By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Bmore Empowered, a Baltimore-based nonprofit focused on supporting Black girls and women, is closing its doors due to a lack of funding.
Established by Nazaahah Amin and Kieta Iriarte-Amin in 2017, Bmore Empowered sought to uplift girls and women of color through leadership, entrepreneurship, self-esteem building and mindfulness. Ahead of the closure announcement, the organization had temporarily paused its operations in September 2025.
In an interview with the AFRO, Iriarte-Amin explained the capital challenges they faced are common for nonprofits like theirs, particularly amid a presidential administration that has targeted equity, diversity and inclusion efforts.
“This isn’t unique to the funding landscape right now. There are many other Black women-led nonprofits around the country that are coming under attack,” said Iriarte-Amin. “Three hundred thousand Black women have been forced out of the workforce, and there’s been rolling back of anything related to diversity, equity and inclusion. I think this is really par for the course of what the intention of this administration is.”
The founders told the AFRO that their organization had always operated on a slim budget, pumping most of its revenue into programming. Bmore Empowered has also acted as a fiscal sponsor for several Black women-led organizations, and as a result, some of the funding it received in recent years was designated for those sponsored organizations rather than for Bmore Empowered’s own operations. Once capital sources started to become scarce, Iriarte-Amin said the nonprofit had to make “the responsible decision to end programming.”
The announcement from the organization’s leadership comes amid questions about tax documents and taxpayer-funded grants. As Bmore Empowered has navigated the challenges, questions have been raised about its fiscal responsibility and several grants—some taxpayer-funded— that the organization received in recent years.
Over time, Bmore Empowered faced heightened scrutiny over receiving city-backed grants particularly because its director of operations was Hana Scott, wife of Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott.
In July 2023, Bmore Empowered was selected for the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore’s (DPOB) Black Owned and Operated Storefront Tenancy (BOOST) program. The organization subsequently received $80,000 in grant money to open a storefront at 5 N. Howard Street.
This space did not open; however, Amin explained that this was because Bmore Empowered ultimately settled on a different downtown location: 344 N. Charles St, which they moved into in 2024.
“We first visited the 5 N. Howard St. property, which was adjacent to a liquor store, right on the light rail line and had pretty much zero parking there. We realized that that was not sufficient for us as far as safety measures for us as women, as well as our girls and parents,” said Amin. “ We started to work with Downtown Partnership very closely, as well as some brokers that they were working with, and we located the 344 N. Charles St. property. We were there until the fall of last year when we, unfortunately, had to move out of that space due to lack of funding.”
Gregory Tucker, a spokesperson for DPOB, told the AFRO that DPOB maintains an internal review and monitoring process for all BOOST grantees, ensuring program requirements are met and funds are used appropriately. He also noted that no American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) or city funds were included in Bmore Empowered’s award.
“As a general practice, DPOB does not publicly release detailed expenditure documentation for individual grantees,” said Tucker. “That said, we can confirm that Bmore Empowered utilized the grant funding according to the terms and conditions of the program—namely, lease or rent costs, programming development and related operational expenses.”
According to public records, in fiscal year 2024, Bmore Empowered also received a total of $62,500 in grants from the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund (BCYF), a quasi-governmental organization that is predominantly backed by taxpayer dollars. Additionally, the city’s Open Checkbook shows that the organization received $25,000 in ARPA funds in 2023, as well as $9,950 from Baltimore City’s youth employment program YouthWorks in 2024.
The founders said the BCYF grant and ARPA money was awarded to organizations that they fiscally sponsored, rather than for Bmore Empowered’s own programming. The YouthWorks funding was used to host a youth entrepreneurship cohort for 15 Black girls, in which they learned soft skills and participated in a pitch competition at Baltimore Unity Hall.
As of the most recent public records available, Bmore Empowered did not file a tax form for 2024. The founders confirmed they filed an extension with the IRS, which was granted. In its 2023 filing, the organization reported a net income of -$223,866.
The organization’s leadership told the AFRO they believe their financial management has been misrepresented in the media.
“We didn’t go in feet-first, not really thinking or planning things out. We went in thinking this would last for years to come, and it would be that space where Black girls in Baltimore could softly land. It hurts. We’re still processing all of this emotionally, let alone anything any community members or media are saying about us,” said Amin. “This is visceral.”
Since it launched in 2017, Bmore Empowered has served more than 3,000 Baltimore families with quarterly workshops, women’s business cohorts, afterschool programs and empowerment camps. Its programming has covered confidence building; holistic wellness; entrepreneurship; science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM); violence prevention and sexual well-being.
“We started the organization because of our love for Black women and because we know that when we are empowered, we have resources and we are living in ease, the rest of the world is living in ease,” said Amin.
Despite Bmore Empowered closing, both women said they have not forsaken their calling. The pair plan to continue their grassroots support of Black women and girls in their day-to-day lives.
“Our legacy is in the fact that we were able to create a physical space— a hub—for our girls and women to let their hair down, take their masks off and just be themselves. That continues.” said Amin. “We will still see our babies and our women throughout the streets, and we’ll still be in the community doing the work that we need to do individually.”
Read the full text of the letter from Bmore Empowered founders Nazaahah Amin and Kieta Iriarte-Amin, announcing the organization’s closure below:
February 2, 2025
Several months ago, we made the decision to temporarily pause operations. After much reflection, we’ve decided to permanently close our doors. We value the communities we serve and want to share context for our decision.
When we founded Bmore Empowered, our goal was to create a safe and supportive space for Black girls and women. We knew this demographic had unique needs and needed consistent supportive services to help them thrive. For instance, Black girls are more likely to be seen as less innocent, and less deserving of protection. Black women are more likely to be a victim of
domestic violence and to experience Black femicide, with a femicide rate six times higher for Black women than for white women. Black women and girls are at increased risk of intimate partner violence, and sexual abuse and exploitation – over 40% of Black women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetimes, and over 20% experience sexual violence. This community deserves targeted support from culturally competent providers.
Our mission and goal have not changed. The need has not changed. However, 2025 has been a difficult year, not just for Bmore Empowered, but for many grassroots organizations in Baltimore and beyond. A recent study found that over 81% of nonprofits reported struggles in raising enough money to cover their costs. At the national level, this year has been punctuated by attacks
on programs that advance equity and inclusion.
We are not immune to such challenges. It has been challenging raising capital and navigating the current moment. We are sunsetting the organization for one reason only: a lack of capital sufficient to carry on our operations.
And yet, as painful as this season has been for us, we know the people we serve continue to be impacted by an affordability crisis, uncertainty in the political environment, and diminished funding for lifeline programs. The broader environment makes this announcement all the more difficult.
While our organization has been covered extensively in the news, we hope our partners and clients see our hearts and appreciate our intentions. There is no shame in lacking sufficient funds to run an organization. Although there is a narrative that we have been financially irresponsible, this narrative is itself irresponsible. We have worked hard with the resources we’ve had. As a
fiscal sponsor for smaller entities, we have absorbed our costs as well as that of the groups we’ve served.
We did not want this outcome. We simply lacked the resources to continue in a meaningful way.
For persons who value grassroots organizing and place-based work, please know that this work requires your continued support. To those who have supported us, please know that we see and appreciate you.
In Service,
Nazaahah Amin, Kieta Iriarte-Amin
Bmore Empowered
