The law firm of Baker Donelson has selected the three recipients of its annual Community Grants Program, which awards $35,000 in community grants to aid non-profit organizations serving at-risk youth living in Baltimore.
The grants are awarded as two $10,000 grants and one $15,000 grant to non-profit, community-based organizations that focus on educating, clothing, sheltering or feeding at-risk youth in the metropolitan Baltimore area.
The organizations selected this year are:
- Baltimore Urban Debate League (BUDL), the recipient of a $10,000 Baker Donelson Community Grant, partners with 42 Baltimore City public schools and three community centers to educate students in competitive debate and speech. Baker Donelson's grant will help to fund BUDL's after-school programming and monthly competitions, which are expected to serve more than 350 students in 2022.
- Code in the Schools, the recipient of the second $10,000 grant, partners with Baltimore City Schools to provide job skills training and mentoring in technology and computer science. Baker Donelson's grant will help to fund the organization's "Prodigy Program," which serves high-need youth identified through the Mayor's Office's YouthWorks summer jobs program. Participants will attend a five-week summer coding boot camp, receiving instruction in computer programming languages and the opportunity to interact with industry professionals.
- The recipient of the $15,000 Baker Donelson Community Grant is Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center (LTYC). LTYC will use this funding for an enrichment program for students in grades 6 to 8. The students will receive intensive arts training in theater, dance, music, and visual arts, as well as supplemental academic support in an after-school program. The program will run over two 15-week semesters in the winter and spring, and it is expected to serve 60 students.
Now in its 18th year, the Community Grants Program has distributed more than $570,000 to community organizations and has donated countless hours of community service to tax-exempt community organizations serving at-risk youth. A committee comprised of the Firm's staff and attorneys chooses specific programs focused on enriching the lives of underprivileged children, improving living standards for lower income families with children, and creating educational opportunities for at-risk youth. The committee reviews each application thoroughly and bases its selections on perceived need, the community served, and the impact the grant would have on the youths who will be served by the selected organization.