The Weinberg Foundation is a proud co-founder of the Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative (SFC), a partnership between public, private, corporate, and nonprofit institutions working to expand summer enrichment opportunities for young people in Baltimore City. This past summer, which marked the seventh year of the SFC, partners committed $3,460,000 in funding, which fully or partially funded 83 summer programs serving more than 6,700 youth. The SFC was also able to provide an additional 3,000 youth with sports and recreational equipment.
Summer 2021 programs took place both in person and virtually, as organizations continued to meet the varied needs of students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The average participation rate was 81 percent, and the average daily attendance was highest at in-person programming—a sign that youth are eager to be back together with their peers.
The SFC has 14 confirmed partners for summer 2022, including the Abell Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund (BCYF), Bloomberg Philanthropies, Clayton Baker Trust, Constellation, Family League of Baltimore, France-Merrick Foundation, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, The Hinkey-Benson Family Fund, Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds, Lockhart Vaughan Foundation, The Richman Family Foundation, and the United Way of Central Maryland. In its first year as part of the SFC, BCYF has committed $2 million for summer programs run by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led organizations and for programs serving older youth ages 14-24. BCYF will play an essential role in expanding the SFC’s funding pool to more than $5 million. Baltimore’s Promise serves as the administrative backbone of the SFC.
The SFC received nearly 200 applications for summer 2022. The grantee selection process is underway, and recipients will be announced in the spring. Click here to learn more about the SFC.
