Announcing Our Fall 2025 Grant Awards! 

We are pleased to share that during our October 2025 grant cycle, the Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation awarded more than $1.3 million in grants to organizations across the Archdiocese of Baltimore. 

Through our General Grant Fund, eight organizations received a total of $400,000 in support of Catholic activities, education, and human services. In addition, through the Foundation’s Strategic Workforce Development Initiative, five organizations were awarded just over $930,000 in multi-year funding (payable over three years) to strengthen Maryland’s workforce. Read more about our October 2025 grantees below! 

General Fund Grants 

Catholic Activities 

St. Ignatius Catholic Community – $60,000 to support a renovation of the building’s elevator to ensure continued access to the parish ministries which provide hospitality, outreach, and spiritual formation to Baltimore City residents. 

Education 

The Children’s Guild – $35,000 to support the purchase of specialized equipment and technology that enhances the learning environments and experience for children with behavioral and emotional challenges at their Baltimore City school. 

Saint Casimir Catholic School – $65,000 to support technology upgrades and safety enhancements at this parish school, ultimately improving its ability to educate and communicate with its student body in Southeast Baltimore. 

School of the Incarnation – $55,000 to support renovations to their multi-purpose hall and construction of a dedicated cafeteria to better support the students at this growing Pre-K–8 Catholic school in Gambrills, MD. 

Human Services 

CASA of Baltimore – $60,000 to support the recruitment, training, and supervision of Court Appointed Special Advocates who serve as trusted advocates for children in the foster care system in Baltimore, ensuring their voices are heard in court. 

Frederick Rescue Mission – $50,000 to support general operations of this longstanding organization providing shelter, meals, addiction recovery services, and workforce development programs for Frederick County residents. 

Jane Addams Resource Corporation – $15,000 to strengthen manufacturing job-training and employment programs helping Baltimore City adults build technical skills and secure employment in welding, computer numerical control (CNC), and more. 

Union Rescue Mission of Western Maryland – $60,000 to support the purchase of laundry equipment for their new shelter building in Cumberland, which allows them to increase their capacity to provide shelter, meals, and life-skills programming to individuals experiencing homelessness. 

Strategic Workforce Development Initiative Grants 

Associated Catholic Charities – Pathways to Purpose – $240,000 (over three years) to expand a trauma-informed workforce model that integrates behavioral health, peer recovery, and occupational training to help adults overcome barriers to long-term employment. Funding will sustain cohort-based training programs that equip participants for careers in fields such as healthcare, childcare, and peer recovery, supported by case management, stipends, and integrated behavioral health services. By pairing technical instruction with holistic support, the program seeks to help participants build confidence, resilience, and lasting career success. 

Franciscan Center – Dignity Plates Culinary Academy – $210,000 (over three years) to expand a 13-week culinary training academy that equips adults with industry-recognized skills and credentials through hands-on instruction, ServSafe certification, and employer externships, leading to stable food-service jobs in hospitals, colleges, and senior living facilities. Funding will double class capacity and launch an evening cohort, offering greater access for working parents and caregivers while strengthening local career pathways in food service. 

Living Classrooms Foundation – Customized Job Training Program – $120,000 (over three years) to provide industry-recognized training, certifications, and long-term support to help Baltimore residents, particularly returning citizens, enter high-demand fields such as construction, healthcare, and logistics. The program combines technical instruction, case management, and follow-up coaching to ensure participants secure and retain meaningful employment. 

Mental Health Association of Frederick County – Growing Opportunities for Family Child Care (GOFCC) – $123,691 (over three years) to expand an initiative that helps aspiring entrepreneurs become licensed home-based child-care providers across Western Maryland. Participants receive coaching, business training, and assistance with licensing and start-up costs, creating new pathways to economic independence while addressing critical child-care shortages in rural communities. 

National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA) – $240,000 (over three years) to equip returning citizens, veterans, and low-income residents with industry-recognized credentials in automotive repair, HVAC, and commercial driving. The grant will fund training and stipends for 37 students, alongside wraparound supports such as case management, life skills coaching, and job placement services. Through this holistic, hands-on model, NCIA helps participants overcome barriers to employment and build lasting careers. 

 

For a complete description of the program, please visit our Strategic Initiatives webpage.  And to read more about the Foundation’s journey to develop these initiatives, click here.