About
Fostering accountability
through transparency
BCYF is committed to sharing how we work, how decisions are made, and how resources are stewarded. This page brings together key documents that help our community understand our grantmaking practices, financial oversight, and commitment to responsible public trust.
Policies and Governance
Access the policies and governance structures that guide our work and ensure accountability across the organization.
Financial Reports and Audits
We share our financial statements and independent audits to demonstrate how funds are managed and protected in service of Baltimore’s youth.
Grantmaking Guidelines
Our funding apprach is grounded in equity, community voice, and long-term impact. Explore the guidelines that shape how we invest in programs and partners.
Reports and Resources
Explore additional reports and materials that provide insight into our work, priorities, and impact across Baltimore.
Annual Reports
Quarterly Reports
Strategic Plan
Frequently Asked Questions
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About BCYF
What is the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (BCYF)?
The Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (BCYF), a nonprofit, was created by the voters of Baltimore, and has been a key component in our city’s historic decrease in homicides and gun violence.
BCYF directly provides financial support to local youth-serving organizations while also offering professional learning and training initiatives for the leaders of those organizations. This combined approach nurtures long-term sustainability for the nonprofits that lift up our young people, and it strengthens Baltimore’s youth development ecosystem.
600% of the funds BCYF receives go directly to local Baltimore youth-serving organizations, 20% support professional development of their leaders and Boards. 15% goes to administrative costs at BCYF, and 5% goes to community engagement.
BCYF’s goal is to provide small, locally impactful nonprofits with the necessary funds while also equipping them with the professional skills and knowledge to continue their success beyond their time as a BCYF grantee.
Why is BCYF’s work important?
BCYF’s grants and professional development help to sustain the success of Baltimore’s grassroots youth organizations in the long term without the need for BCYF’s funding. Educating youth leaders on skills like networking, marketing, communications, fundraising, financial expertise, and board leadership ensures the long-term stability of these organizations, so they can continue to support Baltimore’s young people for years to come. Grants from BCYF are often an early step in the life of these small nonprofits, and our work helps them set a foundation in services, compliance, and reporting that will last.
How is BCYF regulated?
BCYF has a higher degree of accountability and oversight than any other organization that receives Baltimore tax dollars.
BCYF’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was created by the Baltimore City government and approved by residents and outlines the goals, funding, spending, and regulations of our organization.
This includes participating in annual financial audits, all of which are available for review on our website here. We also submit quarterly financial reports to the Baltimore Department of Finance. Our annual budgets are also reviewed, approved, and available for all citizens to read.
Does BCYF participate in financial audits?
Yes, in fact, BCYF has a higher degree of accountability and oversight than any other organization that receives Baltimore tax dollars. This includes participating in annual financial audits, all of which are available for review on our website here. We also submit quarterly financial reports to the Baltimore Department of Finance. Our annual budgets are also reviewed, approved, and available for all citizens to read.
Professional Skill Development
What is professional skill development and how does BCYF accomplish it?
BCYF’s professional skill development program consists of tools, resources, and programs we provide to nonprofit leaders who have received a BCYF grant to ensure that they are equipped to continue their success and impact the community, so that they can become self-sufficient without assistance from BCYF in the future.
The dual approach that BCYF offers helps organizations remain sustainable and active for years to come through skills such as marketing, communications, fundraising, financial expertise, and board leadership.
BCYF assists their grantees in professional skill development through:
- Individual support plans
- Cohort learning through our Learning Lab programs
- One-on-one support with Program Officers
- Educational and professional conference attendance and presentation opportunities
What is the importance of investing in youth leaders’ professional development?
Investing in youth leaders’ professional development helps strengthen grantee organizations by enabling them to expand their knowledge on key leadership and business skills, enhancing their impact on the youth of Baltimore. This enables them to make significant changes in their community now, and in the future when they eventually move on from BCYF’s grant support.
Without these professional development skills, many youth leaders would lack the support and background knowledge to run their organization efficiently and in a way that guarantees long-term stability and allows them to be available to young people for years to come. We want to ensure tax-payer dollars are used effectively and educating leaders on how to manage their grants is the first step.
Grantmaking
How is BCYF different from other foundations supporting the city’s youth?
BCYF is unique in its dual approach to organizational support that includes providing direct financial grants, as well as professional development training to local youth leaders that allows them to build a strong foundation in services, compliance, and finances at their nonprofit.
We also have an incredible community feedback process that allows Baltimoreans the opportunity to decide how BCYF’s funds are spent, and which grantees are selected on a yearly basis.
Isn’t funding organizations enough? Why is BCYF so concerned with impacting the whole system?
While providing money to these small grassroots organizations is an important aspect of making change in our community, BCYF recognizes that it is only one aspect of our mission to see Baltimore become a national leader in youth development. Baltimore City voters approved BCYF because we see racial equity and community engagement as essential to guiding our work, and they are embodied throughout the organization’s operations.
The professional development and ecosystem building BCYF is driving will lead to more than just more youth services, but real, tangible changes in our community, such as our city’s historic decrease in homicides and gun violence.
When will BCYF issue the next call for grantee applications?
BCYF’s grant application opens on [DATE FOR 2027] for The Grassroots Fund and The Community Accountable Fund. For information about those funds and our pre-application technical assistance offerings, please visit this page.
How does BCYF provide grants?
