The Claude C. Thornton Foundation July eNews
- CCTF Board
- 7 days ago
- 12 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Welcome July!
Just like that, we are stepping into the second half of 2026, with only a few months left before we welcome 2027. This is a gentle reminder that it is never too late to start again, reset your goals, or pick back up where you left off. Whether it is a new routine, a healthier habit, or a personal goal, start where you are. Even one week of consistency can help you build momentum.
We are also excited to celebrate tremendous news within our organization. On June 24th, Co-Founder Autrese Thornton was officially sworn in as a member of the Baltimore County School Board. As a women-led organization, this moment is deeply meaningful and reflects the heart of our mission and vision in action. Our foundation is dedicated to elevating individual and community wellbeing through collective action, socioeconomics, and education. We strive to create a positive impact by addressing key societal challenges and fostering a strong sense of community.
We are only four months away from our Annual Greater Baltimore Climate Summit on November 12th. Tickets are officially live, and we would love for you to be part of this impactful experience. For more information on how to attend, support, or get involved, please review the details below.
As always thank you for always being a part of the CCTF community.
With love and gratitude,
The CCTF Team
Highlights
We are very excited to share that our Co-Founder and Education Director, educational consultant, and community advocate, Autrese Thornton, was appointed to the Baltimore County Board of Education by Maryland Governor Wes Moore. She was officially sworn in on June 24th, marking an incredible milestone in her continued dedication to education, leadership, and service to the community.
Autrese Thornton is a dedicated advocate for students, families, and educational equity, bringing years of experience in public education, youth development, and community leadership. Her background includes serving as a special educator in Baltimore City Public Schools and an assistant principal in Baltimore County Public Schools, along with several ongoing roles focused on mentorship, coaching, casework, and community engagement.
Through her leadership at the Claude C. Thornton Foundation, Thornton has helped shape educational programs, youth initiatives, scholarships, and leadership opportunities. As Co-Founder, CFO, and Education Director, she continues to support the Foundation’s mission of building stronger, healthier, and more empowered communities through education.
Congratulations, Autrese!
The Claude C. Thornton Foundation Continues to Build a Legacy of Educational Excellence
The Claude C. Thornton Foundation remains committed to supporting students as they pursue higher education and work toward their future goals.
To date, the Foundation has contributed over $3,000 toward our partnership with Coppin State University. As part of our ongoing commitment, we have pledged $25,000 and are continuing to push this effort forward as we work to raise the remaining funds over the next five years. Through this partnership, we hope to help create more opportunities for students to access, achieve, and succeed in higher education.
Your donation helps us continue uplifting students, strengthening Baltimore communities, and honoring a powerful legacy of educational excellence.
We still need your support. Scan the QR code to make a donation today and help us continue this important work.
Upcoming Events
Join Us for the Third Annual Greater Baltimore Climate Summit
We are excited to welcome the community to the third annual Greater Baltimore Climate Summit, a powerful gathering focused on resilience, community, and action in the face of environmental uncertainty.
This year’s summit will feature insightful panel discussions, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities designed to bring together leaders, organizations, advocates, and community members who are committed to strengthening environmental infrastructure and advancing climate solutions across Baltimore City and surrounding counties.
The Greater Baltimore Climate Summit is hosted by a committee of professionals from The Butterfly Effect, Morgan State University, Baltimore Green Space, the Maryland Department of the Environment, the HBCU Environmental Justice Technical Collaborative, and other local organizations.
Inspired by innovative climate programming and aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals, the summit aims to foster collaboration between government, academia, the private sector, and civil society.
Together, we can raise awareness, build stronger partnerships, and take meaningful steps toward a more sustainable and resilient future for Greater Baltimore.
Greater Baltimore Climate Summit Needs You!
As we prepare for GBCS 2026, we are inviting fellows, volunteers, and poster presenters to help bring this important work to life. This summit is rooted in collaboration, community, and action, and we are looking for passionate individuals who want to support environmental awareness, resilience, and meaningful change across Baltimore City and surrounding counties.
