Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund Provides Critical Lifeline to Assist with Unexpected Costs

Thank you to Mayor Brandon Scott and & Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer for looking after communal nonprofits during this difficult time.

Among others, grant awardees are:

Jewish Community Services

Bnos Yisroel of Baltimore

Ohr Chadash Academy

Rabbi Chaim Nachman Kowalsky Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund Inc.

The Edward A. Myerberg Center

BALTIMORE, MD (Tuesday, December 29, 2020) — Mayor M. Brandon Scott and the Baltimore Civic Fund announced $5 million in grant funding to awardees of the Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund. The fund will support 124 nonprofit organizations serving Baltimore residents, who will gain access to critical funding to cover unplanned costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Even while many organizations experienced decreased revenue and unexpected costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, our nonprofit community has stepped up to continue serving the residents of Baltimore,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “The Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund supports the nonprofit organizations that play a critical role in our neighborhoods and the lives of Baltimoreans.”

Recognizing nonprofits’ quick response to continue and grow crucial services and serve Baltimore residents, Baltimore dedicated $5 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act into the Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund.

Administered by the Baltimore Civic Fund, the Nonprofit Relief Fund is a one-time opportunity that supports nonprofit organizations by reimbursing them for unplanned costs incurred since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

The Baltimore Civic Fund worked in partnership with the City to create an equitable process to ensure that as many non-profits as possible were able to access the funds. Grant funding will cover expenses incurred by nonprofit organizations adapting to continue safe and effective operations during the pandemic, including hosting virtual events and programs, increasing or shifting staffing to meet new demands, and supplying staff and those they serve with personal protective equipment (PPE).

“The Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund grants ensures nonprofits are able recoup expenses as we depend on them more than ever to offer important services,” said HyeSook Chung, President of the Baltimore Civic Fund. “Working alongside City leadership, we are so humbled that the Civic Fund could play an important part in providing support for the nonprofit community.”

Grantees of the Nonprofit Relief Fund serve a diverse variety of needs in Baltimore, including human services, health and wellness, youth programs, art and culture, education, religious communities, and environmentalism.

"The grant received from the Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund allows Art with a Heart to continue providing a wide range of art programs to our community during this time of great need,"  said Randi Pupkin, Executive Director of Art with a Heart, which received funding to reimburse the cost of assembling of individual art boxes for thousands of students to participate in art classes, among other needs. "We can pursue our work of using visual art to enhance the lives of people in need more tenaciously and without compromise knowing that a considerable portion of the extra expense we have incurred due to COVID-19 has been offset by the grant."

"As we respond to the food insecurity and other needs among our immigrant and refugee neighbors, including many new requests for help every day, we are limited by the resources available to us," said Tiffany Nelms, Executive Director of Asylee Women Enterprise. "With the Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund, we are able to say 'yes' during a time where we would otherwise have to make hard decisions about who is most in need and who we are able to help." Asylee Women Enterprise used the Nonprofit Relief Fund to hire additional staff to support an expanded food program and associated case management for families in-need, as well as moving programming online. 

A full list of the 124 Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund grantees is below:

Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund Grantees

40 West Assistance and Referral Center, Inc.

iCARRe Foundation

4MYCITY INC

Institutes for Behavior Resources, Inc.

Access Art, Inc.

Islamic Leadership Institute of America

Active Social Communities (DBA Volo Kids Foundation)

Itineris

Art with a Heart, Inc.

Jewish Community Services

Associated Catholic Charities

Kennedy Krieger School Programs

Asylee Women Enterprise

Latino Education Advancement Fund

At Jacob's Well Inc

LET'S GO Boys and Girls, Inc.

B&O Railroad Museum

Light of Truth Center, Inc.

Baltimore Adolescent Treatment and Guidance Organization, Inc.

Lillie May Carroll Jackson Charter School

Baltimore Children's Museum, Inc. / Port Discovery

Living Classrooms Foundation

Baltimore Choral Arts Society, Inc.

Mariposa Education

Baltimore Community ToolBank

Maryland Academy of Sciences / Maryland Science Center

Baltimore Curriculum Project

Maryland Center on Economic Policy

Baltimore International Academy Inc

Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, Inc

Baltimore Jewelry Center

Maryland Humanities

Baltimore Kids Chess League

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service

Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women

Mentoring Mentors

Baltimore Medical System

Mount Saint Joseph's College, Inc.

Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School

Moveable Feast

Baltimore Office for Promotion & the Arts

My Covenant Place

Belair Edison Neighborhoods, INC.

National Aquarium, Inc.

Bemorecaring, Inc.

NEWFIT

Bnos Yisroel of Baltimore

Nexus-Woodbourne Family Healing

Breath of God Lutheran Church

North East Housing Initiative, Inc.

