July 7, 2026
Top Reentry and Workforce Development Grants: July–December 2026
Eight verified funding opportunities for second-chance employment programs — with a Baltimore deep-dive
First, the hard news for reentry organizations: there is no open federal reentry competition this half. DOL’s reentry program (now called RESTART) closed April 15. The Second Chance Act solicitations closed in May. Both run annually — next cycles land late winter or spring 2027, so this fall is for prepping those applications, not submitting them.
The money that IS open runs through states, foundations, and one national competition. Here’s the verified list, with Baltimore as the worked example — if you’re elsewhere, your state’s justice-grants office and community foundations run parallel programs.
State money — July deadlines
Maryland Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (BJAG) — July 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Federal justice dollars passed through the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, with nonprofits eligible and rehabilitation/reentry named among the funded purposes. This is the live route to federal justice money this window. Details.
Maryland Community Investment Tax Credits — initiate by July 10, close July 14, 2026. Not a grant — better in some years: up to $100,000 in state tax credits that make every private donation worth 50% more to Maryland donors. A proven multiplier for workforce nonprofits raising bridge funding between contracts. Details.
The national competition
Truist Foundation Inspire Awards — closes August 7, 2026, noon ET. This year’s theme is adult workers in the age of AI, run with MIT Solve: $250,000 first place, $150,000 second, $25,000 for runners-up. A tech-enabled credentialing program (think forklift and CDL training with real data systems) is squarely in scope for any 501(c)(3) in the Truist footprint. Apply.
Baltimore’s foundation stack
Abell Foundation — rolling. Baltimore’s flagship funder has named program areas for both Workforce Development and Criminal Justice & Addiction — the single best-aligned local funder for reentry employment. Small grants (≤$10,000) review on a rolling basis; larger requests go to one of five annual board meetings. Apply.
Goldseker Foundation — September 1, 2026 (fall board meeting). Typically $55,000–$85,000, exclusively for organizations working principally in Baltimore City. Apply.
France-Merrick Foundation — over-$50K letters of inquiry close August 28 and December 4, 2026 (smaller requests roll year-round). Known for backing training and skill development for unemployed workers — credentialing programs are their lane. Process.
M&T Charitable Foundation — rolling. The bank’s foundation takes applications year-round (submit 8+ weeks ahead) across its footprint, and Baltimore is one of M&T’s biggest markets. Details.
For the social enterprise itself
Redefine Alliance Accelerator (formerly REDF) — watch for fall 2026. The national accelerator for employment social enterprises — businesses that hire people facing barriers. Completing the six-month program brings 100+ hours of capacity building and a $20,000 unrestricted grant. Their page says cohort application updates come this fall. How to apply.
Dropped: ten candidates
Weinberg is invitation-only, Bob Barker Foundation paused applications until January 2027, the Baltimore Community Foundation’s community grants cap eligibility at organizations under $500K — plus the federal closures above. Verified against each funder’s page so you don’t chase ghosts.
Found the grant? Now win it
Every grant above will attract a crowd. When a funder gets two hundred applications for twelve awards, the work that wins isn’t always the best work — it’s the proposal that answers exactly what the funder asked, speaks to the funder’s own priorities, and leaves nothing missing.
That’s the part GrantOrb was really built for. It finds verified grants like these in the background — and when you’re ready to apply, it drafts a funder-aligned proposal in minutes, built from your organization’s profile and the funder’s own requirements. You add your numbers and your voice, and you submit something that reads like it took three weeks. Free to start, no credit card required.
Deadlines like these open and close all year. Subscribe to the newsletter to stay on top of new verified grants — and reach out to me on LinkedIn if you have any questions.
