Blanket Fort Foundation

Blanket Fort Foundation is a private family foundation based in Towson, Maryland, governed by three Lerner family trustees — Mark, Traci, and Sara Lerner — through RSF LLC, with administrative and accounting support from Marcum LLP. Formerly operating as the Lerner Family Foundation, the recent rebranding signals a deliberate evolution: the foundation is actively building more formalized, mission-driven grantmaking infrastructure while remaining rooted in deep Baltimore relationships and family values.

The foundation's stated mission — "informed by our family's Jewish values" — makes organizational alignment with Jewish community institutions, or at minimum with the values of community, learning, and justice, a meaningful signal to leadership. The largest single grantee relationship is with The Associated (Baltimore's Jewish Federation), which has received $978,728 across 7 grants. That said, the portfolio is genuinely diverse: Teach For America ($585K, 6 grants), Johns Hopkins Medicine ($150K), Knox County Homeless Coalition in Maine ($210K, 3 grants), and Port Discovery Children's Museum ($110K, 5 grants) all reflect an organization that funds secular education, healthcare, and human services alongside Jewish community work.

The foundation is currently in a documented period of transformation, developing intentional strategies, formalizing its board, and adopting trust-based philanthropy principles with a racial equity lens. This creates both opportunity and timing risk for applicants: procedures are becoming more structured, but the foundation is still refining its identity and priorities. Organizations that engage thoughtfully during this transition — demonstrating learning orientation, community leadership, and equity focus — are particularly well-positioned.

First-time applicants should not submit unsolicited proposals. The formal entry point is a meeting request via email to info@blanketfortfoundation.org. From there, the relationship typically progresses: introductory meeting → Letter of Inquiry → full application → possible site visit or board meeting for larger requests. The foundation reviews applications three times per year on a trimester schedule, meaning relationship-building should begin at least one trimester before funds are needed. Long-term grantees such as Teach For America (6 grants), Port Discovery Children's Museum (5 grants), and Beth El Congregation (5 grants) illustrate that multi-year, recurring support is available to organizations that demonstrate consistent impact and maintain active communication with the Lerner family.

Blanket Fort Foundation's grantmaking has expanded substantially over the past decade. In FY2024, the foundation reported approximately $2,085,640 in total giving across 78 grants — a median grant of $18,000 and a range of $100 to $300,000. This is a significant increase in grant count from 47 grants in FY2023 ($1,752,171 total) and consistent with FY2022 ($1,814,258 total). The historical database of 259 tracked grants shows an average award of $21,988 and total recorded giving of $5,694,782 across available filing years.

Asset growth has been dramatic and contribution-driven. The foundation held $7.98M in FY2014, received $10.82M in contributions in FY2018 (assets grew to $13.2M), and again received $8.5M in contributions in FY2020 (assets rose to $22.6M). By FY2024, total assets stand at $23.1M. The payout rate has consistently exceeded the IRS minimum of 5%: FY2023 shows a 10.2% effective payout rate ($1.75M on $17.2M in assets), and FY2022 shows 8.9%. This is a philanthropically generous posture for a private foundation of this size.

Geographic concentration is heavily Maryland: 150 of 259 tracked grants (58%) are in-state, with New York at 37 (14%), Maine at 28 (11%), and Pennsylvania at 12 (5%). The Maine concentration is notable given the state's small nonprofit sector — Knox County Homeless Coalition, Pen Bay Waldo Healthcare Foundation, and Farnsworth Art Museum all have multi-year relationships with the foundation, likely reflecting Lerner family personal ties to that region.

By program area, the largest dollar concentrations are: Jewish federation and institutional giving (The Associated $978K; Beth El Congregation $203K), education and workforce (Teach For America $585K; Fund for Educational Excellence $300K; Collegebound Foundation $30K), healthcare (Johns Hopkins Medicine $150K; Lifebridge Health $75K; Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital $30K), and children and youth (Port Discovery Children's Museum $110K; Dream Big Foundation $80K). Emergency and global response grants (World Central Kitchen $20K; Israaid $25K) appear periodically. Smaller grants below $25,000 are common for arts organizations, emerging nonprofits, and Jewish cultural programs.

