Before Superstorm Sandy surged into Brooklyn’s coastal communities, 2012 had already proven a transformative year for the Brooklyn Community Foundation.

Whether you’re looking for that special gift before the last day of Hanukkah or in time for Christmas delivery, we’ve got a novel solution to your holiday giving dilemmas—the gift of Brooklyn.

Each Brooklyn Recovery Fund grant represents a different story of perseverance through the storm and its aftermath.

As the holiday season kicks off here in Brooklyn, we encourage you to think "local" and invest in our communities.

There’s a new resource to help you get a deeper view into the civic life of our great borough and its diverse neighborhoods.

Last year, friends and family members of a remarkable young Brooklynite turned to the Foundation for help in setting up a fund to honor her life. Before her tragic passing at age 22, Hope Reichbach had been a vibrant presence in local politics and advocacy here in her native Brooklyn. Her loved ones knew that the best way to keep her spirit alive would be by encourage the work of other young people who wanted to give back to their communities.

On Saturday, October 20th, 150 brawny Brooklynites will form 30 teams to compete for the top spot in CrossFit South Brooklyn’s annual Fight Gone Bad. They might seem crazy—but they’re committed to pushing themselves to their physical limits to raise funds that back essential nonprofit work right here in their home communities.

Brooklyn is one of the world’s great artistic communities. Every year, more and more people in the arts are migrating here and making it their home. But for generations, Brooklyn has also produced great artists—young people with big talent and big dreams who got their start in our borough.

Here are a few more of our favorite “only in Brooklyn” summer moments, from Brooklyn Community Foundation grantees.

With the start of the first day of school comes the sad realization that another fantastic summer in Brooklyn has come to a close. We’re saying goodbye (for now) to afternoons at the Red Hook Pool, movie nights under the Brooklyn Bridge, Celebrate Brooklyn shows in Prospect Park, and the non-stop action on the Coney Island Boardwalk.