Whether you are interested in helping behind the scenes, welcoming guests, supporting event activities, or sharing your research or community-based project, there is a place for you to get involved. Your participation helps create a powerful and welcoming space for learning, networking, and building solutions together. Click here to apply as a fellow, submit a poster, or volunteer.
Join the 29th Street Community Center Bingo Bash!
We’re excited to promote the 29th Street Bingo Bash, a fun-filled in-person event bringing the community together for games, laughter, and great prizes. Whether you’re a longtime bingo player or just coming out for a good time, this is the perfect chance to connect with friends, meet new people, and enjoy a lively afternoon.
Bring your lucky charm, your best bingo energy, and get ready to shout BINGO!
Building Greater Baltimore Momentum Series
Join us for a virtual Community Roundtable focused on success stories in community organizing, coalition building, and sustainable development.
Come ready to hear about lessons learned from organizing, engaging residents, building partnerships, and creating lasting community-driven change.
We anticipate a diverse audience of community leaders, nonprofit professionals, students, advocates, and residents interested in strengthening their organizing skills and neighborhood impact.
Community Resources
Blossoms Blooming Mentorship Program
This video is just a glimpse into our annual Blossoms Brunch award ceremony, where we collectively honor community mentors who have poured into our professional, personal, and emotional growth.
The Blossoms Blooming Mentorship Program empowers young women to reach their full potential through academic and professional mentorship and etiquette training. Last year we launched our group mentoring experience, grounded in discussion topics such as mindset, relationships and partnerships, career mobility, professional opportunities, femininity and more.
Stay tuned for updates on future events. If you would like to learn more about this mentorship program, please click this link to inquire. To keep up to date with Blossoms Blooming follow us on Instagram and/or contact us via email at cari@thecctfoundation.org for any questions or concerns.
Parents, We’re Here for YOU!
From navigating the school system to supporting your child’s mental health, behavior, and overall success, parenting can come with many challenges, but you do not have to do it alone.
The Claude C. Thornton Foundation’s Parent Advocacy & Coaching Program, led by Autrese Thornton, a multi-decade special educator, school administrator, and nonprofit manager, is here to listen, guide, and empower families with the tools, resources, and confidence needed to advocate for their children.
Did you know we offer parent coaching? Parents play an important role in shaping their child’s success and helping influence school leadership decisions. Our coaching supports families in staying informed, clearly identifying what matters most for their child, and building strong partnerships with schools.
We help parents understand what to look for in strong school leaders, including a commitment to student achievement, transparent communication, experience working with diverse communities, collaboration with families and staff, accountability, and respect for community voice.
Parents can get involved by staying informed about school leadership updates, attending community forums, completing surveys, sharing priorities with school board members or advisory groups, and building relationships at the school level with principals, assistant principals, teachers, and school improvement teams. We want to hear from you: What areas of education, mental health, or behavior do you need the most support with?
When families and schools work together, decisions better reflect the real needs of students and communities. You’ve got this! If you would like to schedule a free coaching session with us, please use this link to schedule a session.
Email us at athornton@thecctfoundation.org
Employment Opportunities
As part of our commitment to economically supporting our community, we are excited to share these job opportunities with our network. We hope these workforce resources help you strengthen your friends, families and neighborhoods.
Explore Careers in Higher Education with Mid-Atlantic HERC
Mid-Atlantic HERC connects job seekers to a wide range of higher education opportunities across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. From faculty and leadership roles to administrative and support positions, their job board offers options for all experience levels.
They also provide helpful tools like resume support, webinars, and job alerts to guide your search. If you are looking to grow your career in higher education, this is a great place to start.
Montgomery College Energy and Sustainability Analyst
Montgomery College has an immediate need for a full-time Energy and Sustainability Analyst at the Central Services location in Rockville, Maryland. The work schedule is 40 hours a week, Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. This is a Non-Bargaining, Exempt, grade 31 position. For non-exempt positions, you are not eligible to work a secondary job at Montgomery College. Montgomery College promotes and creates a working and learning environment rooted in the basic tenets of fairness, belonging and inclusiveness. This position is eligible for telework 1 day a week. This eligibility is subject to change based on the needs of the unit.