Central Baltimore Partnership

NorthBay Education, Inc.

Challengers Independent Living

Ohr Chadash Academy

Charm City Care Connection

Organization of Hope

CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth

Patterson Park Public Charter School, Inc.

Cherry Hill Development Corporation

Planned Parenthood of Maryland

Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School

Rabbi Chaim Nachman Kowalsky Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund Inc.

City of Refuge Baltimore

ReBuild Metro, Inc.

Civic Works, Inc.

Sankofa Children's Museum of African Cultures, Inc.

Creative Alliance, Inc.

Shepherd's Clinic

Creative City Public Charter School Foundation

Southeast Community Development Corporation

Creative Nomads

SPARC Women's Center at Johns Hopkins University

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School

St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, Inc.

Digital Harbor Foundation

St. Mary's Outreach Center

Downtown Baltimore Child Care, Inc

St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore, Inc.

Druid Heights Community Development Organization

St. Peter's Adult Learning Center

Echo Resource Development, INC

The Board Room Chess

Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center

The Community Builders

Everyman Theatre, Incorporated

The Edward A. Myerberg Center

Family Survivor Network Inc.

The Family Tree

Fells Point Main Street Inc

The Literacy Lab

Franciscan Center, Inc.

The Loading Dock. Inc.

Fuel Fund of Maryland

The National Great Blacks In Wax Museum, Inc.

Writers in Baltimore Schools via Fusion Partnerships

The Producers Club of Maryland DBA Maryland Film Festival and SNF Parkway Theatre

Glenwood Life Counseling Center

The Sixth Branch, Inc.

Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation (GEDCO)

TIME Organization

Greater Baltimore Urban League

Tuerk House, Inc.

Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, Inc.

U Empower of Maryland, Inc.

Hampden Family Center

Unique Fabrics Nonprofit

Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation

United Way of Central Maryland

HARBEL Community Organization

Urban Teachers

Harlem Lacrosse-Baltimore

Waverly Main Street

Harlem Park Community Development Corporation

Wide Angle Youth Media

Helping Orphans Prosper Everywhere, Inc.

Women's Housing Coalition

Helping Up Mission

World Relief Baltimore

HER Resiliency Center

Y in Central Maryland

Holistic Life Foundation

Young Audiences of Maryland, Inc.

Humanim, Inc.

Your Public Radio Corp (WYPR) Radio

About the Baltimore Civic Fund

The Baltimore Civic Fund is an nonprofit organization that operates at the intersection of government and philanthropy to advance the City’s priorities to improve the quality of life for all Baltimore residents. Founded in 1981 as a mayoral fund for the City, the Civic Fund works in close partnership with Baltimore City, private sector partners, and other public and private resources to facilitate collaboration, promote public-private partnerships, and advance key initiatives.

The Civic Fund serves as the fiscal sponsor for Baltimore City, managing over $10 million for more than 115 City programs each year, enabling the city to raise philanthropic resources to support health and human services, economic development, education, culture and creativity, job growth, and more. In addition, the Civic Fund provides community engagement support, technical assistance, and resources opportunities and grant management for City-led and supported initiatives.

