Sharing a post here from Dr. Lawrence Brown (Author of The Black Butterfly):
Here’s the link for where Baltimore’s nonprofits can apply for the city’s allocation federal COVID relief dollars ($641 million). Applications are due December 31 and must meet certain criteria. Organizations in the Black Butterfly need to apply!
But let me say—I’m not really a fan of application processes like this. First, grassroots advocacy organizations and groups without 501c3 status are not eligible. Second, a lot of smaller nonprofits don’t have a lot of capacity and time for grantwriting.
Also I would argue that large nonprofits and entities like Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, and large philanthropies (e.g. the Casey, Weinberg, and Abell foundations) should be ineligible for applying if the goal is really equity. Many times, being serious about equity means that entities with structural advantages need to sit down and take a seat.
As usual, when White L and PWI institutions apply, they end up taking up space and money that needs to be reserved for the Black Butterfly and South Baltimore Peninsula. The exception to this rule would be if White L and PWI institutions provided technical assistance as subawardees and not as the prime awardee. That’s it.
But with all that being said, this is the process that’s set up and I want Black Butterfly and South Baltimore Peninsula communities to get every last dime of the $641 million and put it to good use in helping our communities recover from the pandemic.
