Brooklyn Family: How Brooklyn Org Is Planting The Seeds For Growth In The Borough This Spring

From The Ground Up

Inside Brooklyn Org: How this non-profit is planting the seeds for growth in the borough this spring

When we think of Brooklyn, we think of community. The bright murals that line the streets, the rich culture, and of course the borough’s deep cultural history. For many, Brooklyn serves as the core melting pot for the city and for one organization, it serves as home. For one philanthropic group, Brooklyn serves as more than a borough, it serves as home.

“When our organization was founded in 2009, it was designed to be a ‘big idea’ for Brooklyn – to leverage the growing population, excitement, and development happening here for the benefit of our communities,” says Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, President and CEO, Brooklyn Org. “Brooklyn Org is a champion for Brooklyn, bringing together everyone who loves Brooklyn and wants more for our communities to back change from the ground up.”

While Brooklyn is thriving and home to many up and coming neighborhoods, according to the publication Neighbors, Brooklyn Community Board 16 is one of the lowest income districts in NYC, ranking 51 of 59 districts. The neighborhoods include most of East Brooklyn, such as Brownsville, and Ocean Hill, some of which are considered the most vulnerable neighborhoods.

“We want to build a borough-wide community of givers to truly propel local change and direct far greater resources to our local nonprofits who are lifelines to local residents, so that we can make our borough more fair more just for all who call it home,” says Dr. Rainey.

However, the borough has been facing a funding crisis. In February of this year, the federal funding freeze initiated by President Trump left organizations scrambling, leaving Brooklyn nonprofits bracing for a year of uncertain investment. Statistics and data have shown that the borough is greatly underfunded, after CBS News reported the impact the loss of after-school funding had on many Brooklyn parents, as the state unceremoniously pulled funding from multiple neighborhoods. Many residents in the borough also struggle with affordable housing, as two Brooklyn neighborhoods have become the most expensive places to live in the city, according to Pix 11.

That’s where Brooklyn Org comes in. Since their conception in 2009, originally known as Brooklyn Community Foundation, they were the first public foundation for NYC’s largest borough and have partnered with donors to give out over $130 million to nonprofits.

The organization champions many philanthropic groups and initiatives, including The Alex House Project, Arab-American Family Support Center, Day One New York, The Doula Program, and its most recent project, the Brooklyn Book Bodega.

“Brooklyn is home to hundreds of nonprofits led by and serving communities of color that are often overlooked by the City’s philanthropic sector and wealthy donors,” explains Dr. Rainey. “BKO is a partner and platform for local giving, mobilizing funding and resources for local nonprofits that are on the frontlines of addressing our borough’s biggest challenges.”

Cue, the Brooklyn Book Bodega, a local literacy initiative newly funded by Brooklyn Org.

Based in Brooklyn on Flushing Ave in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and founded in 2018 by Rebecca Cohen and Seema Aghera, Brooklyn Book Bodega works to eliminate “book deserts,” or areas where there is one book for every 300 residents. They were among 5 winners of the Brooklyn Org Spark Prize, where they benefit from a $100,000 ‘no strings attached’ grant for their work to provide access to and ownership of books, build community, and create a passion for learning in Brooklyn.

“Brooklyn Book Bodega is an organization born out of a challenge in our communities by parents who saw first-hand the deep need for young people to be able to build their own home libraries and in turn become stronger readers,” said Dr. Rainey when asked about Brooklyn Org’s choice to help fund the project.

“It validates our work in the city and in Brooklyn, and says that literacy is an issue for all of us and if we can work on it together in community, we can do better,” founder Cohen said of winning the Brooklyn Org Spark Prize.

According to Read 718, approximately 65% of 3rd-8th graders in Brooklyn are not proficient in reading and approximately 35% do not have “basic” literacy skills. Studies show that students with poor literacy skills are twice as likely to drop out of school compared to their peers, and—as adults—are less likely to find employment and support a family. They are also more likely to require public assistance and are more likely to go to prison.

In 2023, New York City public schools unveiled a new literacy curriculum that faced a lot of backlash, our sister publication Brooklyn Paper reported. The program, aptly titled “New York City Reads,” was announced by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and former Schools Chancellor David C. Banks, and were part of a larger effort to improve the reading levels across the city’s schools, which have been below average for many years.

In addition to backing initiatives like the Brooklyn Book Bodega, as part of National Volunteer Month, they are hosting Brooklyn Org Volunteer Day on Saturday, April 26th, with opportunities for kids as young as six years old to join their parents at nonprofit service projects all around Brooklyn. Rainey hopes her initiatives will continue to make a difference in the community. “Everyone has a part to play in our work.”