Baltimore’s young people are brimming with brilliant insights and smart solutions to the challenges the city faces. Philanthropy Tank, a nonprofit that was founded in 2015 and brought to Baltimore in 2019, seeks to empower those young people to be the change they want to see in their own communities, offering the chance to win seed money, mentorship and other support as they pursue their ambitions. At an event on April 14, eight such young people—or CHANGEmakers, as Philanthropy Tank Baltimore Executive Director Nakeia Jones calls them—will receive funding for projects they pitch to a panel of investors.

“Our students are ready to take the reins,” Jones says. “It’s really about giving them the tools and support they need to execute on their ideas. That may be financially, or it could also just be through mentorship. Every student and project are completely different.”

Originally envisioned as a Shark Tank-style pitch competition hosted at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture, this year’s finals will take place virtually. Still, the moment will be no less significant. Judges narrowed down a strong pool of 48 applicants, all students in grades 8 through 12, to eight finalists, vying for grants of up to $15,000. All of the finalists will receive some funding, but it’s up to the Philanthropist Mentors to decide whether to grant their requests in part or in full. And with so many incredible finalists, the decisions will be tough.

Take Samaya Nelson, who sees the city with an artistic eye and hopes her mural painting project will inspire others to do the same. Nelson, a Saint Frances Academy ninth grader, is a rising community leader, but the funding and mentorship provided by Philanthropy Tank will help her scale up her initiative. For Jones, young people like Nelson can offer adults in the city a fresh perspective.

“Change doesn’t have to be overcomplicated, the way adults sometimes think about it,” Jones says. “Just because a building is abandoned, doesn’t mean it has to look abandoned.”

Philanthropy Tank’s previous CHANGEmakers have demonstrated an impressive track record. Isaiah Dingle, a previous winner, founded Explo-Foods, growing produce in a hydroponic garden (a garden with no soil). He worked closely with Philanthropy Tank mentors to plan and execute the project and discovered a strong community partner in service organization Civic Works, which provides Dingle with space for his garden at its Lake Clifton complex. Ania McNair, another winner whose project, “Not For Sale Youth” brings awareness to the issue of human trafficking, has hosted rallies in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., held a month-long art therapy summer camp, is producing a workbook teaching kids about self-care, and is developing a curriculum to teach middle school students the warning signs of kidnapping and human trafficking. Students like Dingle and McNair really are making change, and this year’s cohort will be no different.

“There is so much strength in our students, and the kids in our city in general,” Jones says. “Support them, give them opportunities, and you never know what will come of it.”

Here’s the best part—you are invited to join the online event to see these dynamic young people and their ideas in action. Seeding this talent, creativity, and leadership in our young people takes a village. If you know a student who would make a phenomenal CHANGEmaker, or want to support Philanthropy Tank as a donor, mentor, or community partner, the April 14 finals is a great place to get started. For more information on the event and other ways to get involved, visit www.philanthropytank.org.

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Philanthropy Tank, a nonprofit which was founded in 2015 and brought to Baltimore in 2019, is giving kids the tools and support to take their own steps on the path of progress. Participants from grades 8 through 12 are invited to pitch projects to spread positive change in their communities, with grants of up to $15,000 awarded by local investors. Selected students—which Philanthropy Tank refers to as CHANGEmakers—are paired with local mentors to guide them as they pursue their ambitions and bring their ideas to life.

This year, a cohort of eight CHANGEmakers was selected from 48 applicants. On April 14, the eight finalists will receive funding at a final pitch event at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture. Each CHANGEmaker is unique. One CHANGEmaker pitch will  bring an artistic eye to blighted neighborhoods with an initiative to paint murals on abandoned buildings. Another will seek funding for a community improvement closet, providing people in under-resourced areas with clothes, toiletries, books and other essentials. Another will pitch plans to create a network of support for young people with incarcerated parents. At the April event, investors will determine how much funding will go to each project.

While local investors play a role in selecting and seeding projects, Philanthropy Tank’s dynamic mentors empower CHANGEmakers to carry out their visions at a high level and to have the confidence to face challenge, adversity, and unexpected surprises head-on. One such mentor is Stephanie Amponsah of The Dream BIG Foundation, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that incubates entrepreneurship in underserved communities. Philanthropy Tank Executive Director Nakeia Jones called Amponsah, “A shining example of leadership in action.”

Amponsah has served as a mentor for CHANGEmaker Ania McNair, whose project “Not For Sale Youth” seeks to bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking. A freshman at Morgan State University, McNair applied to Philanthropy Tank as a high school senior and hit the ground running after being selected for funding in 2020. McNair has hosted rallies in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and held a month-long summer camp where participants used art therapy to unpack the link between low self-esteem and human trafficking. She is currently producing a workbook teaching the importance of self-care from a young age, as well as a curriculum to teach middle school students the warning signs of kidnapping and human trafficking. While McNair has owned her role as a CHANGEmaker, Amponsah has had a hand in much of McNair’s growth and development over the last year.

Although CHANGEmakers are typically assigned mentors at the beginning of their Philanthropy Tank journey, participants never know what connections they’ll make. D’mond Davis has provided meals to families of children living with chronic disease through his project “Hungry for Change.” Davis met Dorian Brown, the owner of Neopol Savory Smokery, when Brown agreed to allow Davis to use Neopol’s kitchen to prepare Sunday Suppers for Hungry for Change. They’ve since struck up a friendship, and their discussions go deeper than serving dinner, with Brown offering Davis crucial insight into fine-tuning his plan and approach.

Do you know a young person who would make a phenomenal CHANGEmaker? Do you have the skills and experience to serve as a mentor? Or are you interested in being a sponsor for another cohort of up-and-coming community leaders? This year’s finals event on April 14 is a great place to start—and you’re invited. Originally scheduled for February 17, the event was postponed due to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, but is set to proceed in-person as planned. For more information on the event and other ways to get involved, visit www.philanthropytank.org.

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