For the fourth year in a row, Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (BCYF), a public charity stewarding public dollars to build partnerships that support the ecosystem focused on building opportunities for Baltimore youth, will steward funds to city nonprofits who help Baltimore’s children and youth thrive.
On February 1, 2024, BCYF’s 2024 Grassroots Fund will be open to applicants.
About the BCYF Grassroots Fund
The BCYF Grassroots Fund addresses traditional gaps in Baltimore’s funding landscape by providing funding for grassroots, Baltimore-based, youth-serving organizations in support of an organization’s overall mission. The Grassroots Fund will award five-year grants in the amount of $50,000 per year to a select number of eligible organizations. In addition to financial support, organizations awarded a grant from the Grassroots Fund will also receive rigorous capacity-building support to help them sustain and grow.
Grassroots organizations are defined as community-accountable organizations with an annual operating budget of under $350,000. The Fund will prioritize organizations led by Black and Brown people.
To be eligible to apply, your organization should:
- Be Baltimore City-based and serve children and youth ages 24 years and under;
- Be a Maryland 501(c)(3) organization or have a confirmed Fiscal Sponsorship;
- Have an organizational budget of $350,000 or less;
- Have been in existence for at least one year;
- Have at least one year of experience running youth programs;
- And have 51% Baltimore City residents as its employees.
Please note that we do not provide unrestricted funding. BCYF funds can only be used to support programming that is Baltimore-based and youth-centered.
