Transcript: "Brooklyn Community Foundation gives power to youth advisers," Spectrum News NY1 (February 13, 2022)

 

A foundation in Brooklyn that funds not-for-profits is giving some of the city's young people the power to decide how the Foundation donates its money. We're talking about the Brooklyn Community Foundation. It says it is the only foundation in the entire country to implement what it calls participatory grant making process. 

 

Shannan Ferry, Anchor/Reporter, NY1  0:22  

And it's exciting for them to be part of this. The Foundation did this to help advance racial justice 16 Youth Advisory Council Members ranging in age from 16 to 22 help select the dozens of nonprofits that received a share of $2.5 million in grants from the foundation, not-for-profits serve young people in Brooklyn, most of them are led by people of color. These are groups that promote youth leadership and youth justice and help immigrant families in neighborhoods like Bushwick, East New York, and Flatbush.

 

I think particularly, having young people at the table and having young people be able to be the decision makers, I think is really shifting the way that we think of what is needed, and really helping us to resource the organizations that are really on the ground doing the work. 

 

These are not-for-profits that have small budgets, and a lot of times have a tough time getting grant money. This process basically gives a greater voice and power to the young people who have lived or continue to live the issues that a lot of these not-for-profits are trying to address. We spoke with 22 year old Brayan Pagoada. He is one of those youth advisors working with this foundation who helped decide where the not-for-profits, which ones should be funded.

 

I think that building and also funding programs, we can make our young people better and have a different choice if you want to go to college or not college. But I think there are different ways to make change and power for change in our community. And I think that begins with living and creating spaces for young people.

 

These grants are made possible thanks to the Foundation's donors. Since it was founded in 2009, the Brooklyn Community Foundation has provided more than $75 million in grants to not-for-profit organizations.