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Baltimore Civic Fund Inc

Annual Giving
$9.0M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.2M
Decision Time
1mo
Success Rate
49%

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $8,988,925 (2023)
  • Success Rate: ~49% (varies by program)
  • Decision Time: Varies by program
  • Grant Range: $500 - $200,000
  • Geographic Focus: Baltimore City only

Contact Details

Address: 8 Market Place, Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 443-540-6113
Email: submissions@baltimorecivicfund.org
Website: https://www.baltimorecivicfund.org/

Overview

Founded in 1981 by Mayor William Donald Schaefer, the Baltimore Civic Fund is an independent 501(c)(3) organization serving as the official fiscal sponsor for the City of Baltimore. The organization manages $12 million annually across more than 125 City programs focused on business and economic development, education, culture, creative economy, and job growth. Under President & CEO HyeSook Chung's leadership since 2019, the organization has grown its operating budget by 400% and expanded its impact across Baltimore. The Civic Fund earned a Four-Star rating (93%) from Charity Navigator and distributed 299 grants totaling nearly $9 million in 2023. Its unique role as one of a limited number of mayoral funds in the country positions it as the financial backbone connecting innovative City programs with philanthropic resources.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Digital Equity Fund

  • Grant Range: Up to $200,000
  • Purpose: Address gaps in digital literacy and skills
  • Three tiers: Digital Literacy Education Training (with sub-tiers for older adults and wider community support), and Digital Creatives & Virtual Makerspaces Programming
  • Target Populations: People with disabilities, older adults, racial/ethnic minorities, immigrants, non-English speakers, returning citizens, LGBTQIA+ youth, people experiencing homelessness
  • Application: Online through Submittable, periodic rounds

Environmental Offset Grant Program

  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $75,000
  • Purpose: Restore tree canopy, improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitat
  • Funding Source: Critical Area Management Program (CAMP) and Forest Conservation Offset monies
  • Total Available: ~$500,000 awarded in 2025
  • Application: Annual cycle, opens December, deadline typically mid-January
  • Application Method: Eligibility Survey required before full application access

BMORE Beautiful Programs

Care-A-Lot

  • Grant Amount: Up to $5,500
  • Purpose: Clean, mow, maintain, and beautify up to 25 vacant lots
  • Grant Period: May-October
  • Application: Reopens January 2026
  • 2022 Impact: 56 community organizations maintained 916 lots

Love Your Block Microgrant

  • Grant Range: $500 - $1,500
  • Purpose: Small community-based beautification efforts
  • Eligibility: Open to residents, neighborhood groups, and community organizations (no 501c3 required)
  • Application: Deadline typically August 1

Activate Your Space

  • Grant Amount: Up to $5,000
  • Purpose: Transform vacant lots throughout Baltimore
  • Ancillary to Care-A-Lot program

Say YES! (Youth Environmental Stewards)

  • Purpose: Engage up to 5 youth in beautification efforts
  • Application: Reopens March 2026

2025 ARPA Artist Grant Fund

  • Grant Amount: $4,000 per artist (unrestricted)
  • Total Program Funding: $500,000
  • Purpose: Direct financial assistance to local artists affected by COVID-19 (March 14, 2020 - June 30, 2021)
  • 2025 Results: 81 recipients from 165+ applications (~49% success rate)

Youth Programming

  • Baltimore City Recreation and Parks partnership
  • 2022 Impact: 3,500 youth served through 60 partner organizations

Priority Areas

  • Environmental stewardship and beautification
  • Digital equity and literacy
  • Youth development and employment opportunities
  • Neighborhood assets including recreation and parks
  • Wellness services for addiction and mental health
  • Economic development and job growth
  • Arts and creative economy support
  • Communities impacted by historic disinvestment

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects outside Baltimore City limits
  • Discriminatory activities
  • Landscaping or small business operations (for beautification programs)
  • Direct applications from individuals or community organizations for fiscal sponsorship (they only fiscally sponsor City agencies)

Governance and Leadership

President & CEO: HyeSook Chung - Joined in 2019 with background in social work and philanthropy. Under her leadership, the operating budget grew by 400% and the organization managed over 100 projects.

Key Staff:

  • Lea Ferguson, Chief Operating Officer
  • Semeka Lyles, Director of Finance
  • Rachel Donegan, Director of Partnerships
  • Christina Gatto, Senior Partnership Manager
  • Raven Thompson, Grantmaking Manager
  • Philip Smith, Partnership Manager
  • Tiffeny Dansby, Senior Accountant
  • Roger Woods, Administrative Manager

Board of Directors (Mayor appoints up to 51%; remaining elected by Board):

