Black Philanthropy Month

Our Board Member Lawanna Kimbro, Managing Director of the Stardust Fund, shared with us her thoughts on the meaning of philanthropy—acknowledging its history of harm—and the critical need to center community in this work.

In her monthly column, Brooklyn Community Foundation President and CEO Dr. Jocelynne Rainey shares reflections and stories of impact from our work across Brooklyn.

Our Board Member Michelle DeFossett, Chief Operating Officer of Girls Who Invest, shared with us her thoughts on the significance of philanthropy as a means to address injustices of the past.

Our Board Member Ingrid Benedict, Director of the Daphne Foundation, shared with us her thoughts on the meaning of philanthropy and the opportunity it provides for community engagement.

Brooklyn Community Foundation is thrilled to celebrate Black Philanthropy Month. Throughout August we're highlighting leaders within our own organization—and we encourage you to follow the hashtag #bpm2022 on social media and pledge your support for Black-led nonprofits across Brooklyn!

"From that moment on, I was destined to follow my heart, to continue to live my truth as a Black gay man, to always stand up for what I saw as right, even if I stood alone." - Uchechukwu Onwa

To celebrate this year's Black Philanthropy Month, we reached out to several Black leaders in our nonprofit community to learn about what inspires their work, local Black-led organizations they admire, and how the organizations they lead are working to achieve equity in our communities.