Our Time Press: At Brooklyn Org, Dr. Jocelynne Rainey Nurtures Brooklyn’s Racial Justice Nonprofits

Published In: Our Time Press

While this new presidential administration is determined to deconstruct racial justice gains in America, Brooklyn Org, a philanthropic foundation, continues to embrace social and racial justice as a mission to empower Brooklynites through nonprofit grants and mentoring programs dealing with racial justice.

Brooklyn Org, formerly known as Brooklyn Community Foundation, supports Brooklyn communities through grants to nonprofits that focus on families, youth, immigrants, older adults, civil rights, justice reform, workforce, and environmental justice.

“We are here to make sure that Brooklyn has a platform where all of Brooklyn can support other Brooklynites in so many different ways,” Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, Ed.D, President & CEO of Brooklyn Org told Our Time Press.

“This foundation for me is a model for how a foundation can get away from telling people how to do work and how to do programming, but becoming more inclusive and listening to the people who live in the community and who are impacted by the community and creating programming to support them.”

Under Dr. Rainey’s leadership, Brooklyn Org has surpassed $100 million in total giving. “I decided I wanted to run a nonprofit that was focused on racial equity. I wanted to be a visionary,” she said.

“I wanted to do it in Brooklyn because I love Brooklyn. I grew up in Brooklyn. I love the people.” Dr. Rainey is a lifelong Brooklynite. She grew up in Flatbush, lived in Park Slope and for 26 years has been raising her family in Bedford Stuyvesant.

Since 2021, Dr. Rainey has headed Brooklyn Org. Previously, she was CEO and President of Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO), working with youth involved in the justice system. For several years, she was Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation.

Her career began in human resources and workforce development at several major retail corporations. She holds a BA from Southern Connecticut State University, masters from Metropolitan College and a doctorate in Leadership from St. John Fisher College.

Brooklyn Org’s major grant, the Spark Prize, honoring Brooklyn nonprofits committed to advancing racial and social justice for all Brooklynites, will be presented at the Spark Breakfast on February 25 at the Barclays Center. This year’s winners are: Book Bodega, Brownsville Community Culinary Center, Community Help in Park Slope, Good Call legal services and Technology for Families in Need.

“These five nonprofits get $100,000 each which they can use for whatever they want,” said Dr. Rainey. “It gives them a chance to really be able to dream about how they serve their participants.” In addition, 20 finalists for the Brooklyn Org Spark Prize also receive up to $5,000 in matching funds through Brooklyn Org’s Brooklyn Gives on Giving Tuesday campaign.

For three years, in partnership with the Joe and Clara Tsai Social Justice Foundation in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Org has awarded a special grant to individuals making an impact on racial justice outreach in Brooklyn. “We give five individual Brooklynites, who are doing social justice work in Brooklyn, $20,000 each.

They can do with that money whatever they want to do,” she said. “These are individuals and they don’t have to run nonprofits. Many of them do, but it’s not the criteria. This is for them being social justice warriors.”

To give more opportunities to racial justice nonprofits in Brooklyn, Dr. Rainey is establishing micro grants: “One of the things that I’ve realized in the last few years is that we have limited funding. But, there are so many nonprofits that are doing amazing work across Brooklyn that can really do a lot with smaller grants that will help us start a relationship with them,” she said.

“This will allow them to maybe execute a program that they’ve been wanting to execute. We did a small pilot of the micro grant program with another organization. But next year, we will have a full-blown micro grant program where we will be giving $5,000 to $10,000 grants. We’re not going to be telling them what to do with that grant money. But we will get to know them.”

Brooklyn has entered a new era in nonprofit leadership. Major nonprofits like Brooklyn Academy of Music, Prospect Park, Brooklyn Arts Council, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 651 Arts, BRIC, Weeksville and Bed Stuy Restoration (first woman president) are being headed by Black executives.

“It’s amazing that some of the most iconic, Brooklyn nonprofits and cultural institutions are now being led by Black leaders. Many who are from Brooklyn. I am so impressed with that group of leaders and what they’ve been doing to get together. Instead of fighting for dollars separately they have been working together to try to make sure that they are able to serve our communities,” Dr. Rainey said.

“So, I have started a group with those particular leaders. I’ve been hosting lunches with them. To hear from them about what’s going on and how we can support them. Also, how we can elevate their issues to the powers that be. I’m learning so much from them.”

There are a range of opportunities for nonprofits at Brooklyn Org. There are workshops on administration, grant writing, funding, board of director management and networking. This includes the Leadership Salon series. To get involved in being a philanthropy funder, there is a Donor Advised Fund program that advises individuals, families and businesses on charitable giving.

“We are not able to fund everyone with a grant, but we are definitely able to support so many more Brooklynites and Brooklyn nonprofits through our very diverse programming,” said Dr. Rainey. “That includes capacity building, round tables, and briefings. We connect people to people.”

For more information, check out brooklyn.org