Nonprofits grow thanks to unrestricted funding from Brooklyn Community Foundation
NY Nonprofit Media / City and State
Cypress Hills Child Care Corporation and the Center for Law and Social Justice won the $100,000 Spark Prize from the Brooklyn Community Foundation back in 2019, an unrestricted grant awarded to organizations that hope to spark change for a “fair and just Brooklyn”, as mentioned on the Brooklyn Community Foundation’s website, and have been able to grow exponentially since then.
Grant recipients must be based in Brooklyn, have a commitment to equity, be values-driven, and have a vision for the future. Twenty finalists are selected, and five nonprofits are then chosen by the Spark Prize Committee through a competitive application process.
Smaller organizations often are led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color executive directors. Once the coronavirus pandemic hit, nonprofits called for support through unrestricted grantmaking and funding, trusting organizations to use the money for their needs and getting rid of the arduous administrative work organizations often face when reporting their spending. The philanthropic community then created a movement towards unrestricted funding, with Brooklyn Community Foundation, among other foundations, helping to lead that change.