Baltimore Community Foundation's 2023 Annual Report
Message from the President and The Chair
Each year brings new opportunities for the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF) to grow its presence and increase its positive impact in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. In 2023, after a period of significant growth at our foundation and after the intensity of the first couple of years of the COVID-19 pandemic had passed, we turned our focus inward to develop and launch Inspire, our new strategic plan.
Inspire is the culmination of thoughtful reflection and collaboration with the broad community of people that is BCF. Through Inspire we have committed to robust community impact in our strategic grantmaking for stronger schools and neighborhoods, as well as by growing our impact investing program. We have also recommitted to investing in our people, processes, and organizational culture, thus centering our values in action right here in BCF’s headquarters.
Our strategic commitment to strong schools and neighborhoods in 2023 took many forms, from an arts installation and martial arts-based after school program to street lighting projects and urban farming. Additionally, we recognize that until these places are consistently safe, Baltimore cannot realize its full potential. That is why we continued our support and ambassadorship in 2023 of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy that contributed to homicides in Baltimore dropping below 300 last year for the first time in nearly 10 years.
Last year, we celebrated some of the remarkable people making a positive impact through our second annual Neighborhood Spotlight Awards. This event is how we honor the unsung heroes working tirelessly to make their neighborhoods safer, cleaner, greener, and more vibrant. They are the heartbeat of what makes Baltimore great, and it is our privilege to recognize them.
Finally, as we wrote this annual report, Baltimore faced an unprecedented crisis: the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and the resulting closure of the Port of Baltimore. As a trusted partner with a proven record of stewarding philanthropic gifts in defining moments, BCF initiated collaboration with state and local government officials and private and nonprofit sectors to manage the philanthropic response for port workers and affected communities.
Our experience of executing successful programs at the cross section of strategy and urgency—valuable lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic response—allowed us to respond to this tragedy in a way that builds a stronger and more resilient region. While we will report more fully on the results of these efforts at our State of BCF event and in our 2024 Annual Report, we want to acknowledge the incredible and ongoing generosity of our community that has made our response possible.
As we reflect on everything accomplished by BCF and its grantees over the last year, we feel honored to have you by our side. And we are grateful for your ongoing, vital support.
Click here to read the full report.
Source: Baltimore Community Foundation