Insights to Impact

New York’s Lower East Side Chinatown is known for its concentration of Chinese

As we continue the work of our Immigrant Rights Fund—an emergency and long-term response fund launched in the weeks after the 2016 Presidential Election—our communities’ needs are evolving and deepening, creating a “new normal” amidst an almost constant onslaught of urgency and crises.

This month, we’re bringing you a multi-part update on our Brooklyn Restorative Justice Project. In this post, our evaluator Dr. Anne Gregory discusses the outlook for the second half of the project.

This month, we’re bringing you a multi-part update on our Brooklyn Restorative Justice Project. Here,Dr. Anne Gregory shares findings from the first two years of the project.

Since October 2017, 14 youth activists have been learning and organizing as part of our new Reproductive Justice Activists (RJA) program. In June, they will share their advocacy experiences and recommendations with Brooklyn Community Foundation and celebrate the culmination of their 10-month project. 

Our President and CEO Cecilia Clarke reflects on actions taken by corporations and foundations in the wake of the Parkland school shooting, and highlights the Foundation’s 2016 decision to divest from gun manufacturers and our deep commitment to investing in the leadership of young people to advocate for policy change.

As federal policies on immigration become increasingly restrictive, the work of community organizations supporting immigrants and their families is more important than ever.

On Thursday morning we awarded $500,000 to 5 Brooklyn nonprofits for their commitment to racial and social justice while honoring philanthropic leader Hildy Simmons

The passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in the final weeks of 2017 left many Americans scrambling for advice on how the new legislation will affect what they pay—and what they can deduct—on their federal income taxes. In the past few weeks, a clearer picture has emerged, and it’s one that may be cause for concern for nonprofits around the country. But there are some silver linings.

In 2017, Brooklyn Community Foundation invested $5.4 million in nonprofit programs through our Community Fund and Donor Advised Fund programs—$1.5 million more than the previous year!

Today marks one year since we launched our Immigrant Rights Fund in partnership with our donors—a $1 million commitment to defending the rights, safety, and stability of Brooklyn’s immigrant communities under the new Presidential administration.

Along with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season comes the ever-important consideration around charitable giving. This has been a year when charitable giving has been top of mind more than past years, and continues to be crucial support for affected communities right here in Brooklyn.

November is the time to focus on planning your year-end giving, and establishing a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) at Brooklyn Community Foundation may be the right choice for you.