Maryland Environment Grants

This grant provides financial assistance to public and private marinas in Maryland for the purchase and installation of facilities that properly dispose of sewage from boats, promoting cleaner waterways.

Established in 1959, The Henry and Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Foundation is committed to improving the human condition through promoting life-long educational opportunities and a spectrum of cultural programming. The Foundation focuses its grantmaking primarily in the Baltimore area, awarding grants to nonprofit organizations sponsoring high quality programs in three program areas: Arts and Culture, Youth Development, and Adult Self-Sufficiency. The Foundation provides support for programs and general operations and will occasionally consider requests for capital support. In Arts and Culture, the Foundation focuses on growing and diversifying audiences, increasing access to arts across age and income levels, and engaging young people as producers and consumers of arts and arts education. In Youth Development, the Foundation promotes recreation, learning and leadership development through out-of-school-time programs; supports pregnancy prevention and other policies and practices that improve outcomes for vulnerable youth. In the Adult Self-Sufficiency program area, the aim is to strengthen families by supporting adult literacy training, parenting programs and industry-specific job training and preparedness programs.

​The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) provides funding to assist Maryland’s designated and affiliate Main Street Maryland communities and Baltimore City’s designated Main Street neighborhoods in building capacity to achieve their community revitalization and economic development goals in designated Sustainable Community areas​ throughout the state. Donor Name: Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development State: Maryland City: Baltimore Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/17/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Eligible Activities Grants can be used for staff and consultant services, general operating expenses, market and business recruitment strategies to improve a business district, street furniture, advertising, façade improvements and other projects that have been identified in the applicant’s work plans as key to its Main Street efforts. The project and/or activities that funds are being requested for should support the goals and outcomes of the applicant’s annual work plan and contribute to the transformation strategy of the community. All projects and/or activities should be completed within one year; a funding match is not required. Who Can Apply​ Only the 34 designated and 9 affiliate Main Street Maryland communities and 8 Baltimore City’s designated Main Street neighborhoods are eligible to request Main Street Improvement Program funds. Main Street Improvement Program (MIP) Grant awards are allocated funds that are distributed in equal amounts to designated Main Street Maryland, participating Main Street Maryland Affiliates and designated Baltimore City Main Street neighborhoods as follows: Designed Main Street Maryland Communities: expected to be $25,000 each. Main Street Maryland Affiliates: expected to be $10,000 each. Baltimore City Main Street Neighborhoods: expected to be $8,000 each. For more information, visit DHCD.

The Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF) provides grants to rural-serving nonprofit organizations that promote statewide and regional planning, economic and community development, and agricultural and forestry education. Donor Name: Rural Maryland Council State: Maryland County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/17/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year Details: Also eligible are rural community colleges that provide enhanced training and technical assistance to support agricultural and small businesses. The Fund’s goal is to increase the overall capacity of rural-serving nonprofit organizations and community colleges to meet a multitude of rural development challenges and to help them establish new public/private partnerships for leveraging non-state sources of funding. The Rural Maryland Council (RMC) serves as the administrative agency in receiving the applications and disbursing the grants to the successful applicants. Funding Information For Fiscal Year 2025, the State has budgeted $878,964 in General Funds for the MAERDAF program. However, grant awards are subject to funding availability. The maximum grant amount is $45,000. For Fiscal Year 2025, the RMC, as the administrative agent, is encouraging applications that address the following: Agriculture & Forestry Agricultural Education Regional Food System Development Forest Industry Development Energy Combined Heat Power Energy Efficiency Biomass Rural Broadband Rural Broadband Expansion Efforts, including municipal broadband Digital Inclusion Programs Youth Engagement & Leadership Development Career Technology Centers Youth Enrichment Programs, including summer programming Economic Development Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development Education & Workforce Development Regional Marketing Efforts & Tourism Projects Community Development Rural Transportation Housing repairs Housing counseling Poverty Alleviation Efforts. Grant Period August 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. Rural Counties  State-determined rural counties are Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester. Regional projects may include non-rural counties but the majority of service must be provided in rural areas. Eligible Expenditures MAERDAF does not generally fund ongoing staff positions due to sustainability. Grant funds may be used to fund staff time associated with the completion of the proposed project only. Construction and renovation of buildings are eligible expenses. Acquisition of land is not. Please include quotes of expenditures and be shovel-ready. The purchase or rental of vehicles are eligible expenses. Meals are allowable if the costs are reasonable and a justification is provided that such activity maintains the continuity of the meeting and to do otherwise will impose arduous conditions on the meeting participants. Indirect administrative costs are capped at 10%. Eligibility Criteria Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) IRS tax designation or similar and serve a regional or statewide rural constituency. Trade associations are not eligible. Community Colleges, Career Technology Centers, Regional Councils, and Libraries are eligible applicants. The applicant does not have to be located in a rural area or in the area it serves. For more information, visit RMC.