Insights to Impact

In this second installment of our interview with Lola C. West, Managing Director of WestFuller Advisors and member of the Foundation’s Spark Prize Committee, we discussed Lola's giving philosophy and her work in community-based philanthropy.

Katrena Perou, Executive Director of Inspiring Minds NYC and Donor Advised Fund holder with Brooklyn Community Foundation, spoke with us about her experiences as a nonprofit leader, challenges facing nonprofit leaders of color, and how she is making an impact on the borough both personally and professionally.

In the face of a crisis, it’s common to be overwhelmed and unsure of where to start, so below we’ve compiled a list of easy, actionable steps you can take to support our beloved borough for the long-term.

In total, 214 weekly Immediate Response grants have gone to organizations that have been lifelines to our communities, providing desperately needed food, PPE, direct cash assistance, mental health services, remote learning support, healthcare, small business loans, legal aid, safe housing, and so much more. 

As the Mayor and City Council finalize New York City’s 2021 Budget with the pledge to divert funding from the NYPD to youth services and social services⁠ — we are calling on them to prioritize Black-led and POC-led organizations in this critical reinvestment.

At Brooklyn Community Foundation, we are deeply committed to achieving our vision for a fair and just Brooklyn. And in this moment, we are seeing momentum build for that vision in new and powerful ways. 

Older adults across the country and around the world are at a heightened risk of contracting and becoming seriously i

We hope each and everyone of our partners and supporters is moved to take action right now.

Economic, social, and health inequities are rooted along racial lines due to historic and ongoing policies that maintain structural racism—and in Brooklyn, we are seeing critical nonprofits working hard to mitigate the heightened impact of COVID-19 on communities of color.

Join us this Thursday, May 21st for “The Impact of COVID-19 on Black Communities,” a live conversation with Heather McGhee and Lurie Daniel Favors. They will offer their analysis of what steps governments and communities can take to address the crisis and ensure a racially just recovery. 

Low-wage workers across sectors are facing extreme economic vulnerability and exposure to infection, making them especially susceptible to the short- and long-term impacts of the ongoing public health crisis.

So much about life in Brooklyn’s communities has changed over the past 7 weeks, starting with the incredible isolation we’re all facing. Yet, while we wrestle with the countless impacts this crisis is having on our communities, we know that Brooklyn has never been more united.

We believe that now is the time to be as generous as possible.

We are working hard to get funds to our communities as quickly as possible. This week’s 25 new grants brings our total to $625,500 for 64 frontline organizations.