Maryland Small Grants Program (MSGP) is a grant from the Maryland Philanthropy Network that funds smaller nonprofits in Maryland and Northeastern Pennsylvania seeking operating, program, or capital support. The program aggregates requests for proposals from Maryland Philanthropy Network member foundations, connecting nonprofits to a range of grant opportunities across all foundation giving areas.

Member funders include the Abell Foundation, Ausherman Family Foundation, Baltimore Community Foundation, and others. Individual grant amounts vary by funder, with some programs offering up to $10,000 for small grants and others providing up to $100,000 over two years.

Eligible organizations include nonprofit community groups working to improve quality of life, build organizational capacity, or strengthen back-office and leadership functions. Many programs accept applications on a rolling basis.

Requests for Proposals | Maryland Philanthropy Network As a membership organization, we are pleased to provide Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from our members to the broader community. Latest Requests for Proposals from MPN Members The Abell Foundation : Small Grants Program The Abell Foundation awards grants to nonprofit community partners working to improve the quality of life in Baltimore.

We provide seed funding for innovative pilots, support for ongoing community programs and services, and funding for capital projects. The small grants program includes all requests of $10,000 or less. Applications are currently open on a rolling basis.

Click here for more information . Ausherman Family Foundation: Back-Office Support Grants Back-Office Support Grants are designed to build the capacity of nonprofits by strengthening back-office functions. These grants will help nonprofits increase efficiencies, lower operating expenses, increase employee retention and ensure compliance while allowing more time to be dedicated to mission related activities.

In this first phase, AFF will focus on bookkeeping including bill processing, bill paying, payroll processing, and general accounting supports. In future phases, additional solutions may be available. There is no application deadline, but only a limited amount of these grants will be awarded during this first phase of the pilot.

Click here for more information . Ausherman Family Foundation: Capacity Building Grants Capacity Building Grants assist nonprofits in achieving new levels of effectiveness. Our purpose is to strengthen the leadership and management of Frederick County’s nonprofit organizations by helping them build systems and find resources such as consultants to facilitate the organization’s progress in achieving the goals.

Letters of Inquiry are accepted on a rolling basis. Click here for more information . Baltimore Community Foundation: Mitzvah Fund for Good Deeds The Mitzvah Fund for Good Deeds was established in 2012 for the purpose of providing gap funding for non-profits in the Baltimore community.

The purpose to which Mitzvah Fund monies may be applied are broadly defined. Proposals may include funding for unrestricted needs, transportation, staffing, etc. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Click here for more information .

The Campbell Foundation: General Grants Established in 1998 to improve the conditions of America’s largest and most ecologically diverse and productive estuary systems: the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays; The Campbell Foundation is pleased to accept proposals for unsolicited grants. This opportunity is only open to new grantees, not organizations that are current or previous grantees of The Campbell Foundation.

The next deadline to apply is Friday, January 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM PT. Click here for more information . France-Merrick Foundation: Grants Program The France-Merrick Foundation concentrates its grant-making within the State of Maryland and primarily within the greater Baltimore area.

The Foundation favors one-time, project-oriented requests which have defined beginnings and endings, as opposed to annual giving or ongoing operational support. Decisions about requests under $50,000 are communicated on a monthly basis. The next deadline to submit a Letter of Inquiry for a proposals over $50,000 is February 6, 2026.

Click here for more information .

France-Merrick Foundation: Meet the Moment Fund The France-Merrick Foundation will provide short-term financial support to organizations working to advance one or more of the following: preventing and addressing disruptions that negatively impact essential community needs and services, such as health, housing, safety, education, and environmental protection; supporting strategic responses to sustain organizations and/or vital services; or investing in collaborative structures and practices to meet complex needs with reduced resources.

Requests will be accepted on a rolling basis and decided once a month. Click here for more information . The Goldseker Foundation: Management Assistance Grants Helen J.

Serini Foundation: Small Grant Programs The Helen J. Serini Foundation supports innovative interventions that remove or address root causes of systemic barriers to health, safety, shelter, and opportunity in the communities where we work and live.

The small grants program supports specific projects: personal/professional development and support; offsetting harm done by past fiscal sponsors; or for support of specific work around diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. Applications are open on a rolling basis. Click here for more information .

The Marion I. + Henry J. Knott Foundation: General Fund Grants The Marion I.

& Henry J. Knott Foundation is a Catholic family foundation that strives to strengthen communities in central and western Maryland while preserving the Knott legacy of giving.

