Below is a link to a PDF version of the BWGC Grant Application is available for your review only.  The BWGC’s online grants management application portal link will activate on November 1, 2024. This is where you may complete and submit your application for a grant to the BWGC.

Grant Application 2025

Welcome to the Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle 2025 Grant Cycle

Thank you for your interest in applying for a 2025 Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle (BWGC) grant. We look forward to learning more about your organization and the impact it’s having on women in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. 

Our grant process is designed to offer support, foster transparency, and provide you with an opportunity to showcase your organization’s commitment to supporting women and their families.

As you complete your application, please keep in mind that it is important for us to understand how your organization’s work aligns with the Mission and Vision of the BWGC.

• Our Mission-Through collective giving and collaboration, the BWGC supports organizations that advance opportunities for women and their families in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Circle members participate in grantmaking, education and community engagement.
• Our Vision-The BWGC contributes to a more just, equitable, and inclusive Baltimore where all women can flourish.

The BWGC believes that an organization's impact is maximized when one or more of the following are present:

• The organization actively involves the individuals being served in program development, delivery, and/or governance.
• The organization's leadership has first-hand experience with the issues it aims to address.
• The organization’s leadership actively engages the residents in the organization's geographic service area who have first-hand experience with the issues addressed by the organization.

We encourage applicants to highlight how their organization incorporates these ideas in their work. This is not a prerequisite for funding.

Organizational Criteria

To be considered for a grant, applicants must have their own 501(c)(3) IRS Letter of Determination, use a fiscal sponsor which has a 501(c)(3) IRS Letter of Determination,  OR operate as a chapter under a national or state organization which has a 501(c)(3) IRS Letter of Determination.

In addition, applicants must be able to answer NO to the following two questions to be considered for a BWGC grant in 2025: 

1) Was your organization awarded a BWGC grant in 2024?  

2) Does your organization require program participants to adhere to a particular religion or to attend religious services as part of your program offerings?

If you answered YES to either of these two questions, your organization does not currently meet the eligibility criteria for receiving a grant. However, you are welcome to apply once you fulfill our requirements. Stay informed about future opportunities by signing up for our mailing list and regularly checking our website for updates on our next grant cycle.

Ineligible Expenses

The primary focus of a BWGC grant is to support direct services to women and their families; grant funds cannot be used for any of the following:

• Organizational endowments
• Capital improvements
• Event tickets or event sponsorships
• Deficit reduction for the organization
• Annual drives or annual giving campaigns
• Political activities or Political Action Committees (PACs)

Grant Process

Applicants can request grants, in any amount, up to $25,000 for either unrestricted general operating funds or project funds.

Note: Applicants with budgets of $5 million or more may apply only for project funding.  

The application portal opens November 1. 

Applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on December 15.

Grant Applications are reviewed from mid-December through the end of May by a team of BWGC volunteer grant readers. During the review process grant readers may request a site visit.  Grant reader teams recommend organizations and projects for funding. The final decision on grant recipients is determined by a vote of the BWGC membership.

Grant Notification: Grant applicants receive notification by early June.

Grant Period: Grant funds are available for use beginning July 1 through June 30 of the following year.

The BWGC is Here to Help

Note: All underlined words are hyperlinks, allowing you to access key information with a single click. 

Because the application has changed, we strongly encourage you to review the Grant Application Guide before you begin to complete your application. You will find detailed instructions for completing the application, guidance for choosing either unrestricted general operating funds or project funds, and a description of the required documents to be included with your application.  

You are welcome to ask questions or make comments anytime during the application process via email to grants@thebwgc.org. We value your input and will respond within three business days. 

Please plan to attend one of the two virtual application information sessions that we offer in early November. Register HERE for the session date you would like to attend.

We encourage you to sign up for our mailing list to receive grant notices and important deadline dates.