Maryland Has $20 Million in Grants Set Aside For Select Not-For-Profits, But Time is Running Out!

Many Maryland not-for-profits may not realize that in addition to state and federal COVID-19 funding and Nonprofit Recovery Initiative Funds (NORI), the state has allocated $20 million in grants to select counties for reimbursable expenses that occur between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020.

To help administer these funds, eligible not-for-profit organizations must apply through the county in which the organization has a physical address, even if it is a local chapter. This means that each county has its own separate application filing process and creates some challenges, as there is a wide disparity between application deadlines. Some processes have not yet opened, while others are expiring soon or have already closed.

If your not-for-profit organization is physically located in one of the following Maryland counties, you may still have time to access the relief funds:

• Baltimore City – Awarding up to $50,000 per grant now through July 23^rd
• Calvert County – Awarding up to $15,000 per grant, application deadline TBD
• Caroline County – Awarding $110,000 in total, funding opening soon
• Cecil County- Awarding approximately $340,000 in total now through July 1^st
• Dorchester County – Awarding up to $10,000 per grant now through June 30^th
• Howard County – Awarding approximately $1M in total, funding opening soon
• Prince George’s County – Awarding approximately $3M in total, funding opening soon
• Queen Anne’s County – Awarding approximately $166,000 in total, funding opening soon

The good news is that even if your county is not on the above list, there are additional opportunities for new funding opening. Counties must announce funding opportunities 10 days prior to an application round and grants do not need to be disbursed fully until September 1, 2021.

Maryland not-for-profits who received COVID-19 state and federal monies and NORI are still eligible for the new round of state relief funding, but those organizations will not be prioritized in the grant awarding process. Funding eligibility does not need to be directly related to the economic impact of COVID-19.

As with any government relief program, rules and deadlines are subject to change. Please check regularly for updates in your County. If you have any additional questions, the Ellin & Tucker team is always ready to provide expertise and support.