ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Wes Moore today applauded the formation of the ENOUGH Alliance and a multi-million dollar investment from the philanthropic community dedicated to investing in children and families to end child poverty. To amplify the impact of the ENOUGH Act, philanthropic and private sector institutions are coming together with an initial commitment of more than $100 million to form the ENOUGH Alliance and calling on other institutions to join their efforts. The coalition highlights Maryland's commitment to ending childhood poverty, increasing economic opportunity, and uplifting communities in need.
"Partnership produces progress, and nothing else does. Marylanders are coming together across all levels of society to end child poverty in our state,"
said Gov. Moore. "By joining forces across the public sector, private sector, philanthropic sector, nonprofit sector, and beyond, we can marshal the broad support necessary to elevate our communities and leave no one behind. Today marks an important step forward in our continued work to ensure every child, regardless of background or zip code, thrives."
The ENOUGH Alliance is a coalition of local and national philanthropy and private sector organizations dedicated to investing in children and families to end child poverty in Maryland. The alliance activates philanthropic investment to supplement other private and state resources directed to communities with the highest rates of generational poverty.
The funding announced today demonstrates the social sector’s alignment with the State’s ENOUGH Initiative, which provides resources to communities through partnerships with community organizations, non-profit organizations, and anchor institutions to improve the quality of life for Marylanders experiencing multi-generational poverty. The ENOUGH Initiative was authorized by the ENOUGH Act, which was signed into law in 2024 to address historic inequities in the state and tackle the root causes of poverty.
"Philanthropy works best when it is done in partnership and the work of investing in the future of our children and our communities requires cross-sector collaboration and alignment,"
said Founder and President of Harlem Children’s Zone and Founder of William Julius Wilson Institute at HCZ Geoff Canada. "Maryland's ENOUGH Act is a powerful step towards addressing systemic and historic challenges, providing the tools needed for young people to thrive. Through philanthropic support of this initiative, we are investing in a generation of families and children who will transform their futures and provide boundless opportunity for those too often left behind."
Members of the ENOUGH Alliance commit either to providing aligned funding to nonprofit organizations in ENOUGH-eligible jurisdictions or to contributing to the ENOUGH Community Support Fund. The Governor’s Office for Children provides information to potential funders about where their contribution may be most impactful and works to help align investment with the State’s existing efforts to uplift ENOUGH-eligible jurisdictions.
Through the ENOUGH Alliance, Blue Meridian Partners has committed significant investments to scale nonprofit organizations in Maryland, provide technical assistance to ENOUGH communities, and support the Moore-Miller Administration’s whole-of-government approach to tackling child poverty. Organizations including the Bainum Family Foundation and the Sherman Family Foundation are supporting the launch of the ENOUGH Community Support Fund.
"Blue Meridian Partners is proud to invest in Governor Moore’s vision of ending child poverty by building family wealth, championing education equity, and creating pathways to opportunity,"
said Blue Meridian Partners President and Chief Investment and Impact Officer Jim Shelton."The ENOUGH Act recognizes that solving systemic challenges requires investing in people — families, children, and the dedicated professionals who support them,"
said Bainum Family Foundation Chief Executive Officer and President David Daniels. "At the Bainum Family Foundation, we know that when we invest in young children, their families, and educators, we invest in the future success of our communities. We’re proud to stand with Governor Moore and our fellow philanthropic partners in creating the ENOUGH Community Support Fund to drive real, lasting change for Maryland’s children and families."
"We are delighted to support Governor Moore’s vision of ending childhood poverty, along with the Maryland legislature through the ENOUGH Act and philanthropy through the ENOUGH Alliance,"
said Sherman Family Foundation Founder and Chair Betsy Sherman. "Today, with inspiring leadership, community-based solutions, and children-centered professionals and caring adults, the Sherman Family Foundation is honored to be part of the solution to recognize the promise of each child by investing in their future, from gestation through young adulthood. We are proud to join local funders in responding to Governor Moore’s call to lift Maryland children out of poverty."
The alliance will build on previous philanthropic commitments including investments from the Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs with Arnold Ventures and Bloomberg Philanthropies’ investment in the first-ever state
Innovation Team, to continue the groundbreaking work that started with the ENOUGH Act.
The
ENOUGH Actuses place-based interventions in communities with disproportionately high numbers of children living in poverty—rural, suburban, and urban. The ENOUGH Initiative program provided $20 million in grants and technical assistance in 2024 for ENOUGH communities and Local Management Boards, to provide place-based efforts to reduce child poverty and promote economic mobility in Maryland.
Please visit the ENOUGH Alliance’s website
enoughalliance.org to learn more.