Getting More to Give Back

How Brooklyn Nonprofits Are Leveraging Our Support to Get More Funding, Awareness for Their Good Works

Key to our recent $2.3 million grant distribution was a continuation of our efforts to give Brooklyn nonprofits a multitude of tools to expand their work, beyond us simply sending a check.

To entice more people to give to, and get involved with, our Brooklyn-serving partner organizations, we designated nearly 20 grants as “challenges.”

Challenge grants enhance the impact of our funding. Whether it’s a dollar-for-dollar match, or a way to get Facebook followers, we’re hoping to entice more financial support—and awareness—for organizations working across our borough.

Here are a few ways we’re helping our partners do even more good right here (and how you can help):


  Brooklyn Workforce Innovations: 100 Donations by June 30th

Spurred by our challenge, the job training and development organization raised an additional $12,000 beyond our $25,000 grant. Not only did they exceed their donation goal, but best of all, 22% of the donations were made by graduates of their programs.


  Brooklyn Community Services: Every “Like”= $2

We’re helping one of Brooklyn’s oldest nonprofit organizations grow awareness among the Facebook generation! For a two-week period, we’ve agreed to give them $2 for each new “like” at http://Facebook/BrooklynCommunityServices up to $5,000 through August 8th. What are you waiting for? Go like them now! And tell your friends!


  The HOPE Program: 252 Miles for HOPE

We’ve challenged their staffers get active for their cause, and in turn, they’ve pledged to log hundreds of miles in support of Brooklynites working toward success in the job market. HOPE staff members will compete in the New York City and Granite State Wheelman Century Bike Rides in September (total of 200 miles!) and the New York City and inaugural Brooklyn Marathons in November (total of 52.4 miles!). They’re hoping to raise $20 for each mile, or $5,048 for New Yorkers in need, and they’re more than 25% there! More at http://firstgiving.com/252MilesforHOPE.


  Prospect Park Alliance: Walkathon Match

To get more Brooklynites committed to helping our borough’s biggest park stay beautiful, we’re matching donations to the Prospect Park Alliance’s annual Walk for Prospect Park dollar-for-dollar, up to $25,000.  There’s still plenty of time to participate in the 2nd annual 5K around the park on September 18th. Get started at http://www.prospectpark.org/walkathon.


  Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens: 'Student Teachers' Give Back

We fund Catholic Charities’ Caritas Montessori Teacher Training Program, in which frontline employees at 14 early childhood centers receive on-the-job training that translates into one year of undergraduate credit. Most program participants go on to complete their four-year degree in Early Childhood Ed. Our challenge turned into a friendly competition: which of the 14 centers could get the highest percentage of student teachers to donate to Caritas?  We're proud to say that several centers achieved 100% participation, and that the overall average was 75%!


Brooklyn Community Foundation Challenges You!

Last January we received more requests for grants than ever before. While we were able to fund 119 projects, there were still many more deserving of our support that we simply couldn’t fund. We’re now accepting requests for our second round of funding this year, and we need your help!

Please make a donation today to help us fund as many terrific organizations as possible:

http://www.brooklyncommunityfoundation.org/donate