Abell Foundation

The Abell Foundation is a left-of-center private grantmaking organization operating in the state of Maryland with a focus on the city of Baltimore. The Foundation focuses on “concentrated poverty” distributing grants on issues ranging from education to environmentalism.

Read More

At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3), Private Foundation
Website: www.abell.org
Formation:

1955

President:

Robert C. Embry, Jr.

Location: Baltimore, MD View on map
Tax ID: 52-6036106
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $296,434,535 Revenue: $13,445,692 Expenses: $18,185,484

Contents

    Its president, Robert C. Embry, Jr., is a former liberal elected official who has served liberal administrations at the Baltimore local and national levels. 1

    History

    The Abell Foundation was founded on December 31, 1953 by Harry C. Black. 2 Black served as the Chairman of the A.S. Abell Company, the former publisher of the Baltimore Sun. 2 Today, the Abell Foundation has grown to become the largest private foundation focused on Maryland. 2

    The Abell Foundation aims to solve issues of “concentrated poverty” by focusing on social, economic, and environmental problems. 2 Since 1953, the Foundation has distributed more than $339 million in grants to nonprofits and vulnerable business start-ups. 2

    Grantmaking Activity

    In 2018, the Foundation approved $13,102,817 in grants, with amounts ranging from $500 to $500,000. 3 Most of the grant funding in 2018 went to community development projects (23.7%), workforce development (19.7%), and education (19.7%). 3

    The Foundation gave its largest community development grant in 2018 to Emerging Technology Centers, Inc ($275,000) to provide instruction, workshops, mentorship, investor networking, and free office space to emerging entrepreneurs. 4 The Foundation targeted smaller grants at poverty reduction, giving to food banks, urban farming initiatives, and fuel for low-income households. 5

    The Foundation gave its largest 2018 grant in the education sector, offering $500,000 to Baltimore’s Promise to provide occupational training and employment for 500 Baltimore City Schools graduates who did not go to college. 4 In workforce development, the Foundation provided its largest grant to the Center for Urban Families in the amount of $350,000 to support job training and placement. 5 The Foundation gave further grants to organizations which advocate for left-of-center labor policies, like doubling the minimum wage. 5

    The Abell Foundation has also given significant grants to left-of-center organizations in criminal justice reform and environmental policy. In 2019 alone, the Foundation gave $100,000 to the ACLU Foundation of Maryland, $50,000 to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and $20,000 to the Justice Policy Institute. 5 The Foundation is also involved in funding many left-wing environmentalist organizations, including giving $15,000 to the Environmental Defense Fund, $50,000 to the Environmental Integrity Project, and $60,000 to the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN). 5

    People and Funding

    Most of the Abell Foundation’s funding came from the 1986 sale of the Abell Company. 2 Current president Robert C. Embry, Jr. attended Harvard Law School before getting involved in Maryland local politics. 1 Embry served as a city councilman and as the head of the Baltimore Department of Housing and Community Development, before working in urban development for President Jimmy Carter’s administration. 1 He has been president of the Abell Foundation since the sale of the Abell Company in 1987. 1

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $296,434,535 $13,445,692 $18,185,484 View
    2023 $334,676,808 $19,375,292 $22,243,302 View
    2022 $318,088,603 $31,876,320 $19,032,460 View
    2021 $398,354,670 $42,510,470 $19,445,594 View
    2020 $373,006,997 $3,748,795 $18,595,313 View

    Prior year filings: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Robert C Embry JRPRESIDENT$302,700
    Andrew A GreenVICE PRESIDENT$283,534
    Timothy J LordanCFO$262,197
    Kathleen LarkinMANAGING DIRECTOR, A$209,085
    Eileen M O'RourkeDIRECTOR IMPACT INVESTING$204,968
    Elizabeth HarberSR. PROGRAM OFFICER$166,923
    Melanie StylesSR. PROGRAM OFFICER$154,104
    Frances M KeenanSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT$153,661
    Therese StaudenmaierSR. PROGRAM OFFICER$153,652
    Tracey Barbour-GillettPROGRAM OFFICER$131,311
    Esthel SummerfieldSECRETARY$116,423

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $237,875,897
    • Number of Grants: 4,638
    • Number of Recipients: 1,140

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $500,0002025 RocaIn support of Roca Baltimore's intensive, trauma-informed efforts to reduce gun violence and help offset recent federal funding cuts that threaten its outreach, behavioral health, and employment programs for the city's highest-risk young men
    $400,0002022 ThreadEDUCATION
    $390,0002020 Vehicles for Change IncWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
    $375,0002021 The Ingenuity Project IncEDUCATION
    $370,0002023 The Ingenuity Project IncEDUCATION
    $370,0002022 The Ingenuity Project IncEDUCATION
    $370,0002020 The Ingenuity Project IncEDUCATION
    $333,3332021 Hippodrome Foundation IncARTS AND CULTURE
    $300,0002024 CENTER FOR URBAN FAMILIES INCWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
    $300,0002024 University of Maryland-BaltimoreCRIMINAL JUSTICE AND ADDICTION
    $300,0002023 CENTER FOR URBAN FAMILIES INCWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
    $300,0002022 CENTER FOR URBAN FAMILIES INCWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
    $300,0002021 CENTER FOR URBAN FAMILIES INCWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
    $300,0002021 ThreadEDUCATION
    $300,0002020 CENTER FOR URBAN FAMILIES INCWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
    $300,0002020 Morgan State University Foundation IncCRIMINAL JUSTICE AND ADDICTION
    $300,0002020 ThreadEDUCATION
    $285,0002020 Fund for Educational ExcellenceEDUCATION
    $270,0002020 Emerging Technology Centers IncCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
    $260,0002022 Emerging Technology Centers IncCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
    $256,9172020 Rose Street Community CenterWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
    $250,0002024 Baltimore Curriculum Project IncEDUCATION
    $250,0002024 Beloved Community Services CorporationCRIMINAL JUSTICE AND ADDICTION
    $250,0002024 Project Plase IncCRIMINAL JUSTICE AND ADDICTION
    $250,0002024 The Ingenuity Project IncEDUCATION

    Contact InfluenceWatch to report errors, suggest edits, or provide tips for additional profiles.

    Contact Us

    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Baltimore Sun’s 2019 Business and Civic Hall of Fame Honoree: Robert C. Embry Jr.” Baltimoresun.com. June 07, 2019. Accessed August 15, 2019. https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/hall-of-fame/bs-ed-hof-embry-20190516-story.html.
    2. “A Brief History.” The Abell Foundation. 2019. Accessed August 15, 2019. https://www.abell.org/brief-history
    3. “Financial Overview.” The Abell Foundation. 2019. Accessed August 15, 2019. https://www.abell.org/financialoverview.
    4. “2018 Grants.” The Abell Foundation. January 01, 2019. Accessed August 15, 2019. https://www.abell.org/grants/archive/2018.
    5. “2018 Grants.” The Abell Foundation. January 01, 2019. Accessed August 15, 2019. https://www.abell.org/grants/archive/2018