Artist: Pablo Machioli

B’more Invested was a demonstration pilot anchored by OSI-Baltimore and Baltimore’s Promise. The initiative centered the core values of racial equity, justice, community transformation, and collaboration to:

Administer $2.3 million in pooled, private capital to advance the grantmaking, capacity building, facilitation, and administration of the initiative.

Bring together a grant advisory team of 23 community stakeholders and 11 funders to distribute $1.5 million in grants to 10 leaders of color who are working at the grassroots level to advance community-based alternative approaches that promote healthy, safe, and thriving neighborhoods.

Administer nearly $500,000 to support community participation in the decision-making process and grantee capacity building.

The COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Program (CEAP), was a Baltimore City-funded, community-driven program seeded by Open Society Institute-Baltimore and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. CEAP’s goal was to disburse $6M for food and household goods to 15,000 recipients throughout Baltimore City in the form of single, one-time use $400 debit cards.

13 community-based organizations administered the program as trusted partners. Baltimore’s Promise led the development of the application portal, ensured there were no duplicate applications, managed the card disbursement process, and provided customer support to residents.

The COVID-19 Response Funding Collaborative of Greater Baltimore brought together 12 Baltimore-area funders for aligned grantmaking to non-profit organizations that sought resources to support changes in operations and sustainability due to COVID-19. Baltimore’s Promise supported the initiative as the administrative backbone and primary point of contact for applicants.

Funding opportunities through the COVID-19 Response Funders Collaborative of Greater Baltimore closed on May 29, 2020.

Download past initiative materials, including the RFP, press releases, and full list of grant recipients.

Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) hosted a series of meetings with Baltimore City youth, families, faith leaders, neighborhood groups, philanthropic institutions, business entities, and the general public to inform their 2021-2022 school reopening and recovery plan called Reconnect. Restore. Reimagine. (R3).

Baltimore’s Promise served as the lead project manager and point of contact for this Engagement Strategy at the direction of the internal City Schools R3 Engagement Team. Visit the City Schools website to learn more about R3.