PINNED
Scroll for more news
Baltimore, MD - Mar. 30, 2026:Baltimore Pesach Zmanim 2026 - Eruvs are UP! Click on the graphic below for a larger, printable color versionClick here for a black-and-white version 
There are two major concepts which form the driving force of the Hagaddah and the Seder in general.  First, is the  Chiyuv Sipur Yitzias Mitraim,  and the second is that one must feel as if he himself is being taken out of  Mitzraim on the night of Pesach, an idea discussed more fully in the Hagaddah.  With these two concepts being the principal themes, how then does the final part of the Seder, Nirtzah, fit into this framework?  These intriguing, yet seemingly unrelated songs, raise a significant question as to exactly what role they play in the Seder and by extension, the Yom Tov of Pesach.   On a simplistic level one could answer their function is similar to that of the Afikoman and Mah Nishtana - to heighten the interest and enjoyment of the S...
Baltimore, MD – Apr.1, 2026 – BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Leah Rivka Quinn, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Mordechai & Naomi Quinn, and granddaughter of Mr. & Mrs. Phillip & Dayna Klitzner and Rabbi & Mrs. Yonason & Tirtsa Quinn. Shiva has concluded בלע המות לנצח
Baltimore, MD – Apr. 1, 2026 – (BJL) Special thanks to the organizers and volunteers who made it possible—including Councilman Yitzy Schleifer and team, Frank Storch and the Project Ezra team, Dr. Bert Miller, our partners at the Baltimore City Fire Department, Baltimore City Police Department, Department of Public Works, Department of Transportation, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs.  
Read More
As we bask in the afterglow of our Sedarim, where we retold the story of Yitzias Mitzrayim and we prepare for the last days of Pesach, where we mark Kriyas Yam Suf, it is easy to lose sight of the tumultuous days which occurred between these two amazing events.  B’nei Yisroel leave Mitzrayim behind in the distance, only to realize that the Mitzrim have had a change of heart again and were in hot pursuit.  Of course, we would assume that having just witnessed the Maccos and the Multiple Nissim that Hashem had done for them, that Bnei Yosroel would not be afraid – surely Hashem would protect them and punish the Mitzrim again.  Yet, they were afraid, they were “very” afraid.  The Torah tells us that they saw Mitzrayim chasing after them and they wer...
Baltimore, MD - Apr. 1, 2026 - More from Baltimore’s Community-Wide Biyur Chometz 5786/2026, including Baltimore City Councilman Yitzy Schleifer putting out the fire, as he does so many times throughout his service to the broader Baltimore community.  
Neveh Ilan, Israel - Apr. 1, 2026  - Native Baltimoreans Meir & Sarah Raskas, now living in Neveh Daniel but spending Yom Tov in Neveh Ilan (a suburb of Yerushalayim), wish everyone a Chag Kasher V’Sameach, letting everyone know the reality of living in Eretz Yisrael as they prepare to spend their one Seder with emunah and bitachon among family and many new friends.
Baltimore, MD – Apr. 1, 2026 - 9:57AM (BJL) Police activity near Smith & Maurleen Rd has traffic slowing in the area.  
Parsha Hashavua
Rabbi Dovid Fink - Nirtzah: Not Just The Closing Ceremonies

There are two major concepts which form the driving force of the Hagaddah and the Seder in general.  First, is the  Chiyuv Sipur Yitzias Mitraim,  and the second is that one must feel as if he himself is being taken out of  Mitzraim on the night of Pesach, an idea discussed more fully in the Hagaddah.


 With these two concepts being the principal themes, how then does the final part of the Seder, Nirtzah, fit into this framework?  These intriguing, yet seemingly unrelated songs, raise a significant question as to exactly what role they play in the Seder and by extension, the Yom Tov of Pesach. 


 On a simplistic level one could answer their function is similar to that of the Afikoman and Mah Nishtana - to heighten the interest and enjoyment of the Seder for the children.  However, upon more careful analysis, it becomes clear that not only are these songs “in tune” with the  Hagaddah’s two major ideas, but are actually and intrinsic and indispensable part of these very concepts.


 Upon reflection, it is easy to understand why Sipur Yitzias Mitraim  is an appropriate topic for Pesach night.  However, it is not as easy to understand why we are obligated to feel as if we ourselves were redeemed on the night of Pesach.  An insight into this quandary will also clarify how Nirtzah fits into the Seder.


 The reason for the  Chiyuv Sipur Yitzias Mitzrayim  is not to teach us history, nor even to train us in gratitude.  This requirement comes to emphasize the character of the Pesach season - a time of year especially designated as a time for Geulah.  The Gemarah in Rosh Hashana (11b) says that just as the Geulah from Mitzrayim occurred in Nissan so too will the eventual Geulah from present day galus take place in Nissan.  For this reason, the Hagaddah stresses this point - the obligation to feel as if we ourselves are going out - to illustrate that the same potential for redemption which came to fruition with Yitzias Mitzraim, exists every Pesach.  Thus the potential for Geulah from present day Galus is at its highest during this time.  With this explanation we can also understand what function the songs of Nirtzah have in the Seder


 In the first poem,  Vayehi Bachatzi Halayla, an extensive list is composed of many past great things that Hashem has done in the midst of the night.  Only one future event is added to this list - Hashem’s eventual bringing of Moshiach.  Similarly, in Ki Lo Naeh, a list of adjectives ranging from distinguished and glorious to mighty and merciful are used to describe Hashem.  Yet again, in this song the Haggadah slips in “that he is truly the redeemer.”  Obviously, if the Haggadah felt it necessary to squeeze these lines in, then they are of major significance.  This becomes clear in  Adir Hu, which is nothing short of an all out appeal for the Geulah.    Adir Hu takes all the descriptions used in the previous songs and follows each one with “May he soon and speedily rebuild his house in our days.”   This is the central theme throughout Nirtzah.  


