Foundation Grants
Community Vital Signs
About Us
When 25-year-old Freddie Gray was writhing in agony on the floor of a Baltimore hospital room after suffering a fatal spinal injury while in the custody of police, the city's community foundation did its best to help him.
The Baltimore Community Foundation handed out more than $30 million over the last year to such causes as after-school programs, mental health support, workforce training, and violence intervention, CEOShanaysha Sauls writes on the foundation's website.
But it wasn't just Gray who needed help.
"Too many Baltimoreans are dying every day because of gun violence," Sauls writes.
"Too many of our young people are dying because of the lack of jobs, the lack of access to quality mental health care, the lack of affordable housing."
The foundation, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, has given more than $100 million to Baltimore causes since it was founded by a group of banking and business leaders in 1972, the Baltimore Sun reports.
The world's first community foundation was founded in Ohio in 1914 by a banker and attorney, and community foundations have since spread to other US and Canadian cities.
"Giving by and for the people of Baltimore is giving by and for the people of Baltimore," Sauls writes.
"If you are not
Read the Entire Article
Selected Foundation News
A customized collection of news from foundations from around the Web.
A New Mexico nonprofit is looking for a director to help it "shift current agricultural and land stewardship practices in ways that produce good food, support meaningful livelihoods in rural places,...more
The Stark County Sheriff's Office has been awarded $10,000 in funding to help fight drug trafficking. The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services' RecoveryOhio program has awarded more than $2.1...more
After nearly 20 years as the director of bands for the Kirkwood School District in St. Louis, Rebecca Friesen is poised to retire. "Music education is not just learning how to play an...more
After six years as a professor of design and innovation at Clarkson University, Daved Barry is calling it a career. The professor was recently named professor emeritus for his contributions to...more
"Lots of people can't kick because they don't have the coordination, but everybody can throw catch." That's how a UK nonprofit is using basketball to help young people deal with mental health...more
Tia Kemp, the ex-girlfriend of Rick Ross who became the rapper's baby mama in 2003, is moving back in with her mom in Miami, People reports. Kemp, 36, has been living with her mom since her...more
When Shaun Christie-David was growing up in Sydney, Australia, his Sri Lankan mother's famous dhal sandwichmade with lentils, tempered mustard seeds, spices, and fried onionswas teased for being...more
Swiss Re is putting its money where its mouth is in Southeast Asia. The insurance giant is launching its Shine social entrepreneurship program in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand,...more
Students in Palm Beach County, Fla., are experiencing a " concerning uptick" in mental health disorders over the past few years, says the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County. Nearly 3,000...more
Foundation: Barberton Community Foundation
Kenneth Cox was running for mayor of Barberton, Ohio, in 2023, and when he saw a negative Facebook post about him, he decided to do something about it. "The residents of Barberton need a...more
Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
Social Entrepreneurship: The Right Balance of Doing Good and Doing Well
Social entrepreneur and co-founder of nonprofit Jolkona, Adnan Mahmud, discusses his definition of a successful social entrepreneur. He describes the social entrepreneur as someone who has found the right balance between doing good while doing well.