HISTORY
The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation exists through the generosity of Robert Deutsch and Florence Kadish Deutsch, who believed in giving back to the community, supporting education, and helping others throughout their lives.
Robert W. Deutsch was born in New York City in 1924 to a family of modest means. Robert earned a degree in physics from M.I.T in 1948 and completed his doctoral degree in physics in 1953 at UC Berkeley. Florence Kadish’s family fled Poland in 1938 for New York City. Florence and Bob married in 1949. The couple settled in Baltimore in 1964. In 1968, Dr. Deutsch launched his career as an entrepreneur by founding General Physics Corporation, which would become the leading provider of training programs for operating personnel in the nation’s nuclear power plants. While most consultants would talk to the CEO, Deutsch’s approach was to roll up his sleeves, talk to those on ground level, and get suggestions from them on how to improve the company.
“Dr. Deutsch was a risk-taker and tech pioneer. He would invest in people and projects early, generating big ideas with the potential to change the world.”
In 1988, Dr. Deutsch left General Physics and founded RWD Technologies, a company focused on the IT revolution that was transforming the way companies manufactured products, managed their business operations, and communicated with their suppliers and customers.
Throughout his career, Dr. Deutsch remained true to his commitment to invest in the education, training, and development of people, and to promote innovative thinking and solutions for complex problems in the workplace.
Formed in 1991, the Deutsch Foundation was quite small for its first 15 years, but grew tenfold following the sale of the family-owned business. The Foundation looked at what it could contribute significantly to the vitality and revitalization of Baltimore—assets in which others were not investing. It became clear that investing in the emerging innovation, arts, and creative economy in Baltimore would have the greatest impact.
Florence and Robert were extraordinarily generous in a very private and unassuming way. While much has changed over the years, their vision and values are still embedded in the heart of the foundation.
MISSION
The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation invests in innovative people, projects, and ideas that improve the quality of life in Baltimore and beyond.
Asking the right questions
The Deutsch Foundation realized that Baltimore attracts amazing young creatives. Whether working in tech, science, social justice, or the arts, the whole city’s creative economy is fueled by these individuals coming and wanting to stay. The problem? Their contributions were not being recognized and their needs were not being supported. So the foundation asked—what can we do that would have a major impact? They talked with these young creatives, asking them three questions: Why are you here? What do you need to be more successful? What would make you leave? They learned what attracts, retains, and the barriers that push them out. One big takeaway was the need for quality places to work, create, perform, and showcase what they do.
“We ask, what are Baltimore’s underappreciated and underinvested assets?”
Developing the creative economy
Creatives are often pushed out of communities once the area becomes exciting to developers. The only way to counter that is to buy, develop, and sustain facilities, but foundations don’t do that. We decided to incubate and launch BARCO, a nonprofit arts real estate development corporation. For every dollar the Deutsch Foundation puts in, BARCO raises or secures two or three, dedicated to developing the creative economy. The Deutsch Foundation sees Baltimore’s cultural sector as a creative ecosystem where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Collaboration, influence, and access allow people to come together and grow together, whether through community spaces, creative hubs, art education, public art, or more. The overall goal in funding smaller organizations and projects is to attract and retain emerging talent, for artists and activists to have jobs, and for organizations to grow and hire staff. The longer term impact is to revitalize Baltimore as a thriving, healthy, and growing creative community.
Left to right: David Deutsch, Jane Brown, Mac Maclure, Neil Didriksen
Investing early and taking a hands-on approach
The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation operates differently than many other philanthropic organizations. Most of our grants go for general operating support and capacity building. It’s hardest for organizations to raise money to keep the lights on as opposed to an exciting special project. We try to place as few barriers as possible in front of grantees. Additionally, many foundations will not fund newer organizations until they have several years of financials. In this context, the Deutsch Foundation decided to essentially become “Angel Investors,” and create greater access to early stage funding, technical assistance, networking opportunities, and to intellectual, financial, and collaborative resources. Our key decision-makers are deeply involved in Baltimore’s communities. We want to be able to rapidly respond when a need is dire. Since we are not limited by an overly bureaucratic process, we can be nimble, flexible, and responsive. The Deutsch Foundation stays closely engaged with the people we support, from the earliest stages to the point when they attract funding from other sources. We see great value, come in early, take the risk, and help innovators to be successful. We are determined to “go to where the silence is.”
