Baltimore nonprofit Civic Works is grappling with the impact of significant federal funding cuts that threaten several of its youth development programs.
On April 25, the Trump administration slashed nearly $400 million in grant funding from AmeriCorps' budget, affecting nonprofit organizations across the country, including several in Maryland.
WATCH: Federal cuts threaten Baltimore youth programs at Civic Works
Civic Works, which relies heavily on AmeriCorps funding and volunteers for its community programs, has already lost 18 service terms for volunteers this spring, with another 25 summer positions now in jeopardy.
"A lot of the training is done through AmeriCorps opportunities, so a lot of our training programs actually leverage the AmeriCorps programming model," said James Winfield, Associate Director for YouthBuild and AmeriCorps Programming at Civic Works.
The organization, which focuses on five main areas including education and neighborhood revitalization, has lost approximately $100,000 in funding across several different programs.
"Our youth build program, for example, serves young adults between the ages of 17 and 24, helping them learn a skill, work on their GED, but also serve the community at the same time and when they finished they walk away with an industry recognized certification," Winfield said.
While not all Civic Works programs were affected by the cuts, those that were may struggle to continue operating in their current form.
"What they look like moving forward is gonna determine whether the programs that were dependent on that programming model are able to continue the work that they do," Winfield said.
In response to these challenges, Civic Works has temporarily redistributed funding from unaffected areas to support programs hit by the cuts. The organization plans to reassess its strategy this fall to determine how to restructure its programs for the future.
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