Baltimore Community Foundation

Baltimore Community Foundation, Inc.

Formation	1972
Type	Non-Profit Community Foundation
Tax ID no.	23-7180620
Location	Baltimore, Maryland
Coordinates	39°17′59″N76°36′56″W / 39.2998027°N 76.615487°W / 39.2998027; -76.615487
Area served	Greater Baltimore, Maryland
Method	Donations and Grants
Key people	David Clapp (Chair) Shanaysha Sauls (President & CEO)
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 Greater Baltimore. BCF's mission is to inspire donors to achieve their charitable goals from generation to generation and to improve the quality of life in the Baltimore region through grantmaking, civic leadership and strategic investments. ^[1]

With assets over $300 million and more than 900 charitable funds created by individuals, families, and corporations, BCF has granted more than $737 million since 2001 and made additional contributions since its inception in 1972, making it one of the Baltimore region’s top grantmaking foundations. 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]

History

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]

Governance

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]

Initiatives

A number of key initiatives of the Baltimore Community Foundation are:

• Donor Services, providing customized charitable giving guidance for individual, family, corporate and public entities.
• Grantmaking focused on strengthening schools and neighborhoods. ^[6]
• Impact Investing in projects that provide a financial return and social and economic benefits. ^[7]
• Advocacy for equity in public education including the Blueprint for Maryland's Future. BCF CEO Dr. Shanaysha Sauls was appointed to chair the Blueprint Accountability and Implementation Board nominating committee that will oversee the law's roll-out. ^[8]
• Special Initiatives
  • Central Maryland Transportation Alliance is a coalition of Greater Baltimore's business, environmental and community leaders dedicated to improving travel efficiency in Central Maryland. ^[9]

References

1. https://bcf.org/about-bcf/
2. Kania, John, et al. Raising Money While Raising Hell. FSG Social Impact Advisors, Fall 2009, p. 2-3. Archived 2013-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
3. Levi, Robert H. Interview with Suzanne Wolff. 28 February 1994.
4. "BCF's Board of Trustees". www.bcf.org. Archived from the original on 2015-12-06. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
5. "Staff of the Baltimore Community Foundation". www.bcf.org. Archived from the original on 2015-12-06. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
6. BCF. "Grants". Baltimore Community Foundation. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
7. "Baltimore Community Foundation's investment pool grew 16% last year". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
8. Shwe, Elizabeth. "Presiding Officers Appoint Members to Blueprint Accountability Board Nominating Committee". Maryland Matters. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
9. "Sponsors – Central Maryland Transportation Alliance" . Retrieved 2019-10-30.