We often hear from our Donor Advisors that one of the reasons they love working with Brooklyn Community Foundation is because we are so deeply rooted in our shared community.
When people from across our community can share in the joy of philanthropy, everyone wins. Whether a family has established a multi-million dollar Field of Interest Fund or a Donor Advised Fund to organize donations on a more concentrated scale, our Donor Advisors know that they have full access to Brooklyn Community Foundation’s charitable giving expertise and deep knowledge of the needs across our borough.
As we dive into the new year, we wanted to share a few stories of altruism that we’ve particularly enjoyed, which we think are worth checking out if you happened to miss them.
Spreading Love Through Solidarity: New York State of Pine
The Brooklyn-based worker-owned coop New York State of Pine recently
gave away Christmas trees to community members in the borough, with the founder Ellis Roberts explaining that the group’s giving was motivated by working class solidarity. The local impact was clear and at times emotional, as Roberts shared with the
BK Reader: “One woman came up and cried and gave me a hug…That’s the Christmas season, whether you’re religious or not, it’s about kindness.” In addition to sharing trees with individual community members, New York State of Pine also donated a tree to a Brooklyn shelter that is housing immigrant families who are seeking asylum.
The Power of Storytelling: Ted Lasso
Television and movies can also showcase the power of giving, as demonstrated by this
heartwarming piece comparing philanthropy to Ted Lasso. Playing the long game, listening, focusing on relationships, and staying humble and flexible are indeed important tenets of building a charitable giving plan.
Leaving a Legacy to Fight Climate Change: Patagonia
Yvon Chouinard, the founder of outdoor clothing company Patagonia, and his family
recently gave their ownership of the company to charity by establishing a group of trusts and nonprofits. Chouinard shared the motivation behind this act of philanthropy with
The New York Times,
stating: “Hopefully this will influence a new form of capitalism that doesn’t end up with a few rich people and a bunch of poor people…We are going to give away the maximum amount of money to people who are actively working on saving this planet.”
We look forward to hearing your thoughts on these and other stories of philanthropy that may show up in your news feed. And as always, our donor services team is here to answer your questions and provide the tools you need to activate your charitable giving in a concrete, meaningful, and tax-savvy way.