However, just as Yitzias Mitraim  was not possible before Bnei Yisroel performed the Mitzvos of  Karban Pesach and Bris Milah, so too today’s Geulah cannot come before our total acceptance of Hashem’s dominion over the world.  This is where Echad Mi Yodeah  and  Chad Gad Ya fit in.  In Echad Mi Yodeah, we list the building blocks that the Jewish world is built upon - the basic necessities for all of Judaism.  Finally in Chad Gad Ya we are taught the single most important lesson - that of humility.  The idea that everything and everyone has something above him and therefore we must reflect on all of our actions, as we alone are accountable for them.  In concluding Chad Gad Ya, the final connection is made to Geulah with the slaughtering of the Malach Hamaves.   The Gemmarah in Succah (52a) says that at the time of the Geulah, Hashem will take the Satan (The same entity as the Malach Hamaves - Baba Basra 16a) and slaughter it.


Thus we understand how the progression of Nirtzah mirrors the link between Yitzias Mitzraim and the Geula Ha’asida.  This interpretation adds a significant aspect to our Seder.  Not only are we celebrating the Geulah from Mitzraim but we are also injecting the necessary elements for the eventual Geulah from galus today.  May we be Zoche to capitalize on the potential for geula present this Pesach and share next year in Yerushalayim.

Read More
SimchasSimchas Simcha
Tel Aviva, Israel  - Mar. 31, 2026 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Tuesday, 31 March 2026) [translated from Hebrew]:"My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel, on the eve of this Festival of Freedom, Israel is stronger than ever. The entire world hears our lion’s roar in our struggle against the evil regime in Iran, a struggle in which we have achieved immense, enormous accomplishments.But at the same time, there are painful costs. Only yesterday, we lost four of our best sons. On behalf of the citizens of Israel, and on behalf of myself and my wife Sara, I send our deepest condolences to the families of the fallen. We all embrace with love the families who lost what is most precious to them, and we all embrace with love our heroic wounded, wounded in body and soul...
US President Donald Trump said today (Tuesday) that the war against the Iranian regime will not "last much longer" and said that the US is "obliterating" Iran's forces. “We’re not going to be there too much longer. We’re obliterating the s-t out of them right now, it’s a total obliteration," Trump told the New York Post. “But we won’t have to be there much longer - but we have more work to do in terms of killing their offensive, whatever offensive capability they have left." When asked about the Strait of Hormuz, Trump stated that he expects the shipping lane "automatically reopen" with the end of the war and that "the countries that are using the strait, let them go and open it." He said that the Strait of Hormuz is a secondary con...
Nichum AveilimNichum Aveilim Aveilim
Baltimore, MD – Mar.31, 2026 – BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Mrs. Mina Krumbein, a’h, nother of Mrs. Aviva (Rabbi Arthur) Marks and Mrs. Chana Esther (Avraham) Goldman  Kevura is in Eretz Yisroel Shiva will be observed at 3113 Taney Road, Baltimore, Md 21215  Visiting Times: Tuesday between Noon - 9:00 p.m.  Wednesday (Erev Pesach) 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.    Mrs. Aviva Marks: 667-273-1438 Mrs. Chana Esther Goldman: 443-660-9278 בלע המות לנצח
JCN & Tikva House Thank Star-K’s Kashering Team; Our Dedicated “Chametz Busters Crew”Baltimore, MD – March 31, 2026 - The Jewish Caring Network (JCN) and the Rabbi Ephraim & Etti Rubin Tikva House extend heartfelt thanks to Dr. Avrom Pollak and the entire Star-K kashering team, with special appreciation to Rabbi Sholom Tendler, for their incredible work and simcha in preparing Tikva House for Pesach.This remarkable crew kashered nine sinks, nine countertops, five hot water urns, two microwaves, and seven hospitality rooms, ensuring the home is fully prepared for Yom Tov.Tikva House is now at or near full capacity for Pesach and is ready to welcome families in a warm, uplifting environment. All meals—including Yom Tov and Seder provisions—are thou...
Job Listings Jobs
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit cleared for publication on Tuesday morning that four IDF soldiers fell during combat in southern Lebanon. - Captain Noam Madmoni, aged 22, from Sderot, a team commander in the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion (934th), Nahal Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon. - Staff Sergeant Ben Cohen, aged 21, from Lehavim, a soldier in the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion (934th), Nahal Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon. - Staff Sergeant Maxsim Entis, aged 21, from Bat Yam, a soldier in the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion (934th), Nahal Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon. - Staff Sergeant Gilad Harel, aged 21, from Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut, a fighter in the Nahal Reconnaissance Unit (934) of the Nahal B...
Baltimore, MD – Mar. 30, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to David and Elana Bondy on the birth of a son. ‎יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
Classifieds Classifieds
Chesed Chesed
Baltimore, MD – Mar. 30, 2026 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Binyamin Heinemann on the birth of a daughter. Mazel tov to grandparents Yissocher & Malkie Heinemann and Shlomo & Mindy Spetner     יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בתם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
More articles