Johns Hopkins Facilities & Real Estate Sustainability Engineer
Reporting to the Director of Engineering and Energy, we are seeking a Sustainability Engineer who will lead and execute an effort to prioritize and implement programs, strategies, and projects focused on reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gases in accordance with the University’s climate change initiative. The Sustainability Engineer supports the Homewood campus and collaborates with JHFRE departmental staff, including facility operations, facility engineers, project managers, sustainability staff, and other relevant departmental personnel.
Location: Baltimore, MD
Job ID: 120348
Shift Type: Full Time
Schedule: Monday - Friday
Worksite: 45-MD:JH at Keswick
Work Modality: Hybrid: On-site 60-89% of hours worked (Ex: 3-4 out of 5 days/week)
Geosyntec Early-Career Air Quality Engineer
Geosyntec has an exciting opportunity for an Early-Career Air Quality Engineer in our Columbia, MD, or Washington, DC office, the opportunity to work remotely from your home-office may be available at the discretion of the Company. The position will apply academic knowledge and practical experience to real-world situations in the areas of air quality permitting and compliance, emission control technology evaluation, and air dispersion modeling for a diverse national private and public sector client base, while also learning and expanding the business skills needed for a successful consulting career.
ICF Associate Program Specialist
To support our growth, ICF is seeking an entry level candidate to provide program support for our utility program team in Maryland. Working closely with program and portfolio managers, this individual will coordinate and contribute to various deliverables such as creating and managing progress reports, conducting research on load management or electric vehicle initiatives for utilities, supporting program stakeholders and participants, and researching products and enhancements.
Center of Global Sustainability, University of Maryland Post-Doctoral Associate
The Center for Global Sustainability (CGS) at the University of Maryland (UMD) is hiring a Post-doctoral Associate with a focus on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) in global and national mitigation strategies. The position will focus on Conventional CDR approaches (e.g., land-use, aforestation/reforestation, wetlands preservation, and conservation) or Novel CDR approaches (e.g., direct air capture with CCS, enhanced weathering, and biochar).
The position requires strong research, project management, writing, and communication skills, with a focus on linking analysis and policy. The associate will collaborate with CGS faculty, researchers, and partners to develop innovative approaches for achieving ambitious climate and sustainability goals that highlight the role of CDR as well as emissions reductions.
Looking for more opportunities?
Explore more openings across the state at your convenience. Visit Maryland Jobs Quick Search to see which industries are currently hiring and discover positions that match your skills and interests.
Grant & Funding Opportunities
As part of our commitment to economically supporting our community, we are excited to share these grant opportunities with our network. We hope these resources help you access funding, grow your projects, and strengthen the impact of your work.
John Templeton Foundation
The John Templeton Foundation funds interdisciplinary research and projects that inspire curiosity, meaningful conversation, awe, and wonder.
The foundation currently has a grant cycle open and invites applicants to submit project ideas through its Online Funding Inquiry (OFI) process.
Upcoming Cycle Date: July 15, 2026 by 11:59 PM EDT
Organizations, researchers, and project leaders with aligned ideas are encouraged to review the grant guidelines and explore this funding opportunity.
This is a great opportunity for innovative projects focused on research, purpose, discovery, and meaningful impact.
The Foundation Grants Maryland website provides a centralized hub of diverse grant opportunities available to individuals, nonprofits, and community organizations across the state.
The Community Foundation offers a variety of grant programs designed to achieve specific goals within the community. Some opportunities reflect the charitable vision of local donors and Community Partners, while others are intended to spark new ideas and engage new audiences to drive community change. Click the link below to learn more about each grant’s timeline, deadlines, eligibility, and examples of previously funded projects.
Applications reviewed on a rolling basis
The Courage Project celebrates everyday courage in America by honoring individuals and organizations who uplift our communities and strengthen our shared future. This initiative recognizes those whose actions reflect the foundational values of our nation and inspire others to stand for what matters.
The Civic Participation Program strengthens democracy by supporting year-round efforts that encourage active engagement in civic life. This initiative focuses on on-the-ground organizing that empowers communities to participate fully beyond election-season activities. Please note that the program does not fund academic research, technology development, book projects, individual fellowships, or conferences unrelated to direct civic organizing.
