CLLCTIVLY launches $1.28M Kindred Abundance Fund for Greater Baltimore

CLLCTIVLY unveiled the inaugural recipients of its Kindred Abundance Fund, a $1.28 million effort aimed at strengthening community-rooted organizations across Greater Baltimore. The launch pairs grants, a future rapid-response pool and a zero-interest loan fund to support both direct programs and the shared infrastructure local groups need to grow.

Why it matters: - CLLCTIVLY is putting new capital into Greater Baltimore’s social economy at a scale meant to support both programs and the systems behind them. - The fund is designed to help community-rooted organizations that often must raise money, manage operations, and build infrastructure at the same time. - The initiative combines grants, emergency support, and low-cost lending, which broadens the kinds of needs it can address.

What happened: - CLLCTIVLY announced the inaugural recipients of the Kindred Abundance Fund on Aug. 11, 2026. - The 2026 initiative totals $1.28 million. - The package includes $705,000 in grants and microgrants, a $75,000 Rapid Response Grant pool opening in October, and a $500,000 zero-interest loan fund. - CLLCTIVGive, CLLCTIVLY’s annual day of giving, revealed the recipients on Aug. 7. - CLLCTIVGive mobilized $1,363,382.07 through 5,092 donations from 4,160 donors.

The details: - CLLCTIVLY developed Kindred Abundance with Elbow Fund. - The fund makes flexible, trust-based investments in organizations, relationships, shared services, and back-office support. - Dr. Itihari Toure, known as Mama Itihari, coined the term “Kindred Abundance” during a conversation with CLLCTIVLY founder and CEO Jamye Wooten about the Power of One framework. - The grant pool covers 15 Infrastructure awards of $25,000 each, totaling $375,000. - The fund also includes 8 Ecosystem awards of $40,000 each, totaling $320,000. - Two microgrants of $5,000 each were awarded, totaling $10,000. - The Rapid Response Grant pool will support urgent opportunities, unexpected challenges, bridge funding and other time-sensitive priorities. - Rapid Response awards are expected to range from $5,000 to $15,000. - The zero-interest loan fund was created through CLLCTIVLY’s initial $250,000 investment and a dollar-for-dollar match from Common Future. - The loan pilot is open to current participants and alumni of CLLCTIVLY’s Drs. Elmer and Joanne Martin Social Innovation and Leadership Fellowship.

Between the lines: - CLLCTIVLY received 98 applications across the two main grant categories. - Applicants requested $2.802 million, more than four times the $695,000 available across those categories. - Fifteen organizations received Infrastructure awards and eight collaborations received Ecosystem awards, leaving significant unmet demand. - Applications spanned youth development, food systems, arts and culture, housing and homeownership, community wellness, leadership development, neighborhood infrastructure and economic justice. - Among 131 organizations that completed CLLCTIVLY’s 2026 capacity questions, nearly seven in ten identified fundraising and development as a need. - Organizations also reported needs in communications, governance, evaluation, operations, financial management and technology. - The applications pointed to demand for coordinated referrals, shared technology and data, physical space, communications, logistics and compensated collaboration. - Wooten said Baltimore’s community-rooted organizations lack capital and shared infrastructure, not vision, leadership or solutions. - Wooten also said shared infrastructure helps individual acts of care and investment become durable.

What happened: - The 2026 Infrastructure Grant recipients are Black Veg Society, The Binti Circle, Baltimore Rites of Passage Initiative, Neighborhood Companions, Baltimore Unity Hall, Hosanna Community House, She’s WELL Networked, Hendricks HOPE Foundation, Backyard Basecamp, I Believe In Me Girls, The William J. Watkins Sr. Educational Institute, The Sanctuary Collective, St. Francis Neighborhood Center, Baltimore Beat and The Clifton House. - The 2026 Ecosystem Grant recipients are The SOS Fund; Holistic Wellness and Health; The Black Church Food Security Network; Parity Baltimore; R.I.S.E. Arts Center of Baltimore; AileyCamp Baltimore; Muse 360; and Walter P. Carter Institute for Leadership and Service. - The 2026 Microgrant recipients are The Living Well Center for Social and Economic Vibrancy, Next Generation Language Access and Building Shared Infrastructure. - The infrastructure awards are meant to strengthen staffing, systems, governance, operations, fundraising and other core capacity. - The ecosystem awards support partnerships, shared services, collective learning and resource sharing. - The ecosystem projects include work on heirs property, alternative dispute resolution, shared business and technology support, community food-growing sites, homebuyer support, creative career development, youth arts programming, African-centered learning resources and community leadership.

What's next: - CLLCTIVLY will open the $75,000 Rapid Response Grant pool in October 2026. - The pool is expected to address urgent opportunities and short-term funding gaps. - The zero-interest loan pilot will continue for eligible fellowship participants and alumni. - CLLCTIVLY said Kindred Abundance is part of a year-round strategy to move resources, strengthen organizations and build the infrastructure communities need to thrive.

The bottom line: - CLLCTIVLY is using one funding initiative to back both frontline organizations and the systems that help them operate together more effectively across Greater Baltimore. - Since 2019, CLLCTIVLY says it has mobilized more than $7 million and supported more than 400 organizations.

More information: cllctivly.org