Insights to Impact

The Latest from Brooklyn Community Foundation

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Insights to Impact

March 16, 2023
Jenny Walski
Vice President of Donor Engagement (She/Her/Hers)

This Spring, we're mobilizing Brooklynites to aid the newest New Yorkers. Every dollar donated to our Immigrant Rights Fund now through April 30th will go to further support for asylum seekers.

November 20, 2019
Liane Stegmaier
Chief of Staff (She/Her/Hers)

We are pleased to announce the newest member of our Board of Directors, Connie Sargent.

 
November 12, 2019
Liane Stegmaier
Chief of Staff (She/Her/Hers)

Our #BrooklynGives campaign aims to prove that Brooklyn is not just New York City’s largest borough, it’s also its most generous!

November 4, 2019
Liane Stegmaier
Chief of Staff (She/Her/Hers)

A packed house filled St. Ann's Church in Brooklyn Heights on Friday, October 18th for the penultimate program in Brooklyn Historical Society's month-long series, "400 Years of Inequality: Slavery, Race, and Our Unresolved History."

October 21, 2019

Our Invest in Brooklyn Dinner, held on Friday, October 18th, featured a powerful discussion with Stacey Abrams and Elaine Welteroth.

October 16, 2019
Liane Stegmaier
Chief of Staff (She/Her/Hers)

We are excited to announce the 20 finalists for this annual Spark Prize, the only award of its kind honoring longstanding nonprofits that have “sparked change” across Brooklyn.

 

October 15, 2019
Liane Stegmaier
Chief of Staff (She/Her/Hers)

We are pleased to announce the addition of political strategist and CNN commentator Aisha C. Mills to our Board of Directors, effective Friday, September 27, 2019.

October 2, 2019

As we near the three year anniversary of our Immigrant Rights Fund, we are pleased to announce our largest disbursement of quarterly grants from the fund to date: $255,000 to 18 immigrant-serving, immigrant-led organizations across Brooklyn.

 
September 4, 2019
Sabrina Hargrave
Director of Programs (She/Her/Ella)

In order to determine our programmatic strategy for our new $10 million Brooklyn Elders Fund we launched Elders Insights, a community outreach project modeled after Brooklyn Insights, in late 2018. Today we are pleased to share our Elders’ Insights report detailing what we’ve learned about the state of Brooklyn’s older adult communities.

August 31, 2019
Jameela Syed
Communications Manager (She/Her/Hers)
Esmeralda Simmons, founder and executive director of 2018 Spark Prize winner the Center for Law and Social Justice, spoke with us about her work and the importance of celebrating philanthropy in the Black community.
August 26, 2019
Jameela Syed
Communications Manager (She/Her/Hers)

In this second half of our interview with author Valaida Fullwood, we discuss the theme of this year’s Black Philanthropy Month, and how people can get started on their journey as philanthropists.

 
 
August 22, 2019
Jameela Syed
Communications Manager (She/Her/Hers)

Our #BlackPhilanthropyMonth interview with Valaida Fullwood, award-winning author of Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists

August 21, 2019

Last month, our donors responded to the threats of widespread ICE arrests with an outpouring of support that raised nearly $35,000 for our Immigrant Rights Fund. With those crucial funds, we were able to issue two new Immediate Response grants.

 
    August 15, 2019

    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.

    August 14, 2019

    For our Black Philanthropy Month series we spoke with BlackSpace about philanthropy, legacy, and their work to protect and create Black spaces. BlackSpace is a collective of Black residents, changemakers, urban planners, architects, artists, activists, designers, and leaders, and one of the Foundation’s 2019-2020 Incubator Project Winners.

    August 12, 2019

    The moment demands that every institution with a platform use it to speak out. Together, we must raise our voices to drown out the hate and call it out for what it is. This is racism. We must not tolerate or normalize it. We must condemn it, and then we must connect that rhetoric to the policies that are ruining the lives of people of color and holding back progress for us all.

    August 5, 2019

    For Black Philanthropy Month (BPM) we are highlighting stories of those who are committed to informing, inspiring, and investing in Black communities. Our first spotlight is on Jocelynne Rainey, Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice President at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation and member of the Foundation’s Spark Prize Committee.

    July 29, 2019
    Jameela Syed
    Communications Manager (She/Her/Hers)

    We are pleased to officially announce the addition of Susannah Taylor to our Board of Directors, effective Friday, June 7, 2019.

    July 25, 2019
    Jenny Walski
    Vice President of Donor Engagement (She/Her/Hers)

    In advance of the ICE Raids announced for Sunday, July 14th donors responded quickly and stepped up to defend our immigrant friends and neighbors, raising $35K for our Immigrant Rights Fund

    July 11, 2019

    With the announcement of imminent ICE raids and deportations this weekend, Brooklyn’s 170,000 undocumented residents are in real danger. Families risk being ripped apart—but you can help.

    July 3, 2019

    We are delighted to announce seven new sustained response grants from our Immigrant Rights Fund that address long-term issues affecting Brooklyn's immigrant communities.

    June 27, 2019

    Our statement in response to the Supreme Court ruling that the Department of Commerce must provide stronger justification if they are to proceed with the inclusion of a citizenship question in the 2020 Census.

    June 27, 2019
    Sabrina Hargrave
    Director of Programs (She/Her/Ella)

    We are excited to announce the 6 organizations chosen for our next Incubator Project cohort! Through the Incubator Project we help build the capacity of start-up, innovative organizations at the earliest stages of development dedicated to sparking change for a more fair and just Brooklyn.

    June 25, 2019
    Jameela Syed
    Communications Manager (She/Her/Hers)

    We are pleased to announce the addition of Marcella J. Tillett to our staff as the new Vice President of Programs and Partnerships, effective Tuesday, September 3, 2019.

    June 13, 2019

    Don't miss our NY Daily News op-ed on why our elected leaders must get critical Census 2020 funding out to trusted local messengers today.

    June 11, 2019
    Hannah Jatsch
    Guest Author

    Hannah Jatsch, a student at The Packer Collegiate Institute, writes about a panel event hosted by the Foundation that centered on race, equity, and community engagement, and how communication between youth and adults plays an important role in the journey to build a more fair and just Brooklyn.

    May 17, 2019
    Jenny Walski
    Vice President of Donor Engagement (She/Her/Hers)

    Made up of 35 members all hailing from Brooklyn, the Committee includes local business owners Jackie Cuscana (Ample Hills Creamery), Andrew Tarlow (Marlow & Sons, Diner, Roman's) and Kai Avent-deLeon (Sincerely, Tommy), comedic actress Ana Gasteyer, and many more.

     

    May 9, 2019

    The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy published a striking report recently on funding for pro-immigrant movements by U.S. foundations.  Among their findings is that barely 1% of all money granted by the 1,000 largest U.S. foundations was intended to benefit immigrants and refugees

    May 6, 2019
    Lisa Cowan
    Fund Adviser, The College Opportunity Fund

    On College Decision Day and in the aftermatch of the college admissions scandal, fund advisor Lisa Cowan shares how her own son's path to college has motivated her to help establish the College Opportunity Fund at Brooklyn Community Foundation.

    April 29, 2019
    Jeanne Landers
    Communications Intern

    Our Brooklyn Youth Activists organized their 3rd annual conference on Saturday, April 20th at the YWCA Brooklyn, with this year’s theme “Youth Open Up”

    April 23, 2019

    Our statement in response to today’s oral arguments before the Supreme Court on whether Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross can legally add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

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