Baltimore City depends on nonprofits to provide services, particularly in Black and low-income communities. A reliable contract with the city can allow a nonprofit to expand, serve more residents, and build the employment base of the city. However, longstanding delays in contracting and payment of city partners leave some non­profits asking if the barriers to accessing city funding are worth the effort. This Abell Report asks what causes the delays in the City's contracting process with nonprofits and how can those delays be fixed?

Maryland Philanthropy Network’s (MPN) School-Centered Neighborhood Investment Initiative (SCNII) funded a research team to conduct an initial analysis that sought to document the 21CSBP’s implementation process, understand the complex relationships among responsible agencies, and explore the implementation and emerging outcomes of the program in three neighborhoods. Their recent report attempts to answer the question what is – and what should be – the role of a “community school?"