Formation | 1972 |
---|---|
Type | Non-Profit Community Foundation |
23-7180620 | |
Location | |
Coordinates | 39°17′59″N76°36′56″W / 39.2998027°N 76.615487°W |
Area served | Greater Baltimore, Maryland |
Method | Donations and Grants |
Key people |
|
Staff | 32 |
Website | www.bcf.org |
Member of the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations |
The Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF) is a community foundation created by and for the people of Baltimore to serve the current and future needs of the Baltimore region.
The foundation distributed $30.7 million in 2020 to more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations in the Baltimore region and beyond. [1] It comprises more than 850 different charitable funds created by individuals, families, and corporations, totaling more than $240 million in assets. [1] In addition to managing donor-advised funds, BCF makes grants and impact investments, and advocates for policies to improve public education and quality of life in Baltimore neighborhoods. Its role as an advocate was highlighted in FSG Social Impact Advisors’ 2009 report, Raising Money While Raising Hell. [2]
In 1972, leaders of Baltimore's five major banks joined to establish the Community Foundation of the Greater Baltimore Area. Inspired by the success of the nation's first community foundation in Cleveland, Ohio, and a rapidly growing network of community foundations nationwide. Co-founder Robert Levi of Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust, the fledgling organization's first chairman, felt strongly that Baltimore needed “a philanthropic organization that was a gathering of all people—no color line, no religious affiliation, no special cause.” [3]
BCF is governed by a 30-member board of trustees, selected to represent diverse community interests. [4] Its staff includes professionals in community investment, donor services, development, finance and administration, and communications. [5]
A number of key initiatives of the Baltimore Community Foundation are:
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in contrary with an entity that operates as a business aiming to generate a profit for its owners. A nonprofit is subject to the non-distribution constraint: any revenues that exceed expenses must be committed to the organization's purpose, not taken by private parties. An array of organizations are nonprofit, including some political organizations, schools, business associations, churches, social clubs, and consumer cooperatives. Nonprofit entities may seek approval from governments to be tax-exempt, and some may also qualify to receive tax-deductible contributions, but an entity may incorporate as a nonprofit entity without securing tax-exempt status.
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A foundation is a category of nonprofit organization or charitable trust that typically provides funding and support for other charitable organizations through grants, but may also engage directly in charitable activities. Foundations include public charitable foundations, such as community foundations, and private foundations, which are typically endowed by an individual or family. However, the term "foundation" may also be used by such organizations that are not involved in public grantmaking.
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National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) is an American independent public charity that provides philanthropic expertise to donors, foundations and financial institutions. NPT ranks among the largest grantmaking institutions in the United States.
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