Hope and Redemption

By the time Martize Tolbert walked into the Fountain Fund’s office in 2017, he had endured a lifetime’s worth of challenges. Fresh out of prison after serving time for drug convictions, he found himself navigating a labyrinth of financial and systemic barriers. Driven by a promise to his late mother to never return to the streets, Tolbert was determined to chart a new course. “I knew I didn’t want to go back,” he says. “The Fountain Fund gave me that first step—a loan to pay court costs so I could get my driver’s license.”
Today, Tolbert is the National Director of Client and Community Engagement for the very organization that gave him a second chance. He describes the Fountain Fund as “a bank with a heart,” offering low-interest loans to formerly incarcerated people, financial literacy coaching, and, above all, hope. “My mentor taught me that to keep what I have, I’ve got to give it away,” he says.
The work is personal for Tolbert. “When I came home, I didn’t see anyone across the desk who looked like me, who understood where I was coming from,” he says. “Now, I can be that person for someone else.”
Beyond his work at the Fountain Fund, he spearheads initiatives like the One-Stop Shop, a program designed to connect formerly incarcerated individuals with a network of resources, from housing to employment opportunities. He also mentors a growing list of clients, conducting personalized assessments to map their goals and challenges.
His work is about more than redemption—it’s about legacy. “People counted me out,” he says. “Now, I’m showing them what’s possible. Your past doesn’t define your future.”