On Friday, May 5, BTU hosted TU’s first-ever Baltimore Nonprofit Summit, a gathering of over 130 individuals representing local funders and nonprofits that focused on strengthening and supporting Black and minority-led organizations. Among them were many TU students and alumni, nine local foundation representatives, the new president of Associated Black Charities, and staff from Maryland Nonprofits, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, and East Baltimore Development Inc, among many other leaders in Baltimore’s nonprofit sector.
The day-long event kicked off with a keynote discussion on “Funding Black Futures” with Jamye Wootten from Cllctivly and Danielle Torain from Open Society Institute-Baltimore. Throughout the day, attendees engaged with curated panel discussions and workshops led by local nonprofit leaders, which included topics such as grant writing, social entrepreneurship, banking and accounting, and organizational leadership. Attendees had the opportunity to make their voices heard through sessions on decolonizing philanthropy, demystifying funding, and our listening session: “What NPOs Need Now.”
Takeaways of the Summit, including opportunities to exchange resources and build community in the Black and minority nonprofit scene, were the first of their kind in the greater Baltimore area. Attendees and BTU staff shared in the excitement of this momentous event, with many participants commending Towson University for taking the lead to support Black organizations, especially considering our regional and academic history. Nonprofit leaders and funders alike left the Summit with plenty to think about and many new tools for their professional toolkits.
Thank you to everyone who made this event possible.
This Summit would not have been possible without our speakers, facilitators, and panel participants. We admire their willingness to share their expertise and their knowledge of resources available among the Baltimore nonprofit community. Many, many thanks to:
- Miriam Dicks, 180 Management Group
- Liz Tung, Abell Foundation
- Kirin Smith, Amaana Consulting
- Talib Horne, Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Brandon Hansen, Baltimore Children and Youth Fund
- Jane Berkow, Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle
- Ann Daniels, Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle
- Tonee Lawson, The Be. Org
- Jade Merritt, Black Executive Directors’ Network
- Keita Iriarte, Bmore Empowered
- Dani Bacigalupa, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
- Denice Ko, Esq., Community Law Center
- Uche Anyanwu, Family Survivor Network
- Gary Williams, France Merrick Foundation
- Darren Rogers, I Am MENtality
- Jay Nwachu, Innovative Works
- Brooke Hisle, Krieger Fund
- Lawrence Grandpre, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle
- Almarie Donaldson, Maryland Latinos Unidos
- Gabriela Lemus, Maryland Latinos Unidos
- Susana Hernández Martín, Maryland Nonprofits
- Paddy McSherry Morton, Maryland Nonprofits
- Wendy Wolff, Maryland Nonprofits
- Alphonso Mayo, Mentoring Mentors
- Jabari Jackson, MKG Enterprise
- Ana Rodney, MOMCares
- Starsha Valentine, Purpose Possible
- Thea Robertson, Restorative Response Baltimore
- Ashley Price, Shaping Health Equity
- Amen Onuoha, TU Career Center
- Kathleen Crostic, TU Office of Partnerships & Outreach
- Patrick McQuown, TU StarTUp
- Jim Kucher, University of Maryland, Baltimore
- Jeff Wilson, the W2 Group
- Darius Graham, Weinberg Foundation
