Celebrating Black Philanthropy in Action

Aug 1, 2025

Every August, Black Philanthropy Month invites us to reflect, organize, and give, and at Brooklyn Org, we’re using this opportunity to amplify Black-led nonprofits working at the forefront of justice and supporting solutions created by and for Black Brooklynites.

Brooklyn is home to more than 750,000 Black residents—yet the racial wealth gap between white and BIPOC Brooklynites is estimated to be as high as $50 billion. Nationally, Black-led nonprofits are underfunded and overlooked, receiving just 4% of philanthropic dollars. If left unaddressed, the median Black household is projected to reach a net worth of $0 by 2053.

In the face of these disparities, sustained investment in Black communities is essential. This Black Philanthropy Month, we’re highlighting a few of our grantee partners who are shifting systems and strengthening communities across our borough, ultimately improving the quality of life for all Brooklynites. Explore their featured stories below for a window into some of the local programs and Black leaders building a more fair and just Brooklyn:

Girls for Gender Equity

Girls for Gender Equity ensures that Black girls, femmes, and gender-expansive youth have a safe place to achieve academic excellence, be community leaders, and maintain healthy lifestyles, and strives to eliminate sex discrimination through community organizing.

“Brooklyn Org’s unwavering belief in us and continued support has allowed us to amplify youth voices and highlight the issues important to us, like gender-based violence, reproductive justice, and school climate”

– Joanne N. Smith, Founder and Executive Director

A chef in a red uniform demonstrates food preparation to two students at a stainless steel kitchen counter. — 2025 Brooklyn Org Spark Prize Winner Brownsville Community Culinary Center

Brownsville Community Culinary Center

Brownsville Community Culinary Center expands access to healthy food, nutritional education, and career development for Brownsville residents, providing a free culinary vocational training program and a safe, comfortable space where neighbors can access fresh, affordable, and culturally relevant foods.

“We are thrilled to be honored with the Brooklyn Org Spark Prize, which is rooted in the idea of sparking transformational change in communities.”

– Alexis Aquino, Executive Director and Executive Chef

The Prescod Institute for Sport, Teamwork, and Education

Founded by Olympic fencer Nzingha Prescod, The Prescod Institute for Sport, Teamwork, and Education provides athletic programs for Black youth in underserved communities to learn fencing (an often-inaccessible sport), and experience personal growth, community connection, and opportunities to travel abroad and domestically for competitions.

“Brooklyn Org supports leaders in the growth of the organization, stabilizing of the organization… and making sure you have the funding and infrastructure to do those things sustainably.”

– Nzingha Prescod, Founder and Executive Director

A man in a black coat gestures while talking to a group on a city street. A photographer holds a camera. Urban buildings and a trash can are in the background. — 2025 Brooklyn Org Spark Prize Winner Good Call

Good Call

Good Call leverages technology to address the challenges faced by low-income communities impacted by the criminal justice system, providing access to early legal intervention for thousands of New Yorkers, dramatically impacting the trajectory of their cases and disrupting the cycle of mass incarceration.

“Winning the Brooklyn Org Spark Prize has allowed us to hire system-impacted individuals and provide more legal support by hiring additional attorneys to add to the hotline.”

– Jelani Anglin, Co-Founder and CEO

A group of students sits in a classroom circle, reading papers and discussing, with another person standing in the background near lockers. — Courtesy of The B.R.O. Experience Foundation

The B.R.O. Experience Foundation

The B.R.O. Experience Foundation provides programming for young Black men in Brownsville and Bed-Stuy through healing-centered leadership development, mentorship, rites of passage, summer camps, and fatherhood programs, supporting their social-emotional well-being and leadership skills.

“The mission of the organization is to create mental wellness spaces that excavate the untapped potential of young men of color. By providing authenticity, bravery, and connection in our spaces, we want to create a world where young men of color are thriving community members, who our community can rely on.”

– Barry “Coach Coop” Cooper, Founder and Executive Director

A man in a gray T-shirt and black hoodie holds a computer tower while standing in a room filled with computer equipment on shelves. — 2025 Brooklyn Org Spark Prize Winner TechFIN

Technology for Families in Need

Technology for Families in Need helps narrow the digital divide by collecting and refurbishing used computers in bulk from corporations to give to low-income families across New York City, equipping them with the tools needed to succeed in today’s digital age.

“There are enough unwanted corporate computers on the island of Manhattan for every low-income family in NYC to have one. We are thrilled that Brooklyn Org has recognized the value of our work using donated corporate computers to create digital equity for low-income families.”

– Nigel Frankson, Co-Founder and Chairman