Top government leaders in Baltimore City don’t know how much taxpayer money they send to nonprofits.
Spotlight on Maryland asked each Baltimore City Council member, as well as the mayor and comptroller, if they have data on how much money they allocate to nonprofits and whether it can be sorted by district. None of them provided a precise measure. Some argued that the city government has thorough oversight of taxpayer funds, while others said greater oversight and transparency would be beneficial.
The debate follows previous reporting from Spotlight on Maryland and The Baltimore Sun, which similarly detailed how Maryland state leaders were unable to specify how much taxpayer money they sent to nonprofits.
The Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank, estimated that Maryland nonprofits received more than $6 billion in federal, state and local grants in 2021.
Maryland nonprofits reported $95 billion in revenue in 2024, according to ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer. The highest nonprofit salary reported for 2024 was $7.1 million. It’s unclear how much of that nonprofit revenue was federal, state or local taxpayer money — or private funding. But there are many nonprofits in Maryland that are almost fully funded by taxpayers.
Spotlight on Maryland asked each member of the Baltimore City Council the following questions:
- Do you know how much taxpayer money goes to nonprofits in your district?
- Do you know how much taxpayer money nonprofits spend in your district?
- Do you think nonprofits should be required to disclose exactly how they spend taxpayer dollars in Baltimore?
Two members responded.
Councilman Zach Blanchard (District 11) said that his office does not track this data and that he doubts any council members do.
“I’d be interested in increasing the public disclosure requirements for nonprofits with over a certain amount of annual revenue, say, $100,000, but I’d also be cautious about adding too much paperwork,” Blanchard told Spotlight on Maryland.
Councilman Mark Conway (District 4) said he is committed to supporting impactful nonprofits but would like to see more transparency about how taxpayer funds are spent.
“[W]e do not yet have a clear, centralized way for residents to easily see — in one place — how much public funding flows to nonprofits across the city,” Conway told Spotlight on Maryland. “While nonprofits report spending to funding agencies, the system is not yet consistent or transparent enough for the public to easily understand how dollars are spent citywide or what outcomes they generate. Accountability is not about suspicion. The focus here is on stewardship. If we want to invest smarter, reduce duplication, and ensure services reach the communities that need them most, we must strengthen how we track spending and results.”
Spotlight on Maryland attempted to ask more City Council members about oversight of taxpayer-funded programs before their hearing on Monday. Councilwoman Odette Ramos emphasized that she and her colleagues host oversight hearings of city agencies to monitor the effectiveness of government services. Councilmen John Bullock (District 9) and Jermaine Jones (District 12) declined an interview.
Spotlight on Maryland asked Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott and Comptroller Bill Henry if they track how much taxpayer money they send to nonprofits by district. Spokesmen for both offices pointed to the Baltimore City Board of Estimates Dashboard, which documents all spending data. However, the database does not sort whether the recipient is a nonprofit or what district the recipient resides and operates in.
“In all aspects of city finances, more transparency and accountability is always welcome,” a spokesman for Henry told Spotlight on Maryland.
Scott’s spokesman said proper oversight and transparency measures are in place.
“The City ensures that nonprofits that receive City funding spend that money in compliance with their grant requirements. Nonprofits that receive City funding go through a diligent review and approval process, which, depending on the agreement, can include requirements like meeting programmatic metrics and tracking regular spending reports,” Scott’s spokesman told Spotlight on Maryland.
“As with any organization that receives funding, the City requires nonprofits to comply with the terms of their contracts with the City and can terminate funding if they are not in compliance. These agreements — which, again, are publicly viewable on the BOE Submit Dashboard — detail exactly how nonprofits spend their funding.”
Spotlight on Maryland reported this month that the Baltimore City Health Department has allocated more than $60 million in federal taxpayer funds since 2022 to a Maryland nonprofit that stated it has yet to complete required audits. The nonprofit, Connections Thru Life, began receiving taxpayer funds just months after its inception and shares office space with a for-profit financial firm led by the same person, Antawan Anderson.
Spotlight on Maryland is a joint venture by The Baltimore Sun, FOX45 News and WJLA in Washington, D.C. Have a news tip? Call 410-467-4670 or email [email protected]. Contact Patrick Hauf at [email protected] and @PatrickHauf on X.
