Dear BLK ED: “Measuring What Matters: A Leader’s Guide to Meaningful Change” with Franklyn Baker

This episode features Franklyn Baker, President and CEO of United Way of Central Maryland, where he has led since 2016. With nearly 30 years of nonprofit executive experience, Franklyn is known for scaling community impact, strengthening organizational culture, and building equity-centered strategies that deliver measurable results. Under his leadership, United Way has expanded homelessness prevention and family stability work, advanced educational equity initiatives, and launched the development of two new Family Centers providing affordable childcare and early childhood education in Columbia and Poppleton.

Franklyn’s career includes executive leadership roles at Greenpeace USA and Volunteers of America Chesapeake. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Howard University and a master’s in nonprofit administration from the University of Notre Dame. He serves across a wide civic and nonprofit network, including boards and leadership roles connected to Baltimore’s Promise, Parks & People, Maryland Access to Justice Commission, Baltimore Public Media, Truist, and others.

In this conversation, “Measuring What Matters: A Leader’s Guide to Meaningful Change,” Franklyn breaks down what it takes to lead with clarity in a shifting nonprofit landscape. We talk about “operating at the next level” before you have the title, why culture drives execution, and how leaders balance trust with accountability. He also shares how strong partnerships and community voice shape sustainable solutions, what metrics actually signal progress for families, and when leaders must have the courage to pause or sunset programs that are not delivering outcomes.

Franklyn closes with practical funding guidance for nonprofit leaders navigating uncertainty, including United Way of Central Maryland’s United for Good Community Relief Fund and United for Good Nonprofit Resiliency Grants. Learn more at uwcm.org/unitedforgood, and for grant details visit uwcm.org/grants (application deadline: December 15).

If you’re a nonprofit executive, emerging leader, funder, or board member, this episode offers grounded insight on building trust, leading through complexity, and measuring impact that reflects real change.

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