  • Greg Bowden, Chief Philanthropy Officer, University of Maryland Baltimore
  • Byron T. Deese, Managing Director, Engage Wealth LLC; CEO & Founder, Dream Makers Network
  • Will Holmes, Chairman Emeritus, Baltimore Chamber of Commerce
  • Michael Mocksten, Director of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, City of Baltimore
  • Marvin James, Senior Advisor to the Mayor
  • John David Merrill, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor
  • Matt Garbark, Deputy Director, Department of Public Works
  • MacKenzie Garvin, Director, Mayor's Office of Employment Development
  • Elizabeth Tatum, Acting Director, Mayor's Office of Recovery Programs
  • Calvin Young, Interim Deputy Mayor, Community and Economic Development

Organizational Values:

  • Stewardship: "Highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability"
  • Equity: "Integrate an equity lens both internally as an employer and externally"
  • Innovation: "Continually improving and adapting programs"
  • Collaboration: "Collaborative solutions between Baltimore's public, private, and community-based partners"

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Application processes vary by grant program as the Baltimore Civic Fund administers grants on behalf of City agencies:

Digital Equity Fund: Online application through Submittable when rounds are open. The Civic Fund and Office of Broadband and Digital Equity host information sessions and provide technical assistance with application completion.

Environmental Offset Grant Program:

  1. Complete Eligibility Survey (required first step)
  2. Access full application if eligible
  3. Submit Maintenance Plan using provided template
  4. Provide detailed budget narrative Application opens in December with deadlines typically mid-January.

BMORE Beautiful Programs: Apply through Baltimore City Environmental Control Board at ecb.baltimorecity.gov/grant-opportunities. Contact: Natasha Neale at Natasha.Neale@baltimorecity.gov or 410-396-6909.

ARPA Artist Grant: Application through Submittable at baltimorecivicfund.submittable.com when program is open.

General Contact: submissions@baltimorecivicfund.org for application questions.

Decision Timeline

Varies by program. The 2025 ARPA Artist Grant reviewed 165+ applications and selected 81 recipients, suggesting a several-week review process. Environmental Offset Grant decisions are typically announced within weeks of the January deadline. Specific timelines are communicated when each grant program opens.

Success Rates

ARPA Artist Grant (2025): 49% (81 awards from 165+ applications)

Overall Grantmaking: In 2023, the Civic Fund distributed 299 grants totaling $8,988,925. Individual program success rates vary based on available funding and eligible applications.

Reapplication Policy

No publicly available information on formal reapplication restrictions. Program-specific policies may apply and would be communicated in individual grant program guidelines.

Application Success Factors

For Environmental Offset Grants:

  • Clearly demonstrate tangible environmental benefits
  • Provide detailed long-term maintenance plan with specific strategies
  • Create clear connection between budget and project goals
  • Projects in Community Development Impact Investment Areas receive preference
  • Reach out to Office of Sustainability for clarification on expenses before submitting
  • Include all relevant neighborhoods/zip codes where project will operate

For Digital Equity Fund:

  • Focus on populations most likely to be left behind in the digital age
  • Address specific gaps in digital literacy and skills
  • Attend information sessions offered by the Civic Fund and Office of Broadband and Digital Equity
  • Utilize technical assistance with application completion
  • Baltimore-based 501(c)(3) organizations serving Baltimore residents

For BMORE Beautiful Programs:

  • Must be registered 501(c)(3) OR have fiscal sponsor (Care-A-Lot, Activate Your Space)
  • No fiscal sponsor needed for Love Your Block microgrants
  • Clear public benefit and neighborhood aesthetic improvement
  • Specific, actionable beautification plans

General Success Factors: According to President HyeSook Chung, the organization prioritizes "neighborhoods and communities impacted by historic disinvestment and lack of services." The Civic Fund supports projects that:

  • Improve daily quality of life for Baltimore residents
  • Align with City priorities and strategic goals
  • Demonstrate clear community benefit
  • Include strong partnerships and collaboration

Key Insight: The Civic Fund operates as a facilitator between City agencies and philanthropic resources. Most grants are distributed through City agency partnerships, not as direct grants from the Civic Fund. Understanding which City agency manages your grant program of interest is important for success.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Understand the Structure: The Baltimore Civic Fund doesn't make independent grant decisions—they administer grants on behalf of City agencies. Your application is evaluated by the relevant City department and the Civic Fund provides fiscal and administrative support.

  • Baltimore City Only: All programs exclusively serve Baltimore City residents and projects. Geographic eligibility is strictly enforced.

  • Equity Focus: President Chung emphasizes supporting "neighborhoods and communities impacted by historic disinvestment." Applications demonstrating benefit to underserved communities align with organizational values.

  • Leverage Technical Assistance: The Civic Fund offers information sessions and application support for major grant programs. Taking advantage of these resources can strengthen your application.

  • Program-Specific Requirements: Each grant has distinct eligibility criteria, application processes, and timelines. Review individual program pages carefully and contact program-specific contacts with questions.

  • Strong Maintenance Plans Win: For environmental and beautification grants, detailed sustainability plans demonstrating long-term community ownership are critical evaluation factors.

  • Watch for Annual Cycles: Many programs operate on predictable annual cycles (Environmental Offset opens December, Care-A-Lot opens January, etc.). Mark calendars for your programs of interest.

References

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