SBGP Announces $483,000 in New Grants to Benefit District Communities

Community News

The South Baltimore Gateway Partnership (SBGP) is pleased to announce $483,863 in new grants to support 25 community projects across South and Southwest Baltimore. This fourth round of grant funding was highly competitive, attracting proposals totaling more than $1.2 million. Since September 2017, SBGP has invested $6.5 million to advance over 160 community programs and projects, through grants and other initiatives.

“We are grateful to South Baltimore Gateway Partnership for choosing us for a $5,000 grant,” said Elgin Maith, Site Director of Safe Streets. “We can now give children in Cherry Hill a chance to experience a day of fun, learning and team building. This will be a summer the kids will never forget!”

The list of recipients receiving $35,000 or more includes:
• Creating athletic programs for elementary- and middle-school students (NEWFit);
• Operating the Baltimore Composting Community Project (Institute for Local Self Reliance);
• Launching summer-long pool activities in Riverside Park (Riverside Neighborhood Association); and
• Renovating facilities to create an affordable community space (Salem Lutheran Church).

In addition, 14 small grant recipients will receive up to $5,000 each for projects such as the Thomas Johnson Elementary School Live Well Expo, the Baltimore Community ToolBank, South Baltimore Partnership’s community clean-up, and an outdoor film series at Westport Academy.

A full list of newly funded projects is available here.

“We are excited to see our investments in the neighborhoods we serve beginning to bear fruit in so many ways—from an increase in healthy activities for families and seniors to cleaner, greener parks for everyone,” said SBGP Executive Director Brad Rogers. “We look forward to collaborating with area residents to make lasting changes that will truly improve the quality of life in communities that have been under-served for too long.”

In addition to these newly funded projects, SBGP continues to cultivate longer-term transformational projects for the district, including developing the Middle Branch into Baltimore’s next great waterfront and launching the upcoming Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness Center at Cherry Hill.

About the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership
SBGP was established in 2016 to help implement the South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan, a sweeping plan to improve neighborhoods near the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, with funding provided by the Local Impact Grants generated by video lottery terminals. Under its Strategic Plan, SBGP works to improve the vitality of its communities by focusing on three crucial elements of the South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan: Community Development and Revitalization, Environmental Sustainability, and Health and Wellness. To achieve the agenda laid out in the Strategic Plan, SBGP has established three interrelated program areas: Community Grants, Enhanced Services, and Transformational Projects.
SBGP is not an agency of the City of Baltimore or the State of Maryland. It is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of residents of the district and representatives of businesses located in the district.