Baltimore Nonprofit Bmore Empowered Shuts Down After 8 Years

Founders cite funding challenges and political climate as reasons for closure of organization supporting Black women and girls.

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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Bmore Empowered, a Baltimore-based nonprofit focused on supporting Black girls and women through leadership, entrepreneurship, and holistic wellness programs, is closing its doors after 8 years of operation. Founders Nazaahah Amin and Kieta Iriarte-Amin cited funding challenges, particularly amid a political climate that has targeted equity and inclusion efforts, as the primary reason for the organization's closure.

Why it matters

Bmore Empowered's closure highlights the ongoing struggles that many grassroots nonprofits, especially those led by Black women, face in securing sustainable funding. The organization provided critical services and a safe space for a vulnerable community that continues to face disproportionate challenges related to violence, economic instability, and lack of access to resources.

The details

Bmore Empowered was established in 2017 and had operated on a slim budget, directing most of its revenue into programming. The organization also acted as a fiscal sponsor for several other Black women-led groups. As funding sources became scarce, the nonprofit's leadership made the difficult decision to end operations. Questions have been raised about Bmore Empowered's fiscal responsibility and its receipt of city-backed grants, some of which were taxpayer-funded.

  • Bmore Empowered was established in 2017.
  • The organization temporarily paused operations in September 2025.
  • Bmore Empowered announced its permanent closure in February 2026.

The players

Nazaahah Amin

Co-founder of Bmore Empowered.

Kieta Iriarte-Amin

Co-founder of Bmore Empowered.

Brandon M. Scott

Mayor of Baltimore, whose wife Hana Scott was the director of operations at Bmore Empowered.

Gregory Tucker

Spokesperson for the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore (DPOB).

Hana Scott

Director of operations at Bmore Empowered.

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What they’re saying

“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. 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.”

— Kieta Iriarte-Amin, Co-founder, Bmore Empowered (AFRO)

“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.”

— Nazaahah Amin, Co-founder, Bmore Empowered (AFRO)

“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. 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.”

— Nazaahah Amin, Co-founder, Bmore Empowered (AFRO)

The takeaway

Bmore Empowered's closure underscores the ongoing challenges that grassroots organizations, especially those led by Black women, face in securing sustainable funding and operating in a political climate that is increasingly hostile towards equity and inclusion efforts. The loss of this vital community resource highlights the need for greater support and investment in organizations serving marginalized communities.