NationSwell had the opportunity to talk to Wooten about his work, the importance of place-based social change, and what a grant from NationSwell member organization T. Rowe Price Foundation has been able to unlock for his work. Later on, I went on to become the director of the Collective Banking Group, working with over churches in faith-based economic development continuing the work of mobilizing resources, starting with the assets and gifts that we already have in hand. Over individuals and organizations joined our skills bank.
And so we want to mobilize resources, tell these stories, and close the gap. Wooten: We launched in to be a resource for those that seek to find, fund, and partner with social change organizations in greater Baltimore. We are a place-based organization mobilizing resources to support these organizations.
First we draw from the traditions of our ancestors and the ways we have always mobilized resources to support the needs in community. We also center participatory and trust-based philanthropy models, where the community is at the table and is the decision maker.
This work is about trust-building and relationship building. So I always said we were going to spend our first two years deepening relationships. Major part of this work is narrative power. But then you have COVID hit, and the murder of George Floyd, and now so many more people are starting to see the importance of supporting Black-led organizations operating in communities.
With us already having this asset-based directory, it was an opportunity for funders to see us as the place they could go to see what Black-led organizations are doing. We partnered with foundations to help them reach the people we were reaching. And so I think that our place-based approach in building relationships and trust helps us keep our feet to the ground and be able to offer funding to organizations that have never received a grant.