“We go where the silence is; Our Mission evolving in time with Baltimore.”
Addressing racial inequity
At the Deutsch Foundation, we bring a lens of racial equity—an understanding and acknowledgement of historical and ongoing racial inequities and a commitment to actions challenging those inequities—to our grant making, priority setting process, programming, and strategic planning.
Because of our commitment to a racially just and equitable Baltimore and beyond, we are working intentionally and collaboratively to:
Build pathways to increase access to financial and human capital among organizations and communities most affected by inequities, and to amplify those voices;
Foster ongoing dialogue through deep partnerships with anti-racist and anti-oppression practitioners to explore key concepts including cultural, structural, and institutional racism, white privilege, and racial equity, especially with regard to context of place.
Our commitment to racial equity requires ongoing reflection and action. We see emergence and adaptation as core to our approach as we encounter new perspectives and additional information; as such, this statement is "living" and will continue to evolve as we gain new understandings.
Focusing on Baltimore
The Deutsch Foundation is hyper-local. We focus on Baltimore because the money we distribute was made here, because the needs are massive, and because Baltimore has exciting potential. The city’s history as an entrepreneurial hub and its contributions as a creative leader are significant, but our former prominence in 19th and 20th century industry has been lost. Now that we are a 21st century city, we need to participate in a new, creative economy. The Deutsch Foundation sees its role as providing seed funding to create and sustain human capital—helping the inspiring change-makers here do what they do best.
PRIORITY AREAS
STAFF
JANE BROWN
she/her
President, EX OFFICIO BOARD MEMBER
Jane has led the Foundation’s grant making and operations since 1995 and serves on its board as an ex officio member. She created the Rubys Artist Grants program to provide direct funding to innovative local artists and co-founded the Baltimore Arts Realty Corporation (BARCO) as a means to develop, manage, and tailor affordable spaces to needs of the city’s creative community over the long-term. Prior to joining the Foundation, Jane worked as an editor, writer, and journalist. She holds a BA from the University of Maryland at College Park and two MAs from Stony Brook University and University of Santa Monica.
LAUREN KELLY-WASHINGTON
she/her
Chief Operating officer
Lauren serves as the Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for leading the Foundation's operations team. As the immediate past president of the Greenmount West Community Association and current chair of The Central Baltimore Partnership Steering Committee, she brings more than a decade of community development leadership in Baltimore. Lauren is also the founder and teaching artist of BLiS Moves™, an organization serving diverse populations in wellness and arts-based education, and Vice Chair of the Board at Open Works. She holds a BA in Ethnic Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a variety of professional certifications.
NEIL DIDRIKSEN
he/him
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Board Director
Neil joined the Deutsch Foundation in 2010 after a successful career in university advancement at MIT, Duke Medical School, and University of Baltimore. He serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Foundation. Neil co-founded the Baltimore Arts Realty Corporation and was responsible for the foundation's early efforts in arts-related real estate development in Baltimore City. He holds a BA from Haverford College and an MBA from Duke University.
GEORGE HOPKINS
he/him
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY INNOVATIONS
George served as co-chair of Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD) from 2020-2025, where he began to work with Mayor Brandon Scott to tackle the city’s vacant housing crisis. He also serves as the Board Chair of ReBUILD Metro, a board member of Turn Around Tuesday and the Middendorf Foundation, and remains committed to BUILD after nearly a decade as a volunteer. A native of Baltimore’s Cherry Hill, George founded a church in southwest Baltimore in 2014 with the goal of building a multicultural congregation in an urban setting. He holds a BS from Morgan State University in family and consumer science.
GRETCHEN LEGRAND
she/her
Senior Program Manager for Digital Equity
Gretchen is a passionate advocate for gender and racial equity in tech and civic technology movements. With more than twenty years in the nonprofit and human services sectors, her work has focused on education, data science, workforce development, and digital equity. In 2013, Gretchen co-founded the nonprofit, Code in the Schools, where she worked to expand access to computer science education through tech-career readiness programs and teacher professional development. She holds a BA in Liberal Arts from St. John's College, Annapolis, and an MS in Applied Psychology from the University of Baltimore.
