Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation, Inc.

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $2,500,000
• Total Assets: $63,900,000
• Decision Time: 10 weeks (from full proposal deadline)
• Grant Range: $500 - $930,000 (multi-year strategic grants)
• General Fund Range: $10,000 - $89,000+
• Median Grant: $45,000
• Geographic Focus: Central and Western Maryland (Archdiocese of Baltimore)

Contact Details

Address: 3904 Hickory Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21211-1834
Phone: (410) 235-7068
Fax: (410) 889-2577
Email: knott@knottfoundation.org
Website: https://knottfoundation.org
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Application Portal: http://knottfoundation.fluxx.io/

Overview

Founded in 1977 by Henry and Marion Knott, The Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation is a Catholic family foundation committed to honoring its founders' legacy of generosity to strengthen communities in central and western Maryland. With approximately $64 million in assets, the foundation awards approximately $2.5 million annually across five program areas: education, human services, health care, Catholic activities, and arts and humanities. Since its founding, the foundation has distributed more than $70 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The foundation recently refined its strategic focus to concentrate on three key initiatives: Catholic Schools, Workforce Development, and Youth Empowerment. The foundation remains family-driven, with 38 Knott family members serving on the board of trustees.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

General Fund Grants ($10,000 - $89,000+, median $45,000)

• Three application cycles annually (February, June, October)
• One-year grants (funds must be expensed within one year)
• Multi-year grants are not considered in this program
• Online application through Fluxx portal
• Site visits required for full proposal stage

Strategic Initiatives (Multi-year, invitation-only)

• Youth Empowerment (February Cycle): Empowering disadvantaged youth through out-of-school programs to open career pathways and develop lifelong skills
• Catholic Schools (June Cycle): Enhancing leadership in Catholic schools and providing comprehensive student support
• Workforce Development (October Cycle): Creating career opportunities for underemployed or marginalized adults through skills training for sustainable employment
• Recent awards: $930,000 to 5 organizations in Fall 2025

Discretionary Grants ($500 - $2,500)

• Rolling basis throughout the year
• Over 30 grants annually totaling more than $100,000
• Funds disbursed within two weeks of approval
• Can be considered simultaneously with other funding requests

Cash Flow Loans (up to $25,000-$30,000)

• No and low-interest loans for organizations with delayed receivables from grants or contracts
• First-come, first-served from revolving pool of $100,000
• $25,000 maximum for new organizations; $30,000 for past grantees
• Rolling application process

Priority Areas

• Education: Catholic education, special needs schools, private colleges and universities, out-of-school-time programs
• Human Services: Basic needs, housing and homelessness, workforce development, child and family services
• Health Care: Patient support services, preventative care, curative care, rehabilitative and palliative care
• Catholic Activities: Support for Catholic institutions and programs throughout the Archdiocese
• Arts & Humanities: Cultural programs serving the community

What They Don't Fund

• Unrestricted grants
• Requests that would sub-grant awards
• Endowment funds
• Individuals
• Medical research
• One-time-only events, seminars, or workshops
• Organizations in operation for less than one year
• Political activities
• Pro-choice causes and reproductive health services in direct conflict with Catholic Church teachings
• Public school education and public sector agencies
• Charter schools
• Reimbursables or any prior expenses
• Scholarships (separate scholarship funds exist)
• Organizations outside the Archdiocese of Baltimore geographic area

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

• Martin G. Knott - President
• Kelly Harris - Vice President
• Emmet Voelkel - Secretary
• John Riehl - Treasurer
• 38 Knott and Gallagher family members serve on the board

Executive Team

Kathleen McCarthy, Executive Director
Joined the foundation in 2007, appointed Executive Director in April 2025 after serving as Program Director. Holds a Bachelor's from University of Virginia and Master of Public Affairs from University of Texas. McCarthy describes her work as being "at the intersection of people, purpose, and possibility."

Christina McMahon, Business Manager
Joined in 2022. Bachelor's from St. Mary's College of Maryland, MBA from University of Maryland. Previously worked at Baltimore Lab School.

Jessica Feldt, Grants & Database Manager
Joined in 2023. Master's in American Studies from Penn State, Bachelor's in Theater from Western Michigan University. Previously worked in Historic Preservation.

Billie Caldwell, Communications & Board Engagement Officer
Joined in 2025. Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication. Passionate about "building communications strategies that are grounded in trust, transparency, and collective care."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

General Fund Grants:

1. Submit one Letter of Inquiry (LOI) per year during open grant cycles
2. LOI Deadlines: February 2, June 1, October 6
3. Organizations with advanced LOIs receive phone call invitation to submit full proposal
4. Full proposals due approximately 6-8 weeks after LOI deadline
5. Site visits required for all organizations invited to full proposal stage
6. Grant award decisions made approximately 10 weeks after full proposal deadline
7. All applicants notified by phone and email

Strategic Initiatives:

• Invitation-only
• Interested organizations can introduce their work via email
• Follow foundation's LinkedIn for updates

Discretionary Grants:

• Apply through online portal at any time
• Email confirmation sent upon complete submission
• Board reviews ongoing

Cash Flow Loans:

• Apply through online portal on first-come, first-served basis
• Must demonstrate delayed receivables from government, foundation, or corporate grants/contracts

Geographic Eligibility:
Requests accepted from organizations serving the Archdiocese of Baltimore, including Baltimore City and the following Maryland counties: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, and Washington.

