At Greenspring Advisors, our core purpose is to “improve lives by helping people make better decisions for themselves and those who depend on them,” and the first of our five core values is to “love your neighbor. “ One of how we live out this core purpose and core value is by giving back financially to causes and organizations that are making a difference in the communities in which we live and work.
Since 2007, Greenspring Advisors has been fortunate to contribute over $600,000 to charitable initiatives, and we have a strategic goal of giving away more than $15 million by 2036. In 2012, we started the Greenspring Grant program, which awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process conducted each year by a rotating group of team members who serve on the Greenspring Grant Committee. We have been fortunate to award nearly $200,000 in grants since the inception of the program. This year’s Grant Committee included Molly Burton, Dan Mong, and Greg Hobson.
In 2018, the Greenspring Grant Committee focused on supporting organizations in early childhood development, homelessness/hunger, and financial literacy. We are pleased to announce the following 2018 Greenspring Grant recipients:
Early Childhood Development
Baltimore Montessori School ($7,500)
Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School (BMPCS) is Baltimore’s first public Montessori school. They now serve 450 students in Pre-K3 through 8th grade, with families traveling from 26 different Baltimore City zip codes to attend our joyful and diverse learning community. Their children learn with the support of highly trained teacher guides in carefully prepared classroom environments that promote independence, self-discipline, and lifelong learning. In mixed-age classroom groupings, their children explore a rigorous and engaging curriculum while developing the habits and mindsets necessary for academic and social success.
Abilities Network ($7,500)
Abilities Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that assists individuals with disabilities in Maryland to achieve their personal goals and reach their maximum potential. Abilities Network’s mission is to challenge the community to acknowledge the value and equality of people of all abilities. Their services are customized to offer individuals and families choices. We offer extensive training opportunities to families, child care providers, teachers, and community members to foster inclusion. Their programs support children, adults, families, and seniors in services affected by a variety of at-risk factors, including a diagnosed disability, lack of environmental supports, low socioeconomic levels, and limited knowledge about resources and/or the capacity to access them.
Homelessness/Hunger
Youth Empowered Society ($7,500)
Founded and run by formerly homeless youth and their allies, YES works to end youth homelessness in Baltimore by (1) providing urgently-needed direct services to youth experiencing homelessness, (2) developing the leadership and employment readiness of youth who have experienced homelessness, and (3) engaging in system-level reform. YES, Drop-In Center is Baltimore City’s first and only drop-in center for homeless youth. YES, Drop-In Center is a safe space for homeless youth and between the ages of 14-25 to get basic needs met and establish supportive relationships with peer staff and allies and sustain connections to long-term resources and opportunities.
Back On My Feet Baltimore ($7,500)
Back on My Feet seeks to revolutionize the way our society approaches homelessness. Their unique running-based model demonstrates that if you first restore confidence, strength, and self-esteem, individuals are better equipped to tackle the road ahead and move toward jobs, homes, and new lives. For all in need, they aim to provide: practical training and employment resources for achieving independence; an environment that promotes accountability; and a community that offers compassion and hope. For all with the capacity to serve—volunteers, donors, community, and corporate partners—they seek to engage you in the profound experience of empowering individuals to achieve what once seemed impossible through the seemingly simple act of putting one foot in front of the other.
Harford Family House ($7,500)
Harford Family House is the largest provider of transitional housing for families with children experiencing homelessness and unaccompanied adults ages 18-24 in Harford County. They are the only organization in Harford County capable of keeping an intact family, including the father, together during the crisis of homelessness. It is their goal to end homelessness in Harford County, one family at a time.
Financial Literacy
Making Change ($7,500)
Making Change’s vision is a community where everyone has access to the financial education and the resources required to attain their personal financial goals and become self-sufficient. The organization’s mission is to develop and deliver financial education programs that empower individuals to achieve their own financial success stories through educational programs that encourage lasting behavioral change.
Stocks in the Future Foundation ($5,000)
Stocks in the Future’s mission is to develop highly motivated middle school students who are eager to learn and dedicated to attending class through incentives coupled with a financial literacy curriculum focused on investing that reinforces Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies. Stocks in the Future’s vision is to see middle school students thrive in their classrooms, homes, and neighborhoods by investing in their financial future and themselves. The organization develops curricula to give middle school students real-world financial education that is not provided in schools today and teaches underserved middle school students personal finance skills to empower each student to control their financial and academic future.
