Benefactors Spotlight: Getting to Know Rahmirah Gardner

‍In celebration of Black Philanthropy Month and Give 8/28, we’re excited to spotlight some of the inaugural members of Benefactors, a national Black giving collective co-led by the Young, Black & Giving Back Institute and the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

Rahmirah Gardner’s perspective of philanthropy has changed pretty dramatically over the past five years.

“I used to think that philanthropy was wealthy people writing checks,” she explained. “It wasn’t something that a Black girl from Baltimore City would be involved in.”

Now as a Member Services Coordinator at PEAK Grantmaking, and a key member of Benefactors: A Black Giving Collective, Rahmirah says her vision philanthropy has expanded to include a much broader, more inclusive diaspora.

“You don’t need to be wealthy to be a philanthropist,” Rahmirah explains. “You need to be willing to give. You need to be willing to listen. And you need to be willing to care.”

The Pathway to Philanthropy and Collective Giving

Born and raised in Baltimore, Gardner found her way into the philanthropic sector somewhat by chance, when in 2022, a colleague connected her to an opening at the Maryland Philanthropy Network.

The move came at a pivotal moment for the sector, as major events such as the COVID pandemic and the murder of George Floyd led to conversations about how philanthropy could better reflect and support the communities they serve.

“At the beginning I sometimes wondered where I fit in, as a young Black woman working in this sector,” Rahmirah shared. “As exciting as it was to be a part of all these conversations about values and diversity, I couldn’t help but notice that there weren’t a lot of faces around the table that looked like me.”

Later Rahmirah joined PEAK Grantmaking and attended the Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE) Harambee Conference – which connected her to other young, Black professionals from across the sector, including those involved in Benefactors – a new giving circle launched in partnership with the Young, Black, & Giving Back Institute and the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

“The concept of giving circles and collective giving resonated with me,” Rahmirah explained. “Pooling resources and helping our neighbors is something that members of the Black community have done for decades.”

“The idea that I could be a part of one and build community with other professionals really appealed to me.”

Building Benefactors & Black-Led Nonprofits ‍

Launched in 2024, Benefactors was created to empower individuals who want to invest in Black communities in meaningful ways. Together, members pool resources, learn about impactful nonprofit organizations, and participate in a collaborative grantmaking process. To date, the initiative has invested more than $80,000 to support 9 different organizations across the country.

As an inaugural member, Rahmirah helped shape Benefactors' grantmaking process from the ground up — starting with the committee's earliest conversations about what that process should look like. ‍

Rather than build a new application from scratch, the committee chose to draw from the database for Give 8/28 – a national day of giving focused on uplifting Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofits organized by the Young, Black & Giving Back Institute (YBGB).  Any nonprofit in Give 8/28 can be considered for Benefactors funding, sparing nonprofit leaders yet another application.

“The goal was always to make our process as simple as possible for the organization,” Rahmirah said. ‍

Each year, Benefactors identifies four to five focus areas for funding, then works together to research potential candidates using public records including the Give 8/28 database, organizational websites and 990s before reaching out to the nonprofits to request a virtual site visit.

“That was my first experience interacting with nonprofits leaders at a grassroots level,” Rahmirah recalled. “It really gives you a different perspective. It re-energizes you.” ‍

Among the candidates were many smaller organizations that operate with a staff of one or two people – some of whom are unpaid but continue to show up and do important work in their communities.

“They were so thankful,” Rahmirah recalled. “Just the fact that someone noticed their work and was considering them for funding – even though it’s not a ton of money – it meant so much to them.”

Building Community, Joy, and a Wider Table

Beyond the grantmaking, Rahmirah has thoroughly enjoyed the sense of community that she has found within the Benefactors initiative. The collective's membership spans seasoned executives, retirees, and people entirely outside the philanthropic sector — allowing her to expand her network and her horizons.

“It was a bit intimidating at first,” she admitted. “But it was thrilling to see faces that looked like mine who had similar experiences all coming together with this common goal of giving back.”

Rahmirah encourages anyone considering a giving circle — especially fellow Black professionals — to take the leap, even without prior philanthropic experience.

“It's a great opportunity to honor your history,” she said. “Our community has historically pooled resources to support one another. It hasn't always looked like dollars and cents but coming together to help those in the community who needed it. Benefactors is an iteration of that.”

Want to get involved? Benefactors is now accepting new members! To learn more, contact Neema Rwebangira at [email protected]

If you are a nonprofit organization, visit www.give828.org to learn about Give 8/28 – a national day of giving focused on uplifting organizations like yours!

The Community Foundation is proud to partner with the Young, Black & Giving Back Institute to support nonprofit organizations through Give 8/28 and the Benefactors Giving Collective.