Decision Timeline

• General Fund: Approximately 10 weeks from full proposal deadline to decision
• Grant Award Meetings: June 10, 2025; October 14, 2025; February 10, 2026
• Discretionary Grants: Review ongoing, funds disbursed within two weeks of approval

Success Rates

In 2023, the foundation awarded 109 grants. Historical data shows:

• 2022: 105 awards
• 2021: 92 awards
• 2020: 89 awards

Specific application-to-award ratios are not publicly available, but the foundation uses a two-stage process (LOI followed by invitation to full proposal), which naturally screens applications before the full proposal stage.

Reapplication Policy

• Funded organizations: Can reapply after 3 years
• Organizations denied after full proposal: Can reapply after 1 year
• Organizations denied at LOI stage: Can reapply after 1 year
• Organizations are limited to one General Fund LOI per year

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's funding patterns and stated priorities:

Alignment with Catholic Mission: As a Catholic family foundation, alignment with Catholic values is fundamental. Recent awards show strong support for Catholic institutions (St. Ignatius Catholic Community received funding for elevator renovation, and CASA of Baltimore received support for foster children).

Geographic Focus: Organizations must serve the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The foundation recently expanded scholarship eligibility to western Maryland counties (Allegany, Garrett, Washington), indicating attention to underserved geographic areas within their coverage zone.

Emphasis on Strategic Priorities: The foundation has refined its focus to three strategic areas—Catholic Schools, Workforce Development, and Youth Empowerment. Recent Fall 2025 awards included $930,000 for workforce development initiatives, demonstrating substantial commitment to these priorities.

Measurable Outcomes: The foundation seeks organizations that can demonstrate lasting outcomes. For education programs, they look for evidence that programs "produce lasting outcomes within the Archdiocese of Baltimore."

Capacity and Infrastructure: The requirement for site visits at the full proposal stage suggests the foundation values organizational capacity and wants to see operations firsthand. Recent grants for technology infrastructure (St. Ignatius Catholic Community) and equipment (St. Vincent de Paul vehicle purchase) show willingness to fund operational necessities.

Multi-Year Impact Potential: While General Fund grants are one-year only, strategic initiative grants are multi-year, indicating the foundation values sustained impact. Franciscan Center's culinary job training and Living Classrooms Foundation's job training for returning citizens received multi-year strategic funding.

Specific Populations: Recent grants show focus on vulnerable populations: foster children (CASA of Baltimore - $89,000), newcomer and refugee youth (Soccer Without Borders - $60,000), under-performing high school students (Thread - $50,000), homeless individuals (Baltimore Outreach Services - $15,000), and returning citizens.

Founder's Philosophy: Henry J. Knott stated: "Those who are rich in the world's goods should not be proud... Let them do good, be rich in good works and generous, sharing what they have." This philosophy of humble, generous service to community informs the foundation's grantmaking.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Submit only one LOI per year during one of the three cycles—choose your timing strategically based on which strategic initiative aligns with your proposal (Youth Empowerment in February, Catholic Schools in June, Workforce Development in October)
• Geographic eligibility is strict—you must serve the Archdiocese of Baltimore including Baltimore City and nine specific Maryland counties; organizations outside this area are not eligible
• Catholic alignment matters—while not all grantees must be Catholic organizations, proposals conflicting with Catholic Church teachings (particularly pro-choice causes) are explicitly excluded
• Plan for site visits—if invited to full proposal stage, prepare for foundation staff to visit your operations; this suggests they value seeing your work firsthand
• Consider the three-year waiting period—if funded, you cannot reapply for three years, so make your funding request count for your most critical needs
• Leverage discretionary grants for smaller needs—you can have both a discretionary grant request and a general fund LOI under consideration simultaneously, and discretionary grants have faster turnaround (two weeks from approval)
• Use cash flow loans strategically—if you have delayed grant receivables, the foundation's no and low-interest loans can help with cash flow without counting against your annual LOI eligibility

References

1. The Knott Foundation Official Website. "Home." https://knottfoundation.org (Accessed January 2026)
2. The Knott Foundation. "General Fund Grants." https://knottfoundation.org/how-we-give/general-fund-grants/ (Accessed January 2026)
3. The Knott Foundation. "Strategic Initiatives." https://knottfoundation.org/how-we-give/strategic-initiatives/ (Accessed January 2026)
4. The Knott Foundation. "Discretionary Grants." https://knottfoundation.org/how-we-give/discretionary-grants/ (Accessed January 2026)
5. The Knott Foundation. "Eligibility Guidelines." https://knottfoundation.org/what-we-support/eligibility-guidelines/ (Accessed January 2026)
6. The Knott Foundation. "Our People." https://knottfoundation.org/who-we-are/our-people/ (Accessed January 2026)
7. The Knott Foundation. "Announcing Our Fall 2025 Grant Awards!" https://knottfoundation.org/announcing-our-fall-2025-grant-awards/ (Accessed January 2026)
8. The Knott Foundation. "February 2024 Grant Awards." https://knottfoundation.org/february-2024-grant-awards/ (Accessed January 2026)
9. Charity Navigator. "Marion I & Henry J Knott Foundation Inc." https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/521517876 (Accessed January 2026)
10. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "Marion I & Henry J Knott Foundation Inc." https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521517876 (Accessed January 2026)
11. Maryland Philanthropy Network. "The Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation Leadership Transition." https://www.marylandphilanthropy.org/news/marion-i-henry-j-knott-foundation-leadership-transition (Accessed January 2026)
12. Inside Philanthropy. "Marion I. and Henry J. Knott Foundation." https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant-places/maryland-grants/marion-i-and-henry-j-knott-foundation (Accessed January 2026)