitive and is open to new projects and new organizations. The following summary, Examples of our Grant-Making, is offered to help guide applicants. While this is not intended to be an exhaustive description and may, as appropriate, change over time, we hope that the following will suggest the kind of meaningful work in which the Foundation is seeking to invest.

Generally, the Foundation looks to support work that improves the lives of DC-area residents, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable and underserved individuals. We encourage organizations that provide comprehensive services and work towards systemic change, which addresses all levels of, and all who are affected by, the issue. The goal is that all in the region become self-sufficient and lead healthy, fulfilling lives. We search for nonprofits that also employ effective partnering and show cultural competence in engaging effectively with communities and people of various cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. On occasion, the Foundation invests directly in strengthening the nonprofit sector by helping current grantees to build organizational capacity and by supporting advocacy and other efforts.

Grants are made in five program areas:

Arts and Humanities

 Our giving in the Arts and Humanities includes theater, dance, music, visual arts, film and other multidisciplinary art forms, as well as organizations that promote the humanities. We focus on nonprofits that have deep, meaningful impact and can demonstrate the depth and breadth of their local initiatives. The Foundation examines how access to the Arts and Humanities for diverse populations is created and how unique opportunities are provided for all ages to engage. In addition to more traditional approaches, we believe in the power of the Arts and Humanities to be innovative and create social change.

Community Services

Community Development: The Foundation’s Community Development grant-making includes affordable housing production and preservation, homeless services, transitional and permanent supportive housing, foreclosure and eviction prevention, community economic development and wealth building, and civic engagement

Children, Youth and Families: The Foundation’s Children, Youth and Families portfolio includes out-of-school time programs, youth development and academic enrichment in schools, as well as programs for homeless youth or those in the foster care and juvenile justice systems.

Justice: Access, Violence Prevention, Reentry: The Foundation invests in organizations and programs that help increase access to justice for low-income individuals.

Education

The Foundation’s Education docket invests in learning from cradle to career. It includes schools that provide early childhood education, kindergarten through twelfth-grade instruction and undergraduate and graduate institutions. The Foundation also looks for models that provide comprehensive services to help students improve academic success and future employment outcomes. This may include charter and private schools, college access programs, groups focusing on teacher and school leader training, as well as certain supportive scholarship programs. In addition, the Foundation invests in adult basic education, literacy programs and preparation and testing for the General Equivalency Diploma.

The Foundation’s grants related to workforce development largely reflect two types of organizations: those that focus on a specific field and help individuals on a career pathway or those that concentrate on broader job- and career-readiness.

Environment

The Foundation strives to preserve the region’s resources and raise awareness so that individuals can enjoy healthy and fulfilling lives in a clean environment. Through our grant-making, we support groups that are concerned with our natural environment’s past, present and future. To help restore and protect our region’s natural resources, we have focused on local parks, the Anacostia and Potomac rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay watershed. We have also funded programs that create future stewards. Through such education and outreach efforts, the public becomes more aware of the dangers of an unhealthy environment — including pesticides and toxins — and better understands the need to protect open natural spaces.

Health

Our giving in Health and Wellness supports integrated healthcare and prevention efforts and broad collaborations, to ensure that all DC metropolitan residents live longer, healthier lives. We strive to bridge the worlds of health and healthcare through a broad range of investments. These may include support for community-based nonprofit health centers and coalitions of healthcare providers, in order to increase access to coordinated, high-quality medical, dental and mental health services for our region’s low-income and most vulnerable residents.

We also look for models that keep people healthy in the first place. Support may go towards increasing access to nutritious, affordable food; creating opportunities for better health in our neighborhoods, homes, schools and workplaces; and decreasing the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the DC metropolitan region.

To address disparities among our region’s most vulnerable populations, the Foundation also funds nonprofits that provide community-based, culturally competent, comprehensive services to children, older adults and disabled individuals. Our hope is that every metropolitan Washington resident can actively participate in a robust community life and maintain independent living for as long as possible.