NINA CASALENA
she/her
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONs
Nina has nearly a decade of experience working in the nonprofit sector with a focus on operations management and office administration. As Director of Operations, she streamlines processes, uses digital tools, and develops workplace practices to ensure smooth and efficient day-to-day operations at the Foundation. Nina previously worked at the Women’s Law Center of Maryland, where she provided administrative support across multiple programs and coordinated a community legal project. She holds a BA in Sociology from Goucher College.
ALEX EBSTEIN
she/her
Senior Program Manager, Rubys Artist grants
Alex Ebstein is an artist, curator, and spacemaker with over fifteen years of experience in the Baltimore arts community. She founded and co-directed three artist-run galleries between 2009 and 2021 – driven by a focus on garnering national attention for artists working in the Baltimore area, which she now brings to the Rubys Artist Awards. Most recently, Alex served as the Director of Exhibitions and Curator at Goucher College. She holds a BA in Studio Art from Goucher College and her MFA from Towson University.
TERRELL WILLIAMS
he/him
program Manager for new initiatives
Terrell is a former educator for Baltimore City Schools and long-time community organizer. He previously served as co-director for Turnaround Tuesday, a jobs movement in Baltimore City that connects and supports returning citizens in their reentry to society by connecting them to living wage employment and civic experiences, as well as engaging them for two years on their journey to a greater quality of life. Terrell holds a BA from the University of Baltimore, an MA and post certification in supervision and administration from Notre Dame University of Maryland. He is currently completing his PhD in Public Administration at the University of Baltimore.
CESIA CALERO
she/her
Grants administrator
Cesia serves as Grants Administrator and is responsible for assisting grantees while also supporting the full lifecycle of the Foundation's grantmaking process. She is a member of the Community Research Action Community (C-RAC) with Baltimore’s Promise, which supports the Baltimore Youth Data Hub. Cesia previously served as a Youth Grantmaker with Baltimore’s Promise, as well as a Fellow at the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA), where she worked on a number of issues, including supporting residents to apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program (formerly EBB). She is a graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Baltimore.
ALEX DICKEN
he/him
Operations Coordinator
Alex Dickens is an arts and nonprofits professional with a background in museum work. As Operations Coordinator, he is responsible for day-to-day logistical support and maintenance at the Foundation. Previously, Alex worked at the Baltimore Museum of Art, where he co-curated the Guarding the Art exhibition, which invited the museum’s security officers to offer reflections on selected works of art that they guard every day. He holds a BA in Philosophy and History of Math & Science from St. John’s College Annapolis.
BOARD
DAVID DEUTSCH
he/him
Board Director
David began his career as a software engineer specializing in simulation software and finished his working career as a high school mathematics teacher. He is now retired and continuing his studies of both mathematics and software. David enjoys immersive travel, learning to play the guitar, and speaking fluent Spanish. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park and Boston University.
TANYA TERRELL
she/her
Board Director
Tanya Jones Terrell is the Director of Corporate Community Impact at BGE, where she leads workforce development, community engagement, and corporate philanthropy initiatives across Central Maryland. Tanya manages strategic partnerships with community organizations, historically Black colleges and universities, and cultural institutions to align BGE's social impact with community needs. Before joining BGE in 2020, she spent nearly 20 years in Maryland’s nonprofit sector, focusing on community and workforce development. Tanya holds an MS in Counseling and Development from Northeastern University and a BA in Sociology from Framingham State University.
DAVID BRAMBLE
he/him
Board Director
P. David Bramble is the co-founder and Managing Partner of MCB Real Estate based in his hometown of Baltimore. He has been working in real estate investment for over 20 years. He dedicates his time to sourcing & capitalizing transactions and overseeing project underwriting and execution. As a corporate and real estate attorney by training, David brings a deep knowledge of all aspects of the real estate cycle. David received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, and A.B. from Princeton University.
PETE HAMMEN
he/him
Board Director
Pete was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for 22 years and served as Chairman of the Health and Government Operations Committee. He left the legislature to become Chief of Operations for the City of Baltimore. Prior to his election to the House of Delegates, Pete worked as a staff person to then-Congressman Ben Cardin. He is currently a principal at Kress Hammen Government Affairs. Pete is a graduate of the University of Baltimore and holds a BS and an MPA.