The Goldseker Foundation maintains a two-track grantmaking program that designates three priority areas but retains the ability to initiate and respond to new ideas and opportunities within our established program areas. In each of the priority grant areas, the Foundation is a directly engaged and active partner. Grants include a mix of Foundation initiatives and projects submitted independently by potential grantees.
Priority Areas
Community Development – Baltimore’s ultimate success as a city will be largely determined by its success in reviving and sustaining safe, clean, economically vibrant and welcoming neighborhoods. To help do this, we invest money and talent over an extended period of time in a market-based community development strategy that focuses on a limited number of communities, which we select, to identify, build upon, and promote their neighborhood assets.
Regional Initiatives – The Foundation seeks to encourage regional thought and action on issues important to the Baltimore area’s long term economic competitiveness and social progress. Currently, we are investing in the development and implementation of a regional transportation agenda, principally through the work of the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance.
Nonprofit Sector – To strengthen the management and effectiveness of the region’s private nonprofit sector, we annually provide a limited number of Management Assistance Grants. Awarded competitively, these grants allow recipients to engage external consultants to help improve board governance, staff quality and financial performance, or conduct strategic planning and program evaluation.
Established Program Areas
Community Affairs – Community affairs grants cut across a number of areas, including foreclosure prevention, economic development, and improving and strengthening organizations that make living and working in Baltimore City and its metropolitan region attractive to long term residents, businesses, and talented newcomers.
Education – Our education grants focus on promoting university/community engagement and increasing the number of quality school options, both public and nonpublic, for the city’s students and families, especially those residing in our priority neighborhoods.
Human Services – Our human services grants focus on those projects and organizations which have a broad reach and work to improve systems of service delivery, rather than those which provide direct services themselves.
Featured Initiatives
The Goldseker Foundation has consistently been an early supporter—in many cases the first funder—of a number of initiatives designed to strengthen our city and region. Some highlights follow. A complete list of the Foundation’s grants can be found on our Grants page.
Neighborhood-School Partnership Grants were created by the Foundation to encourage joint neighborhood and school improvement strategies that result in two positive outcomes: (1) neighborhoods that are desirable due to high-quality schools, well-maintained properties, and strong community connections; and (2) increasing enrollment and academic quality at schools serving children living in Healthy Neighborhoods. For a list of the first partnerships awarded funding,
Central Baltimore Partnership is engaging city government, neighborhood organizations, major property owners, three higher education institutions, and nonprofit agencies in a comprehensive, long term project to restore Baltimore's crossroads, by increasing investment and improving the economic and social health of the area from Penn Station to 24th Street, between Howard Street and Greenmount Avenue.
Healthy Neighborhoods helps strong but undervalued Baltimore neighborhoods increase home values, market their communities, create high standards for property improvements, and forge strong connections among neighbors.
Live Baltimore Home Center serves as a single source for information about living in Baltimore City, by providing comprehensive information about city neighborhoods, real estate professionals, and home buying incentive programs.
Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance engages families and communities to make downtown Baltimore a highly sought-after locale for family life—a diverse and socially connected place where schools are excellent, streets are safe, parks are plentiful, retail abounds, and housing meets the needs of growing families.
Central Maryland Transportation Alliance acts through a Board of prominent area business and civic leaders, to improve travel efficiency within the region by advocating for creation of a rapid, reliable, regional transportation network.