Maryland Awards $6 Million to We Our Us Despite Late Tax Return

Maryland awarded $6 million to Baltimore City nonprofit We Our Us in a contract routed through the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, with state agency materials describing the group as "responsive and responsible" during procurement review. The award was part of a larger violence-intervention funding package that state officials advanced last year, and state records show the contract was processed as a non-competitive procurement.

We Our Us’s federal tax filing record shows the organization filed its 2023 return late, and its 2024 return - which was due last year - has not been made public. The group has told reporters that its audits are finished and its returns have been submitted, but Hoodline’s reporting indicates We Our Us has not provided audit reports or tax returns for independent review.

Corporate and governance scrutiny has focused on the nonprofit’s president, Antoine Burton. Court documents reviewed by reporters indicate Burton owes more than $200,000 in personal tax liens. Those lien figures and legal filings prompted broad public reaction on social media, where commenters alternately defended Burton and demanded more transparency in how taxpayer funds are spent.

Accounting experts flagged the award and the organization’s public records as red flags for stewardship of a $6 million contract. Parson said, "This is the kind of background that would keep somebody from getting a job as a chief financial officer or even a controller. I'm not going to put somebody in charge of money that has money problems. It's just asking for trouble." Styron added, "Delayed tax filings, incomplete financial reporting and Burton’s personal tax liens paint a picture of a nonprofit that does not appear prepared to execute a $6 million taxpayer-funded contract."

State procurement files obtained by reporters show the decision to use a non-competitive route moved the agreement through juvenile-services channels rather than an open bidding process. Agency documents referenced in reporting record DJS assessments that We Our Us met responsiveness and responsibility criteria during the department’s review before issuing the award.

The organization’s 2023 return was filed only after earlier scrutiny by reporters, while the 2024 return remains unreleased to the public record. We Our Us describes itself as a men’s unity and youth engagement organization; agency paperwork links the $6 million award to work under the violence-intervention funding umbrella. Reports note Governor Wes Moore signed or announced related funding in August, with the award attributed to state-level action in that month.

Until We Our Us provides auditors’ reports and the outstanding 2024 tax filing to independent reviewers, the $6 million contract will continue to sit under scrutiny from accountants, procurement officials, and Baltimore residents concerned about oversight, tax liens tied to the nonprofit’s president, and the transparency of a non-competitive state award.