Brooklyn Elders Fund Advisory Council

In 2021, Brooklyn Community Foundation adopted a participatory grantmaking approach across all of our unrestricted grantmaking programs. Guided by our belief that those who are closest to the challenges are closest to the solutions, we center residents with lived experience and expertise as key decisionmakers in reviewing grant proposals, conducting site visits, and selecting nonprofits for funding.

Our Brooklyn Elders Fund Advisory Council (BEFAC) is a group of six Brooklynites who bring to our grantmaking a wide range of experiences of what it means to be an older adult in Brooklyn today. The council works hand-in-hand with our Programs team to review grant proposals, conduct site visits, and ultimately recommend which organizations receive funding; in 2021, together with our advisors, we distributed $585,000 from our Brooklyn Elders Fund to help older adults age in place, access benefits, and advocate for their rights.

Members of our Brooklyn Elders Fund Advisory Council at a convening in January 2020

The 2021-22 Brooklyn Elders Fund Advisory Council are:

Selma Jackson 
Susan Kranberg 
Sam Manning 
Arlene McQuilkin 
Maritza Myers 
Debra Scott