Baltimore Children & Youth Fund Commemorates BCYF Month, Awards Millions to Grassroots Groups Elevating Baltimore's Youth

August 14, 2025 at 03:00 AM EDT

$10+ Million Awarded to Organizations Driving Community-Rooted Excellence.

BALTIMORE, MD, August 14, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (BCYF) today announced its dual investment of $10M+ and 150+ hours of learning for Baltimore's youth-development ecosystem for fiscal year 2025, with over 175 awards going to grassroots organizations that are expanding opportunity and improving the lives of young people throughout the city. The announcement coincides with BCYF Month, an annual celebration of the Fund's commitment to equity, youth leadership, community engagement, and professional development. Throughout the month, BCYF shines a spotlight on the grassroots organizations driving impact and building a stronger future for Baltimore's youth. As part of this effort, BCYF offers free technical assistance sessions to prospective grant applicants, providing hands-on support with program development, budgeting, and data collection to ensure organizations are set up for success.

This year's grantees have a proven track record of engaging young people in ways that are meaningful, responsive, and rooted in community. Selected through BCYF's intergenerational Community Grant Review process, the grantee slate below was shaped by community voices at every step. Nearly half (48%) of BCYF's reviewers were young people themselves, helping ensure that funding decisions reflect the values and needs of youth across Baltimore.

This year's grantees include:

• Community Accountable Fund (CAF), Cohort 2025: The Chris Wilson Foundation, Youth As Resources, Loving Arms, Inc.

• Grassroots Fund (GRF), Cohort 2025: A Prosperous Tomorrow, Ballet After Dark, Inc., Beyond Fearless Inspired By Truth, Inc., Capoeira Social Project, Diapers To Deposits, Inc., Glow Forward Foundation, Konnextions LLC, Next Generation Language Access, Own Your Ase, Playful Minds Therapy, The SOAP Thriving Healing Seeds of Addicted Parents, Young Successful Leaders, Inc.

"Being a BCYF grant recipient is more than just funding, it's fuel for transformation," said Devin Jackson, President and CEO of A Prosperous Tomorrow, a new BCYF grantee dedicated to eliminating systemic barriers and advancing health and economic prosperity in underserved communities. "This support allows us to expand our reach, empowering more youth across Baltimore with high-value skills that create pathways beyond survival. We're not just reducing juvenile arrest rates, we're reengineering futures and shifting what's possible for an entire generation."

At a time when national conversations around equity and public funding are echoing locally, BCYF's approach is turning ideals into action, such as providing 150+ hours of professional development each year for prospective applicants. From pilot projects that grew into citywide programs, to first-time grantees now serving as mentors to newer cohorts, BCYF's funding model is helping build a lasting ecosystem of support.

"What truly makes this partnership exceptional is how inclusive and enriching it has been," said Michael Rosenband, Executive Director of Requity, an established BCYF grantee advancing local workforce development by helping Baltimore youth earn credentials and access paid career pathways. "Members of our team have had the opportunity to travel to meaningful places, engage with the broader BCYF-funded cohort, and participate in conversations that stretch, inspire, and connect us. Every person on our team feels part of something bigger—something invaluable—because of BCYF's approach to partnership."

"BCYF exists to build infrastructure around community-rooted excellence," said Alysia Lee, President of the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund. "Our grantees are already doing transformational work. Our job is to show up with consistency, deliver meaningful support, and ensure that Baltimore's young people are surrounded by opportunity at every turn."

To learn more about BCYF visit: https://bcyfund.org/

About the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund

Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (BCYF) builds partnerships that support the ecosystem focused on opportunities for Baltimore youth by providing support to leaders and organizations. The effort to create a dedicated fund to support programs for Baltimore's young people was launched in 2015 by then-City Council President Bernard "Jack" C. Young — a response to the unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody, an event that sharply illuminated longstanding inequities in public funding in Black communities. Supported by Baltimore City residents' tax dollars, since 2020, BCYF has awarded over $31M to Baltimore programs serving children and youth.

BCYF's Grassroots Fund (GRF) supports Baltimore-based nonprofits focused on helping children and youth thrive, while its Community Accountable Fund (CAF) is designed to award and support slightly larger organizations, with a special focus on community-nominated efforts.

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Baltimore Children & Youth Fund Commemorates BCYF Month, Awards Millions to Grassroots Groups Elevating Baltimore's Youth

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