Street Lights and Circus Nights: BCF Backs Resident-Led Projects to Strengthen Baltimore Blocks
The Baltimore Community Foundation awards Stronger Neighborhoods Grants Year-Round
BALTIMORE, Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF), a nonprofit organization that connects people who are passionate about their community and purposeful in their philanthropy, has invested in a series of resident-led projects to make Baltimore's neighborhoods safer, brighter, and more vibrant.
From new streetlights that enhance visibility and security, to community gatherings that spark connection and unite neighbors, these investments embody BCF's belief that the people of Baltimore know what their community needs to thrive.
"These projects show what thriving communities--powered by the ingenuity, resilience, and vision of Baltimore's own residents--look like in action," said Crystal Harden-Lindsey, Vice President of Community Impact at the Baltimore Community Foundation. "When neighbors take the lead—bringing light, art, and connection to their own streets—they remind us that lasting change starts close to home, with residents who care deeply about where they live."
The following are examples of neighborhood-driven projects that received BCF Stronger Neighborhoods grants this fiscal year:
- Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition ($30,693): To install street lighting across 56 homes in Milton-Montford—improving visibility and safety.
- Preston 2K Block Association ($9,800): To install string lights that address safety concerns and encourage evening social gatherings for residents.
- St. Luke's Youth Center ($23,000): To host ongoing Community Engagement Dinners that strengthen relationships within the Poppleton neighborhood.
- Union Square Association ($15,000): To bring Charm City Circus to the community for a day of family-friendly entertainment and gathering.
- Fells Point Creative Alliance ($15,000): To support the Great Halloween Lantern Parade, a Baltimore tradition that celebrates creativity, community, and light.
- Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm ($29,646): To support the Blooming Futures: Little Farmers, Big Dreams, a youth-led urban farming initiative.
Together, these efforts highlight the value of active, engaged communities—where safety and creativity go hand in hand, and every small action contributes to a stronger, more vibrant Baltimore.
Read more community impact stories at bcf.org/impact.
During the first half of 2025, BCF invested $776,470 in strategic grants to strengthen Baltimore's neighborhoods and schools. This includes $296,139 for Stronger Neighborhoods programs and projects that make our neighborhoods safer, cleaner, greener, and more vibrant, and $480,331 for Stronger Schools initiatives to improve kindergarten readiness, student mental health, and school climate and culture. BCF considers and awards strategic grants on a quarterly basis.
To learn more about BCF's grantmaking, visit www.bcf.org/apply-for-grant.
About BCF
For over 50 years, the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF) has connected people who are passionate about their community and purposeful in their philanthropy. BCF amplifies donors' philanthropy with strategic grants, impact investments, special initiatives, and advocacy to strengthen schools and neighborhoods. Visit www.bcf.org to discover meaningful giving, invest your funds wisely, and join a diverse community working to build a better Baltimore.
SOURCE Baltimore Community Foundation
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