Business Volunteers Maryland

doing good. better.

Baker Donelson and Business Volunteers Join Forces to Support Light of Baltimore Incubator Program

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Baker Donelson, with support from Business Volunteers, hosts event that delivers nearly $30K of support to Baltimore social enterprises by mobilizing internal and external skills-based expertise. 

Baker Donelson partnered with Business Volunteers to offer pro bono consulting to eight social enterprises associated with their Light of Baltimore (LOB) Incubator. In a highly structured, multi-hour engagement, Business Volunteers and Baker Donelson mobilized 44 volunteers from 16 companies to provide strategic advice on numerous business challenges, resulting in nearly $30,000 in pro bono services delivered in a single day. 

Launched in 2022, the LOB Incubator at Baker Donelson supports local businesses by offering a collaborative workspace in Baker Donelson’s downtown building. Through a partnership with Innovation Works, the incubator also provides a comprehensive business development program to those in the cohort. 

“The Light of Baltimore Incubator represents our firm’s long-term commitment to Baltimore’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and downtown revitalization,” said Jennifer Curry, Baker Donelson shareholder and original visionary for the Incubator. 

Baker Donelson’s partnership with Business Volunteers on last week’s event was part of a larger initiative to focus the firm’s civic engagement strategies. 

“By partnering with Business Volunteers on [this event], we can offer our attorneys’ professional expertise to these emerging businesses precisely when they need it most—helping them build sustainable operations and contribute to our city’s economic growth,” Curry said. 

During the event, teams of volunteers from Baker Donelson and their business partners, as well as several Business Volunteers Board Members, worked directly with business owners from the LOB cohort, offering valuable insight and practical action plans related to  strategic planning, finance, fundraising, human resources, marketing, and operations.  

The eight participating social enterprise organizations included:  

“The energy in the room was incredible—talented professionals collaborating, problem-solving, and developing actionable plans to support organizations’ various challenges,” Alissa Ganser, President and CEO of Business Volunteers, said. “We are deeply grateful to Baker Donelson for hosting this event, engaging their associates, and inviting their clients and partners to join the effort. This is a powerful example of skills-based volunteering in action.”  

Michael A. Schollaert, Baker Donelson shareholder and member of the Business Volunteers’ Board of Directors, added:  

“It was truly uplifting to bring together colleagues, clients, and community partners in support of these outstanding organizations. The feedback from both the volunteers and the social enterprises was overwhelmingly positive.  We loved hosting this event in 2024, we’ve loved hosting it again, and we look forward to continuing this partnership in the future.”

Business Volunteers Maryland, with Top Sponsor THB Bagelry & Deli, Launches Competition to Support Local Nonprofits

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Business Volunteers Maryland (BVM), the leading expert for connecting businesses with community engagement in the region, today announced the launch of its 2024 Turtle Tank Nonprofit Storytelling Competition, which will award thousands of dollars to seven local nonprofits. New in 2024, THB Bagelry & Deli joins BVM with a united objective to support Baltimore charities and the good they do in the community.

Turtle Tank was founded in 2022 by storytelling expert Tom Mayer as a culmination of Business Volunteers’ flagship GIVE Fellowship. The GIVE Fellowship is a prestigious program that annually provides 40 Baltimore-area professionals (i.e. Fellows) dedicated to community leadership with hands-on experience working with local nonprofits to complete a long-term pro-bono consulting project. The Fellowship enhances participants’ civic leadership skills and allows them to develop a network of other professionals, including more than 600 program Alumni, who are committed to doing good, better.

During Turtle Tank, Fellows compete for prize money to benefit the seven Baltimore-based, grassroots nonprofits they have partnered with on their consulting projects. This exciting competition allows Fellows to showcase their storytelling prowess by creating a video commercial and presentation that highlights the incredible impact their nonprofit partners are making in the Baltimore community.

THB Bagelry & Deli, a family-owned business that has grown to be a flagship Baltimore brand, committed a leading $5,000 sponsorship to fund the competition.

“In THB’s 25-year history, we have partnered with hundreds of Baltimore nonprofits raising funds for education, mental health, and children’s causes among others,” explains Tony Scotto, CEO of THB. “This new partnership with BVM’s GIVE Fellowship program is a perfect match for our brand allowing us to engage more with nonprofits than ever before. It’s really an honor for us at THB to be able to support great nonprofits in our community doing great work.”

The 2024 Turtle Tank competition will take place during the GIVE Graduation ceremony on November 7 at Brown Advisory. Each team will present their commercial and deliver a compelling, shark-tank-like pitch about their projects. The audience, comprised of influential local business and nonprofit leaders, alongside a panel of esteemed judges, will vote on the most compelling stories. Prizes will be awarded to each of the seven nonprofits featured in 2024, including: Baltimore Community Rowing, Waverly Main Street, Cornerstone Community Housing, Lori’s Hands, South Creek Community Development Corporation, Southwest Sports & Fitness Alliance, and The Mental Health Emergency Fund, Inc.

Alissa Ganser, President and CEO of BVM shares, “Turtle Tank is a special opportunity to showcase the incredible nonprofits our GIVE Fellows have worked tirelessly to support in a fun and engaging way, all the while providing small, local nonprofits with critical funding to continue their missions. We are thrilled to have the support of an iconic Baltimore brand, THB Bagelry & Deli, to kick off our third year of Turtle Tank.”

The Turtle Tank competition is named as a nod to the Maryland community, and because turtles represent intuitive development, strength, courage, protection, wisdom, patience, determination, and receptivity, all of which describe BVM’s GIVE Fellows, their nonprofit partners, and our community. Turtle Tank is more than just a competition–it is a community of support to celebrate the amazing work that nonprofits in Baltimore are addressing every day.

For more information about the Turtle Tank event and sponsorship opportunities, please click below.

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