BCYF is one of the most unique grantmaking organizations in the United States, combining direct funding with professional development training to create and sustain stable and long-lasting youth-focused grassroots organizations. BCYF is funded by Baltimore City residents, and our local residents have the opportunity to choose what organizations our Fund supports.
BCYF awards grants to organizations that provide programming to thousands of Baltimore’s young people ranging from academic support and science exploration to dance, photography and more, all of which are selected by Baltimore residents themselves.
What is a grantee?
A grantee is a term that BCYF uses to refer to the nonprofit organizations that receive funds from BCYF. They are carefully selected and vetted to ensure they meet the criteria for an organization that is positively impacting and empowering Baltimore youth.
How are grantees chosen?
All BCYF grantees undergo an extensive review process and must meet specific qualifications to be selected, including:
- Being active in Baltimore City, with an emphasis on programs or services operating in spaces that assist young people from the communities in Baltimore City most impacted by high poverty.
- Credible with and accountable to youth and the local communities they serve.
- Have an element of youth-centered programming.
- Demonstrate how they are designed to improve the lives of young people.
Potential grantees can apply for grants and are then assessed by our team to determine compliance. Once an application is approved, it’s sent to our community grant review team where each organization is scored on justification, success, feasibility, the organization’s mission, and annual budget.
How much of BCYF’s fund is spent on grants?
80% of the funds BCYF receives go directly to grassroots organizations and the development of their leaders. 15% goes to administrative costs. 5% goes to community engagement.
How does BCYF ensure grantees are utilizing the funds properly?
Each grantee is required to submit extensive documentation to receive and maintain their funding. This includes monthly reports, bank statements, and/or credit card statements to ensure that the allocated funds are being used properly and as promised. BCYF has a zero-tolerance policy for the misappropriation of funds and acts accordingly when reviewing all documents.
Is there any city oversight over BCYF?
BCYF has a higher degree of accountability and oversight than any other organization that receives Baltimore tax dollars.
This includes participating in annual financial audits, all of which are available for review on our website here. We also submit quarterly financial reports to the Baltimore Department of Finance. Our annual budgets are also presented at an annual hearing and available for all citizens to review and give public comment.
Without these professional development skills, many youth leaders would lack the support and background knowledge to run their organization efficiently and in a way that guarantees long-term stability and allows them to be available to young people for years to come. We want to ensure tax-payer dollars are used effectively and educating leaders on how to manage their grants is the first step.
What happens if a grantee isn’t compliant?
Grantee compliance is determined through an assessment conducted by BCYF staff. Grantees are required to adhere to a comprehensive set of documentation and reporting obligations, including submitting monthly financial expense reports, monthly employment reports to the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, quarterly program updates, and maintaining current insurance, background checks, and banking information. BCYF also conducts annual site visits.
If a grantee is determined to be non-compliant, BCYF immediately contacts the organization and puts together a plan to meet all requirements. Importantly, no funds are disbursed until compliance requirements are fully met, ensuring financial accountability and alignment with grant expectations. Persistent non-compliance, despite these interventions, may lead to additional measures, such as suspension of funds or ineligibility for future grant cycles. By combining accountability with capacity-building support, BCYF ensures grantees are equipped to meet compliance standards, strengthening the overall impact of their programs.
Staffing and Finances
How many employees does BCYF have?
BCYF is a small organization of 20 employees who are responsible for selecting grantees, planning fund allocations, offering support and services to grantees, as well as a myriad of additional duties in support of the grantees.
How much money has Baltimore Children & Youth Fund spent on grants and how much has it spent on administrative and other costs?
Since 2020, BCYF has awarded [$31 million] [SL1]to over 100 youth-serving organizations. BCYF’s full budgets and financial audits can be found on our website here, which break down every cent of our spending on grants, administrative costs, and community engagement.
How is the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund accountable to the public for the money it spends?
BCYF has a higher degree of accountability and oversight than any other organization that receives Baltimore tax dollars.
Details about BCYF’s spending, including for grantmaking, technical assistance and administration, is a matter of public record. If you have questions about financial records, please submit a request under the Maryland Public Information Act, and/or visit our reports page to review quarterly and annual reports, and yearly financial audits.
Does the public have a say in how BCYF utilizes funds?
Absolutely. This Fund was approved by Baltimore City voters, and we believe that Baltimore City residents are a key voice in determining where BCYF focuses its resources. Every year, BCYF presents its budget and plan of use to the citizens of Baltimore for their feedback and review, with encouragement to individuals to assist in the decision-making process. All the feedback is considered by the BCYF team, and the necessary adjustments are made as this is a fund for the people of Baltimore, by the people of Baltimore, and their voice deserves to be heard.
Bill 25-0100
What is the purpose of Bill 25-0100?
The bill introduces updated governance, operational, compliance, and financial management standards for BCYF with the goal of strengthening the values already core to BCYF, including transparency, public accountability, and community input on how City-funded organizations operate.
What does this legislation mean for BCYF?
Many of the bill’s standards align with practices already central to how BCYF operates. This is an opportunity to formalize, document, and expand those practices, such as Board composition, grantmaking, and financial reporting, and providing even more public visibility into our day-to-day work and decision-making.
What steps is BCYF taking to implement these new standards?
We’ve mapped out 24 specific action items across four phases that will be completed in June through October 2026, ahead of our new fiscal year. These items include updating our Board recruitment process, publishing a public grant manual, centralizing our data and reporting systems, staff training, and introducing new financial safeguards, all with formal Board review and approval built into the process.
