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 Baltimore Executive Director Nakeia Jones says that each proposal is shaped by the student’s personal perspective on growing up in the city. “Every student’s project is different,” Jones says. “It depends on what their goals are.”

Founded in 2015 and brought to Baltimore in 2019, Philanthropy Tank asks students to identify the changes they’d like to see in their own communities—and then empowers them to become agents of that change. At a virtual event last year, the first cohort of CHANGEmakers pitched their projects to a panel of local investors, seeking grants of up to $15,000. This year, a second cohort of finalists, grades 8 through 12, will once again pitch projects in hopes of receiving funding, mentorship, and other critical support through Philanthropy Tank.

Among this year’s pitches spearheaded by Baltimore youth are an initiative to paint murals on abandoned buildings, bringing art and beauty to blighted neighborhoods; a community improvement closet, which will provide teens in under-resourced areas with clothes, toiletries, books, and other essentials; and a network of support for young people with incarcerated parents. Out of 48 applications, eight projects have made it this far. All of the finalists will receive some funding, but it’s up to the dynamic Philanthropist Mentors to decide whether to grant their requests in part or in full.

Jones emphasizes that bringing students together to build relationships with professional mentors is just as important as the money itself. “We want to empower them to be leaders, but first they need guidance on what that looks like,” she says. “We’re trying to create opportunities for students to learn transferable skills, stuff you can’t learn in the classroom.”

Take Samaya Nelson, a Saint Frances Academy ninth grader who will pitch her mural project at the finals event on April 17. She has already submitted a budget for materials, and will rely on funding and mentorship to help her scale up the initiative. The way Jones sees it, Nelson’s ambition to bring her talent as an artist and perspective as a young person to make change in the city can inspire new ways of thinking, not just in other young people but in all of Baltimore’s leaders. 

“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.”

Anyone can play a part in fostering leadership and development skills in Baltimore’s kids. Whether it’s partnering with other youth-based organizations across the city, securing funding for future cohorts of CHANGEmakers, or seeking new avenues to bring their ideas to life, Philanthropy Tank wants your help in bringing Baltimore’s young people the resources they need to execute their ideas..

Overall, the goal is for Philanthropy Tank to loop young people back into the conversation about seeding initiatives that can change the course of development in our city and its youth. “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.”

If you want to support Philanthropy Tank, or know a student who would make a phenomenal CHANGEmaker, the finals event on April 17 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 currently 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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