Brooklyn Org Receives $112,500 From National Grid Foundation As Part Of $2 Million Home Heating And Utility Assistance Initiative

Brooklyn Org, a platform and partner for local philanthropy in NYC’s largest borough, has received a Special Heating Fund grant of $112,500 from the National Grid Foundation as part of a broader $2 million initiative supporting emergency heating and utility assistance across New York and Massachusetts. This funding will provide critical support to Brooklyn residents facing financial hardships during the winter months, helping ensure they do not go without heat or other essential utilities.

The National Grid Foundation announced this record-breaking commitment to emergency heating programs in partnership with six fuel-neutral heating funds, including Brooklyn Org, Catholic Charities Brooklyn/Queens, United Way of Long Island, Catholic Charities Staten Island, Catholic Charities Albany, and three United Ways in Massachusetts—Mass Bay, Central Mass, and Cape and Islands. Since the inception of its heating fund programs, the Foundation has contributed more than $10 million in heating aid.

“We have a long history of serving as a community partner, understand the critical need in our communities, and want our neighbors to know we are here for them,” said Eileen Cohen, Board Chair of the National Grid Foundation. “Giving people the tools they need to build hope is an essential ingredient in the development of individuals, families, and stronger communities.”

This year, National Grid Foundation expanded its partnerships to include Brooklyn Org, recognizing the organization’s vital role in addressing urgent community needs.

“This generous support from the National Grid Foundation comes at a crucial time when many Brooklyn families are struggling with rising utility costs,” said Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, President and CEO of Brooklyn Org. “By providing emergency heating assistance, we can help ensure our neighbors maintain safe and warm homes during the coldest months of the year. This partnership exemplifies our commitment to addressing urgent community needs while working toward long-term solutions for a more equitable Brooklyn.”

Brooklyn Org will partner with six on-the-ground, community-based organizations to distribute support directly to longtime homeowners in Central Brooklyn: Flatbush Development Corporation, Bridge Street Development Corporation, Grow Brooklyn, IMPACCT Brooklyn, and Brooklyn Level Up.

Robert Simmons, newly appointed Executive Director of the National Grid Foundation, emphasized the impact of this funding: “This year’s emergency heating fund assistance allows the Foundation to expand its support to additional communities and deepen our local impact. We are critically concerned about energy affordability, and through this funding, we anticipate being able to support more than 7,500 families this year.”

The grant to Brooklyn Org is part of the National Grid Foundation’s broader commitment to community support, which has provided more than $43 million in grants to local community organizations since its inception in 1998.

For more information about heating assistance programs available through Brooklyn Org, residents can visit www.brooklyn.org.

About Brooklyn Org

Brooklyn Org is a champion for Brooklyn, bringing together community changemakers—the families and businesses, grassroots leaders and growing companies, and local nonprofits and the communities they serve—to be a new model for local philanthropy, built from the ground up, in pursuit of a more equitable and just borough.

Since its founding in 2009 as Brooklyn Community Foundation, Brooklyn Org has moved over $130 million to nonprofits through its strategic grantmaking and Donor Advised Funds, while driving action to address urgent crises and long-term change in Brooklyn. Each year, Brooklyn Org partners with Brooklyn residents to invest in high-impact nonprofits advancing racial justice at every level across the borough. Learn more at www.brooklyn.org.

About National Grid Foundation

The National Grid Foundation was created to enhance the quality of life across its grant-making territory. The Foundation’s ongoing challenge is to create opportunities for solutions to educational and environmental issues. Its objective is based on the principle that giving people the tools to build hope is an essential ingredient in the development of individuals, families, and communities. Since its inception in December 1998, the Foundation has granted more than $43 million to local community organizations. Learn more at www.nationalgridfoundation.com.