Every basket needs its weavers
In 2017, our founder Atiya Wells came across a forgotten, overgrown lot in her Frankford neighborhood and saw what it could become: a place where Black and Brown families could gather, grow food, and feel at home in nature.
Today, that land is BLISS Meadows. 10 acres of forest, meadow, ponds, orchard, and farm in Northeast Baltimore. It's where children learn animal care, natural dyeing, and double-dutch in the same afternoon. Where neighbors exchange conversation on our benches. Where elders and youth share stories around the fire.
We didn't build it alone. Every volunteer, family, and donor is a strand, and there is still so much more to weave.
This year's harvest, so far
120 volunteer hours
$10,000 in camp scholarships
120 volunteer hours
80 youth campers
$10,000 in camp scholarships
120 volunteer hours
400 program registrants
$10,000 in camp scholarships
$10,000 in camp scholarships
$10,000 in camp scholarships
$10,000 in camp scholarships
$10,000 in camp scholarships
$50 buys seedlings for a garden bed that volunteers plant and tend
$50 buys seedlings for a garden bed that volunteers plant and tend
$50 buys seedlings for a garden bed that volunteers plant and tend
$105 sends a child to a full day of camp
$50 buys seedlings for a garden bed that volunteers plant and tend
$50 buys seedlings for a garden bed that volunteers plant and tend
$500 brings a class on a field trip to BLISS
$50 buys seedlings for a garden bed that volunteers plant and tend
$525 covers a full week of camp on scholarship
$525 covers a full week of camp on scholarship
$50 buys seedlings for a garden bed that volunteers plant and tend
$525 covers a full week of camp on scholarship
3 Dragonflies in our first outdoor preschool class
$800 closes the tuition gap for one preschooler for a month.
10 acres of reclaimed land, now home to 29 bee colonies and 50+ fruit and nut trees
Revenue & Expense Report
$88K in 2019 to $1.1M in 2025
FY: Nov. 1, 2024 - Oct. 31, 2025
EXPENSES
Program Support
Management & General
Fundraising & Development
Every gift, keeps BLISS open, green, and welcoming
Choose how you give
Give once to help care for our land, animals, and farmhouse.
Monthly donors give us steady ground to plan year-round programs, care for our animals, and say "yes" to every family who needs a scholarship.
Sustaining members receive quarterly updates from the team, and an invitation to our annual donor gathering.
Making outdoor preschool accessible to families of every income.
Thank you for all that you do! Our camper continues to grow and develop a genuine love for nature because of your care and dedication. We truly appreciate everything you do!
Camp parent
Our Partners in this Work
Some of our key collaborators
Government
National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resource Conservation Service
Local
National Wildlife Federation, Green School of Baltimore,
Foundations
Goldseker Foundation, NoVo Foundation, Rauch Foundation, Kentfields Foundation,
Middendorf Foundation
Corporate
REI Cooperative Action Fund
When we set out to reclaim the abandoned farmhouse next door, our community answered, raising over $60,000 in just 26 days. Four years and $1 million later, that 93-year-old house is our headquarters. We know what we can build together.
Other Ways to Give
Double Your Gift
Donor Advised Funds
Donor Advised Funds
Many employers match charitable donations. Ask your HR team.
Donor Advised Funds
Donor Advised Funds
Donor Advised Funds
Recommend a grant to Backyard Basecamp, Inc., EIN 84-3528011
In-Kind Gifts
Donor Advised Funds
Sponsor an Event or Program
We love receiving tools, supplies, and materials that help BLISS grow!
To make sure we have the space and need for your gift, please Contact Us before dropping anything off, and we'll plan the perfect home for it together.
Sponsor an Event or Program
Sponsor an Event or Program
Sponsor an Event or Program
Local businesses can sponsor programs and events.
Gifts of Stock
Sponsor an Event or Program
Bequests and Planned giving
Donate appreciated securities and avoid capital gains tax.
Bequests and Planned giving
Sponsor an Event or Program
Bequests and Planned giving
Mailing a Check
Please make the check out to Backyard Basecamp, Inc., and mail it to
Backyard Basecamp, Inc.
5111 Plainfield Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21206
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!
Endowment Funds
With a $15,000 gift from a generous donor, our Board established the Backyard Basecamp Endowment, a permanent source of support for our land, programs, and people.
Endowed gifts are invested and held in perpetuity. Each year, 5% of a fund's value supports the purpose chosen by its donor.
We're seeking partners to create new endowed funds for:
- Facilities & Grounds: caring for our farmhouse and 10 acres
- Financial Aid: tuition support for camp and outdoor preschool
- Named Program Funds: sustaining a program or event you love, such as summer camp or our Mother's Day Garden & Tea Party
To discuss an endowed gift, contact Atiya Wells, Executive Director.
Give with Confidence
Backyard Basecamp, Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit.
Our EIN is 84-3528011.
Your donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Our Leadership
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The canopy and understory of Backyard Basecamp
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Financial documents are available on our Candid profile.
Copyright © 2026 Backyard Basecamp, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.
5111 Plainfield Ave, Baltimore, MD 21206
info@backyardbasecamp.org
EIN 84-3528011 | 501(c)(3)