The Outreach and Restoration Grant Program is now open. Please note that the Trust is in the process of transitioning to a new grants management system to improve the application and grant administration experience for applicants and grantee partners. As part of this transition, the online application system for this funding opportunity will open later than the release of this RFP.
We anticipate that the new system will be live in June and expect the application to be available for at least one month prior to the application deadline of September 3rd, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET.
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is committed to assisting Maryland's local governments and nonprofit organizations build capacity to achieve their community revitalization and economic development goals.
Operating Assistance Grants include funding for Technical Assistance and Main Street Improvement Program Grant.
The Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) program assists local governments and nonprofits with operating costs associated with local housing and community revitalization efforts.
The General Assembly must approve these amounts during the 2027 legislative session before they are final.
Program Description: The Maryland Energy Administration’s (MEA’s) Commercial & Industrial Grant Program provides incentives to owners of Maryland-based commercial, industrial, data center, and non-profit facilities to invest in improvements that result in energy performance that exceeds current codes or standards. Both new construction and existing facilities may be considered for grants.
New For FY26: MEA is offering grants covering 100% of total project costs for qualified energy improvements made to non-governmental facilities with over 50% of their clientele defined as coming from Low Income Populations. In all other cases, FY26 C&I grants provide less than 100% coverage of proposal costs. See below for details.
Type of Grant Program: The FY26 C&I Program offers grants on a competitive basis. Each proposal received prior to the application deadline will be scored by MEA for its quality of documentation and for the magnitude of environmental benefits conveyed by its proposed scope of work. Awards will be issued in rank order as determined by scoring results until the program budget is deleted.
The Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF) is proud to administer the Baltimore City Community Grants Program in partnership with The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. These grants are designed to support nonprofits that provide direct services to low-income Baltimore City residents, with a focus on creating paths to stability and opportunity.
Eligibility: To be considered for a Baltimore City Community Grant, applicants must:
Be a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or have a fiscal sponsor that has 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status
Serve residents of Baltimore City
Have a total organizational budget of $500,000 or less
Deliver programming that aligns with at least one of the following focus areas:
Housing: Improving stability by helping people access safe and affordable housing.
Health: Promoting health and well-being
Jobs: Creating paths to jobs and careers
Education: Helping youth succeed in school and beyond
Aging: Ensuring individuals are able to age with respect, dignity, and support.
Organizations that have an open grant with the Weinberg Foundation are not eligible to apply.
Grant applications are open from June 1 – September 30, 2026 at 5:00PM EST.
BMORE Beautiful grant programs are designed to support community-based organizations achieve their beautification goals. Applications for our grant programs are accepted on a seasonal basis. Generally, interested applicants must be a registered 501c3 in good standing with the State of Maryland OR have a fiscal sponsor that meet the aforementioned qualifications. Applicants must operate in Baltimore City.
The Engineering Environmental Resiliency (EER) program supports fundamental research to advance resource and energy conservation and recovery, and to safeguard the natural environment and human health. Better use of domestic resources will help make U.S. manufacturing and energy systems more resilient and secure.
Volunteer & Community Support Opportunities
Volunteer with the Maryland Food Bank
Volunteering with the Maryland Food Bank is a meaningful way to show up for your neighbors and make a real difference. By giving a few hours of your time whether sorting food, packing boxes, or helping with distribution you help ensure families have access to the nourishment they need. Every act of service matters, and your kindness helps strengthen our community, one meal at a time.
Volunteer Opportunities with First Fruits Farm
We are excited to highlight a meaningful volunteer opportunity with First Fruits Farm, a nonprofit Christian ministry committed to providing fresh, healthy food to children and adults facing hunger.
Through volunteer service and strong community partnerships, the Farm grows and donates fresh produce to help families gain access to nutritious food.
Since beginning in 1998, First Fruits Farm has continued to grow through faith, service, and God’s provision. Today, 100% of everything grown on the Farm is donated in Jesus’ name to support those in need. This is a beautiful opportunity to give back, serve the community, and be part of a mission that is making a real impact.
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