In April 2017, the City of Baltimore entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to address findings related to the Baltimore Police Department’s patterns and practices. Since then, Baltimore City, Baltimore Police Department and multiple partners have come together to map out steps needed to make meaningful and sustainable change. Join Maryland Philanthropy Network’s Health Funders Affinity Group and the Affinity Group on Aging to learn how Baltimore City is transforming the landscape of behavioral health crisis response and providing the tools necessary to reduce unnecessary police interaction with people with mental illness and substance use disorder.

Public budgets are one of the most important policy instruments of our government. They are moral documents that reflect our values and priorities through decisions on how to tax residents and businesses and spend those collective resources. These decisions impact what families have to spend on basic needs and invest in their future, define the size of the government and its role in the national economy, and affect the lives of all Americans. Join Maryland Philanthropy Network for a special screening and discussion to learn about and discuss why federal and state budget and tax work matters to national, state, and local philanthropy.