The Power of the Circle: Black Donors Build a Lasting Legacy in Baltimore

The Black Philanthropy Circle is celebrating five years of collective giving with a new round of grants—and an ambitious plan to make its impact permanent.

The Baltimore-based giving circle recently awarded $250,000 to 10 nonprofit organizations serving Black people and communities throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area. Each organization will receive $25,000 to support work across education, health, housing, mentoring, youth development, arts and culture.

The grants mark the Circle’s fifth consecutive year of giving and bring its total investment in Baltimore to $1.25 million.

Now, the Black Philanthropy Circle is looking beyond its next grant cycle. Members are working to secure $2.5 million in gifts and pledges toward a permanent endowment by the end of 2026, creating a lasting source of support for Black communities in Baltimore.

Collective Giving with Shared Purpose

From left: Shanaysha Sauls, president and CEO of the Baltimore Community Foundation; Savonne Ferguson and Alicia Wilson, co-founders of the Black Philanthropy Circle; and Guy Flynn and Nupur Parekh Flynn, at the Black Philanthropy Circle’s 2026 celebration at the Walters Art Museum. (Credit: Baltimore Community Foundation)

Established in 2022 as a donor-advised fund at the Baltimore Community Foundation, the Black Philanthropy Circle brings together Black business and civic leaders who pool their charitable resources and collectively decide how funding will be distributed.

Each year, the Circle awards $250,000 to organizations that are Black-led, based in Black communities or directly serving Black people across the Baltimore region.

“Five years ago, we created the Black Philanthropy Circle to make collective giving a lasting force for Baltimore,” said co-founder Alicia Wilson, Esq., vice president for civic engagement and opportunity at Johns Hopkins University.

Wilson emphasized that members are doing more than writing checks. They are building relationships, learning from nonprofit leaders and making funding decisions together.

“Reaching $1.25 million demonstrates what is possible when Black donors combine their resources and act with shared purpose,” she said.

That shared purpose is reflected in the Circle’s 2026 grantees:

Arena Players Incorporated, Baltimore’s Promise, CollegeBound Foundation, Harbor City Chapter of The Links, Health Care for the Homeless, KIPP Baltimore, Mentoring Mentors, Next Up Music & Culture, Reading Partners and Rebuilding Together Baltimore.

Together, the organizations reflect the range of support needed for communities to thrive.

“These grants reflect the breadth of what it takes for communities to thrive—from education and health to housing, mentoring, arts and culture,” said co-founder Savonne Ferguson, Esq., chief compliance officer of T. Rowe Price Mutual Funds, T. Rowe Price Associates and T. Rowe Price Investment Management, and vice president of T. Rowe Price Group.

What $25,000 Can Make Possible

For community-based organizations, a $25,000 grant can strengthen programs, improve services and remove barriers.

Arena Players Incorporated, the oldest continuously operating African-American community theater in the United States, has produced an artistic season every year since 1953. Board member Catherine Orange said the grant will help the theater provide sustainably paid musicians, high-quality set design and updated audiovisual and lighting technology.

Health Care for the Homeless will use its funding to support adults and children experiencing homelessness.

“Every year, thousands of predominantly Black and Latine Marylanders are denied safe, healthy homes,” said President and CEO Kevin Lindamood. He said the grant will help people access health care with dignity and pursue the housing they deserve.

Next Up Music & Culture plans to use its grant to provide quality instruments to talented students in Baltimore City Schools. Board President Marsha Green said the funding will remove financial barriers, support music master classes and expand access to meaningful musical experiences.

These grants represent more than impressive totals. They can translate into better equipment, stronger programming, greater access and increased dignity for the people being served.

Celebrating Black Philanthropy, Art and History

The Circle recently celebrated its 2026 grantees and fifth anniversary at the Walters Art Museum. The event was co-sponsored by Gamma Boulé, the Baltimore member chapter boulé of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and a supporter of the Circle since its inception.

The evening featured a conversation between Walters Art Museum Director and CEO Kate Burgin and acclaimed jewelry artist Douriean Fletcher. Their discussion examined how art and philanthropy draw from the past while helping shape the future of a city.

Acclaimed jewelry artist Douriean Fletcher speaks during the Black Philanthropy Circle’s 2026 celebration at the Walters Art Museum, which explored the power of philanthropy, history, and the arts in advancing communities. (Photo Credit: Baltimore Community Foundation)

“Black philanthropy has always been part of Baltimore’s civic strength,” said Shanaysha Sauls, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Baltimore Community Foundation.

She said the Circle demonstrates what can happen when donors come together with intention, trust local organizations and build structures for sustained investment.

Giving That Outlives the Moment

The Circle’s $2.5 million endowment goal may be its most consequential step yet.

A permanent endowment would give its grantmaking a stable financial foundation, allowing resources to continue supporting Baltimore’s Black communities beyond this anniversary year.

The Circle welcomes new members as well as donors who want to support its mission. Members participate in collective decision-making, while donors may contribute without becoming voting members.