The five peer foundations identified by asset size all hold between $23.1M and $23.2M in assets and share Blanket Fort's NTEE category (T22, Philanthropy & Grantmaking). All five are private family foundations; none maintain public-facing websites, making direct programmatic comparison limited. The table below reflects verifiable data from public filings.

Blanket Fort Foundation is meaningfully differentiated from its asset-size peers by its degree of public transparency and accessibility. It maintains a functional website with explicit funding pillars, a structured annual grant calendar, stated core values, and a documented multi-step application process — making it significantly more approachable than any of its peers, all of which lack public web presence and appear to operate as fully closed, preselected-only funders. Its 10%+ payout rate in FY2023 also places it well above the statutory 5% minimum, reflecting a philanthropically active posture. For organizations seeking family foundation funding at the $23M asset tier, Blanket Fort is one of the more accessible options in this cohort.

No major press releases or external media announcements were identified for 2025-2026, consistent with the private family foundation model. What is documented comes from the foundation's own website and IRS filings.

The most significant recent development is the rebranding from Lerner Family Foundation to Blanket Fort Foundation. The foundation describes itself as being in "a time of transformation" — working to identify core values, create a mission statement, set clear funding areas, and formalize board structure, grant processes, and evaluation systems. This transformation appears to have been underway throughout 2024-2025.

The FY2024 Form 990-PF, published December 2025, documents the sharpest operational change in recent years: grant count nearly doubled from 47 in FY2023 to 78 in FY2024, while total assets grew from $17.2M to $23.1M following $7.1M in new revenue. This expansion in grant count without a proportional increase in total dollar giving suggests the foundation is broadening its grantee portfolio — funding more organizations at smaller amounts — consistent with an exploratory phase during strategic transformation.

The adoption of trust-based philanthropy language and a racial equity lens appears to be a recent addition to the foundation's public-facing materials, incorporated as part of the formalization process. The three-trimester grant calendar with explicit 2026 deadlines is also new, suggesting the foundation is moving from ad hoc relationship-based timing to a predictable public schedule. Leadership remains the Lerner family — Mark, Traci, and Sara Lerner — with no documented trustee changes in available filings.

The foundation's grantmaking process is deeply relational, and this is not a formality — it is the actual filter. First-time applicants must not submit an unsolicited LOI or proposal. Instead, craft a concise introductory email to info@blanketfortfoundation.org (three to four paragraphs) that explains your mission, the population you serve, and your alignment with Blanket Fort's three pillars: Education, Basic Needs, and Jewish Community. Mention any existing connections to the Baltimore, Maine, or New York communities the foundation prioritizes. Keep the tone warm and conversational, not transactional.

Timing is strategically important. The next available 2026 cycle is Trimester 3, with LOIs due October 1 and full applications due October 14. To initiate a new relationship in time for this cycle, reach out for an introductory meeting by August 2026. Do not wait until September — the foundation needs time to schedule a meeting, evaluate fit, and invite an LOI before the deadline.

Language alignment matters and is often underutilized. The foundation has formally adopted a racial equity lens and trust-based philanthropy principles. Strong proposals speak to how your organization centers community voice, who leads the work, and how equity is embedded in programming — not just served as a talking point. Proposals that describe community members as active participants rather than passive recipients will resonate with the foundation's current values framework.

For larger requests (above approximately $100,000-$150,000, based on the foundation's stated range), expect a site visit or direct meeting with Lerner family trustees. Prepare staff and program leadership to present in person. The foundation's anchor grantees — The Associated ($978K over 7 grants), Teach For America ($585K over 6 grants), Port Discovery Children's Museum ($110K over 5 grants) — all have multi-year relationships built over repeated grant cycles.

Post-award, build your evaluation methodology into the proposal from the start. The foundation requires a learning and evaluation report one year after receiving funds. Applicants who articulate how they will track and communicate outcomes signal institutional maturity and reduce perceived risk for foundation staff.