We are pleased to join the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy’s call to action among community foundations to commit to funding Black communities, at a minimum, equal to their representation in our overall population.
Brooklyn is home to the largest Black community in North America. Nearly 70 percent of the borough’s residents are non-white. For our staff at the Brooklyn Community Foundation, the events of the past year have revealed in the starkest terms that systemic racism is the greatest threat to the health and well-being of our communities.
2020 was a year of extraordinary grassroots generosity, enabling us to distribute $12.7 million to nonprofits, breaking all Foundation records. The remarkable scale and urgency of this grantmaking to address overwhelming community need was made possible by over 3,000 donors, also a milestone for our institution.
In the face of a crisis, it’s common to be overwhelmed and unsure of where to start, so below we’ve compiled a list of easy, actionable steps you can take to support our beloved borough for the long-term.
At Brooklyn Community Foundation, we are deeply committed to achieving our vision for a fair and just Brooklyn. And in this moment, we are seeing momentum build for that vision in new and powerful ways.
We have come a long way in our 10 years as Brooklyn’s community foundation. In our annual Insights to Impact Report, you will learn more about our work meeting the needs of our borough’s most vulnerable communities and supporting nonprofits on the frontlines of change.