Brooklyn Org Awards $75,000 to Support Neighborhood-Focused Projects

Today Brooklyn Org announced the recipients of its 2026 Neighborhood Collective Impact Project funding. Three projects, each involving at least two community-based nonprofits, will receive $25,000 grants to address local needs.

The funded projects promote anti-violence workshops for youth and families in East Flatbush, a neighborhood-based platform for skill-building, housing stabilization in Bed-Stuy, and cultural preservation, and mental health and wellbeing for LGBTQ+ families, caregivers, and young people across School District 13. Participating organizations are The Center for Anti-Violence Education and Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project, Magnolia Tree Earth Center and Liminal, and MJR Love and PFLAG NYC.

Launched in 2024, the Neighborhood Collective Impact Project grew out of Brooklyn Org’s borough-wide neighborhood Listening Tour, where residents consistently identified challenges including community health and wellness, youth opportunity, public safety, immigration support, and neighborhood connectivity. Rather than funding solutions developed from the top down, the initiative fosters and invests in collaborations between organizations already deeply rooted in their communities, empowering them to design and implement solutions that respond directly to local priorities.

“Every neighborhood in Brooklyn is rich with people who understand both the challenges their communities face and the solutions that will make a difference,” said Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, President and CEO of Brooklyn Org. “The Neighborhood Collective Impact Project funding builds collaboration among existing organizations already serving the same communities, to bring residents together, strengthen the social fabric, and create solutions that reflect the assets and aspirations of their communities.”

Since its launch in 2024, the program has supported projects that have transformed underutilized public spaces through youth-led design and placemaking in Brownsville, engaged residents in addressing environmental health concerns through community research and education in East Flatbush, explored the intersection of urban planning and food justice in East New York, created multicultural programming that strengthens connections among immigrant communities in Kensington, brought young people together through arts and advocacy in Red Hook, and strengthened business corridors in Bed-Stuy. These projects reflect Brooklyn Org’s belief that lasting solutions emerge when residents and community organizations have the resources to turn local knowledge into action.

The Neighborhood Collective Impact Project is one of several ways Brooklyn Org puts community voice at the center of its philanthropy. Through community engagement, participatory grantmaking, and neighborhood-based funding initiatives, Brooklyn Org works alongside residents to identify challenges, elevate local leadership, and invest in solutions created by and for Brooklyn communities. Brooklyn Org’s community grantmaking is supported through its donor community and donor advised fund program. Learn more at brooklyn.org/grants

The 2026 Neighborhood Collective Impact Project recipients are:

Anti-Violence Workshops for Youth and Families in East Flatbush

Neighborhood: East Flatbush; Flatbush; Prospect Lefferts Gardens

Nonprofit Partners: The Center for Anti-Violence Education and Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project

The Anti-Violence Workshops for Youth and Families is a public programming initiative led by the Center for Anti-Violence Education (CAE) and the Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project. The initiative provides Haitian youth and their families with workshops and tools focused on safety and violence prevention. Programming includes Empowerment Self-Defense workshops, safety trainings, and violence intervention and prevention sessions, as well as a year-long Peer Educators program that offers opportunities for connection, skill-building, advocacy, healing, access to mental health resources, and professional development.

Bed-Stuy University

Neighborhoods: Bedford Stuyvesant

Nonprofit Partners: Magnolia Tree Earth Center and Liminal

The Bed-Stuy University is a collaborative project by Magnolia Tree Earth Center and Liminal that envisions a neighborhood-based platform for skill-building, housing stabilization, and cultural preservation. Responding to rising costs and displacement in Bed-Stuy, the project positions the Magnolia Tree Earth Center as the hub for this community-driven “university.” During this incubation phase, the initiative will engage youth and residents in developing foundational skills in spatial design, construction, real estate literacy, and experiential marketing, while building a network of residents, homeowners, and local businesses.

D13 Teach Fabulous! Family Engagement Initiative

Neighborhoods: Brooklyn’s Community School District 13, including Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and surrounding communities

Nonprofit Partners: MJR Love and PFLAG NYC

The Teach Fabulous! Family Engagement Initiative will support the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ families, caregivers, and young people across District 13. Through workshops, caregiver support circles, and the development of culturally responsive resources, the initiative will help address isolation and strengthen support systems for Black and brown LGBTQ+ families. The project builds on existing work in schools to create safer, more inclusive environments for students and families.