Since its inception, the General Fund Grants program has provided over $70 million in support across five program areas: arts & humanities, Catholic activities, education, health care, and human services, to organizations working to strengthen communities, build opportunities, and create safe and healthy spaces for individuals and families to thrive. The next deadline to submit a Letter of Inquiry is February 2, 2026.

Click here for more information. The Marion I. + Henry J.

Knott Foundation: Cash Flow Loans The Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation is a Catholic family foundation that strives to strengthen communities in central and western Maryland while preserving the Knott legacy of giving.

In an effort to increase the impact of their resources and respond more quickly to the needs of the nonprofit community, the foundation began providing cash flow loans, also called program-related investments (PRIs), at favorable rates to support activities that have a direct charitable purpose. For the recipient, the primary benefit is access to capital at lower costs and faster turnaround times than may otherwise be available.

For the funder, the principal benefit is that the repayment can be recycled for another charitable purpose. They award low-interest loans of $10,000 - $25,000 to qualifying nonprofits for periods up to six months. Learn more about the cash flow loan program .

Meyer Foundation: Rapid Response Grants The Meyer Foundation believes systemic racism has led to our deeply inequitable economy and unjust systems, preventing entire communities from accessing prosperity and opportunity.

With its commitment to the intersection of racial justice and systems change, the foundation's one-time, $10,000 or $20,000 grants will continue to support movement building, mobilization, and power building around causes or issues that promote racial justice through advocacy, organizing, and/or coalition building. Click here for more information .

MileOneCares: Regular Grants Program MileOneCares, the philanthropic program of MileOne Autogroup/Heritage is committed to creating meaningful partnerships with those who are making lives better. We focus our efforts in the areas of access to safe transportation and strengthening our communities. These pillars are at the heart of our giving.

We welcome proposals to assist in opportunities that fall within our giving priorities. We accept requests from non-profit organizations who are seeking monetary donations and sponsorships. Additionally, we offer a matching grants program which supports non-profits who are in need of a vehicle.

All requests have rolling deadline and we will notify you of decisions within eight (8) weeks of receiving your completed application. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Click here for more information .

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation: Capital Grants Program The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation is seeking high-quality capital projects within our priority communities of Maryland, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, rural communities throughout the United States, and the State of Israel.

The Foundation will consider capital projects that incorporate evidence-based best practices and provide direct services for low-income and vulnerable populations, including older adults, families, children, and youth. Projects will receive full consideration regardless of the requested grant amount—whether $100,000 or more than $1 million. Click here for more information .

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation: Small Grants Program Additional Funding Opportunitites City of Frederick: SECURE Initiative In response to significant disruptions in funding for nonprofits, the City of Frederick is launching the Supporting Emergency Capacity, Urgency, Resiliency, and Equity (SECURE) Initiative: a $700,000 emergency relief program designed to provide one-time, flexible, bridge funding to eligible local nonprofits who sustain critical services and serve the city’s most vulnerable residents.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through March 31, 2025. Click here for more information . Emergent Fund : Monthly Grants Emergent Fund is a rolling, monthly rapid response and emergent organizing grant for movement and frontline communities responding to urgent and specific unanticipated crises or opportunities to build power.

These grants aim to support organizing that supports emergent strategies, organizing that leverages “moveable” or “pivotable” moments, and organizing that explicitly seeks to dismantle, abolish, and replace systems of oppression. Applications are due every 3rd Thursday of the month by 8:00 PM ET. Click here for more information .

Maryland Nonprofit Development Center Program and Fund: Nonprofit, Interest-Free, Micro Bridge Loan Account (NIMBL) This interest-free, micro bridge loan program and fund supports the operations of nonprofit entities. Nonprofits receiving NIMBL funding must be located in the State and determined by the Internal Revenue Service to be exempt from taxation under Section 501(c) (3), (4), or (6) under the Internal Revenue Code.

The program is administered by the Maryland Nonprofit Development Center and the Maryland Department of Commerce. Learn more about the NIMBL program. Morgan CARES: Community Awards Program The Morgan CARES Community Award is a small seed funding initiative intended to support community-campus collaborations.

The goal of this small award is to promote and strengthen partnerships between community-based organizations and groups, and members of academia at Morgan State University. It is the hope that these connections form a strong foundation that supports the emergence of responsive, community-led public health initiatives that promote health equity in communities across Baltimore City.

Morgan CARES can support up to 10 Community Award projects a year. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed quarterly. Click here for more information .