BK Reader: Brooklyn Gives Back: Where to Donate on Giving Tuesday

Published in BK Reader

This week is all about giving thanks, and there’s no better way to express gratitude than to give back to your community — and Giving Tuesday is the perfect time to do it!

The nationally recognized day, which falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is a day for people to donate their time and money to local nonprofit organizations. This year, Giving Tuesday is on Dec. 3.

Each year, organizations across the borough create fundraising campaigns through Brooklyn Gives, a platform hosted by the nonprofit Brooklyn Org, to make the process easier for people to donate to their favorite causes. On the Brooklyn Gives platform, patrons can crowdfund on behalf of their desired organization or simply make an individual donation.

“Brooklyn Gives represents an unprecedented opportunity for community members to amplify their impact and support the causes they care about most,” said Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, president and chief executive officer of Brooklyn Org. “With over 250 participating nonprofits, Brooklynites can easily find and support organizations aligned with their values while keeping their contributions working directly in their community.”

Many individuals donate to one or more of the finalists of the Spark Prize, which you can view here. A $100,000 matching fund is set to double contributions for the 20 finalists, adding to the campaign’s momentum. Additional incentives include $500 bonus prizes for 10 nonprofits throughout Giving Tuesday.

So take a look at the long list of fantastic Brooklyn-based nonprofits that you can donate to, or check out our curated list below:

Haitian Cultural Exchange

Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX) is a nonprofit organization established to develop, present, and promote the cultural expressions of the Haitian people. Founded by seven Haitian women in 2009, HCX works to create a permanent presence for Haitian arts and culture in New York City. Artists from all creative pursuits have a place to share their work through programs like Vizyon Atistik and our Lakou Nou Residency, and through the Haitian Film Fest.

Teens of Color Abroad

Teens of Color Abroad (TOCA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the gap in language learning and study abroad opportunities for Black and Latino students. Through immersive international experiences, TOCA provides students with the chance to learn new languages, engage with different cultures, and expand their horizons. TOCA’s mission is to make language education and global experiences accessible to all students, regardless of financial background.

KAVI

Kings Against Violence Initiative, Inc. (KAVI) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to prevent and eliminate interpersonal violence from the lives of young people through advocacy, peer leadership, community mobilization and social justice. KAVI operates youth violence interventions programs in central Brooklyn though schools and hospital-based settings. It also works with a broad range of partners to conduct community strengthening and healing programs.

Asase Yaa

Based in Downtown Brooklyn, Asase Yaa is a arts nonprofit that offers the borough’s youth an opportunity to learn, study and experience the history, movement and beauty of African Diasporic dance, music and culture at its highest level. The programs are designed to ensure that the youth understand the roots and value of culture in the arts, which will inspire and propel them to become strong leaders capable of preserving and elevating our culture and communities in the future.

East New York Community Land Trust

The East New York Community Land Trust (ENYCLT) is a resident-led and democratically-run non-profit organization established by community leaders in 2020 to stop the rampant predatory real estate investment in East New York and Brownsville, and to protect neighbors from being displaced. The group’s mission is to take community control of land and to steward the land democratically so that it stays deeply and permanently affordable, always serving the needs of our low-and-middle income Black and Brown community.

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