Brooklyn Community Foundation is delighted to announce the launch of The Just Brooklyn Prize in partnership with The Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation’s Social Justice Fund. The fund is a new $100,000 annual award to celebrate five outstanding BIPOC champions in the fight for racial justice in Brooklyn.

Nominations are open to the public now through May 15, 2023 at www.bksjf.org/JustBrooklyn. Each winner of The Just Brooklyn Prize will receive $20,000 in recognition of their contributions to the pursuit of racial and social justice in the borough.

Winners will represent a diversity of backgrounds and professional pursuits — from artists to activists, teachers to techies, nonprofit directors, healthcare workers, journalists, and others doing the work on the ground in Brooklyn. 

The $20,000 prizes will be awarded without restrictions, as a sign of our gratitude for and belief in the recipients’ vision and commitment to the borough. Winners will be announced in early September. 

“The Just Brooklyn Prize aims to shine a spotlight on Brooklynites who are leading the fight for racial justice and the important work they’re doing to improve the borough. The Social Justice Fund brings together people and organizations with a shared commitment to inclusivity, justice, and equal opportunity. We are proud to partner with the Brooklyn Community Foundation to honor five changemakers building power in their communities.”

—Clara Wu Tsai, Founder of the Social Justice Fund and owner of the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and Barclays Center

The 2023 Just Brooklyn Prize winners will be chosen by a selection committee of esteemed Brooklynites including:

• Dr. Uché Blackstock (Founder and CEO, Advancing Health Equity)
• Sharon Daughtry (Executive Director, Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance)
• Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson (President, Auburn Theological Seminary)
• Randy Peers (President & CEO, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce)
• Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso
• Ouigi Theodore (Founder and Creative Director, The Brooklyn Circus)
• Angela Yee (Host, Way Up With Angela Yee) 
• Jo-Ann Yoo (Executive Director, Asian American Federation)

“We know that so many Brooklynites work every day to fix the inequalities in our economy and our society, without seeking or expecting any reward for their efforts. We also know that simply recognizing and celebrating their contributions can be a powerful symbol of change.

That is why the Brooklyn Community Foundation is thrilled to launch The Just Brooklyn Prize with the Social Justice Fund! We are so excited to embark on this new partnership to deepen our collective investment in Brooklyn’s incredible changemakers in pursuit of justice for all.”

—Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, President & CEO of Brooklyn Community Foundation

The Just Brooklyn Prize builds on the Social Justice Fund’s investment in the national Black Voices for Black Justice Fund, and Brooklyn Community Foundation’s Spark Prize for Brooklyn nonprofits. Each year, our Spark Prize recognizes pioneering Brooklyn nonprofits committed to racial and social justice with deep roots in the borough that are often overlooked by the City’s philanthropic sector and wealthy donors. To date, we have distributed $3.6 million to 30 Spark Prize winners.