Community-led Social Change

Through the Brooklyn COVID-19 Response Fund’s Community-led Social Change grants, we are investing $2.5 million through 2026 to achieve long-term systems change. These seven organizations are receiving $70,000 a year, for five years, to advocate and organize across a spectrum of issues in order to dismantle and reimagine policies and systems that have prevented Black, Indigenous and other communities of color from thriving both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These five-year grants represent the Foundation’s longest-ever funding commitment for a single cohort of organizations.

Grant recipients were selected by members of the Foundation's Community Advisory Councils who reviewed applications, conducted site visits, and collectively determined which organizations would receive funding.

Learn More:

The Black Institute

To conduct research, provide educational opportunities that encourage political awareness and stir public debate, train new leadership, develop initiatives to build wealth and power for Black people and all people of color.

Brooklyn Movement Center

To support movement-building among Black communities in Central Brooklyn and affect policy targeting civic education and engagement, economic opportunity, and housing justice.

Center for Law and Social Justice

To increase civic engagement and voter participation of Black communities in Central Brooklyn through community education campaigns, facilitating research, and building organizing capacity.

Girls for Gender Equity

To continue its Participatory Action Research (PAR), combat interpersonal and institutional violence against girls and TGNC youth of color in schools, and mobilize toward a vision for safe, holistic, welcoming, and affirming schools for all students.

IntegrateNYC

To support leadership training and youth development and mobilize youth to advocate for a more just public school system in NYC.

Muslim Community Network

To provide voter education and civic engagement resources to build education and awareness in Muslim communities and build partnerships with other community-based organizations to increase inclusivity and representation.

VOCAL-NY

To build power among low-income people impacted by HIV/AIDS, the drug war, mass incarceration, and homelessness and mobilize for legislative change through community organizing, leadership development, advocacy, direct services, and direct action

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