Venable Foundation Annual Report - FY2019

In that spirit, we established the Venable Foundation, Inc. in 1983 and since then have donated tens of millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations that provide needed services and opportunities to low-income individuals and marginalized groups. Now, as the world faces a global health crisis, providing meaningful and ongoing support to the most vulnerable among us has never been more critical. Over the past year, Venable has taken some key steps to ensure the Foundation is positioned to offer vital support in the difficult times ahead. Last August, Michael Bigley took over as the Foundation’s director, bringing more than 18 years of experience in developing responsive strategies for nonprofits and foundations. Under Michael’s stewardship, the Foundation is developing a multi-pronged strategy to eliminate barriers to success in underprivileged communities. Funded by equity partners across the firm, the Foundation has identified priority giving areas, which include food and shelter, education, health, the environment, human services, children services, and legal aid. By focusing on these areas and prioritizing direct giving to maximize the impact of our grants, the Foundation is working to provide holistic support to disadvantaged individuals. Along with supporting 363 organizations in 2019 alone, we have awarded numerous high-impact grants to groups working to ensure that struggling individuals can overcome hardship and have an opportunity to thrive. Among our recent key contributions were grants of $100,000 to the Maryland Food Bank (MFB), the largest charitable food provider in the state, and $50,000 to SOME (So Others Might Eat) to further its critical mission of meeting the immediate daily needs of the poor. The latter donation was made in the name of former Venable attorney and U.S. Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana, to honor his lifelong legacy of helping others. At Venable, the understanding that, as a people, we are all connected, has long been integral to our firm’s culture. When the communities in which we live and work thrive, we thrive too. And, in turn, when the firm prospers, we give back.