The Foundation continues to focus its work almost exclusively on the Baltimore metropolitan region where Aaron and Lillie Straus lived, worked, and invested their philanthropic time and capital.

The Foundation has limited resources to invest in areas of tremendous need, so we must seek funding opportunities that leverage the more significant investments of the public sector, that influence not only those public funding streams, but also the policies to which these funds are attached, and that have a diversified base of revenue. Programs must have clearly defined goals, which can be measured. In order to best ensure that our investments produce better outcomes for those we serve, we look for opportunities to prevent severe circumstances.