Deborah and Raul Velázquez

Why did you open a DAF at Brooklyn Org?

We opened our DAF at Brooklyn Org following a profound personal loss, which deeply reinforced how we think about family, community, and opportunity. Creating the fund became a way to channel that experience into something purposeful: supporting children and families so that more young people have the chance to grow up healthy, supported, and full of possibility. Naming the fund “Serescitos,” or “little spirits,” reflects that intention.

What issue areas are you most passionate about supporting?

Our giving is rooted in a simple belief: every child deserves both stability and the chance to explore who they are. Our grants focus on basic needs—especially food security—because no child should go hungry. At the same time, we’re drawn to organizations that create access to enrichment whether through math and science, the arts, or group-based activities that spark curiosity and confidence. Having benefited from the hard-fought gains of the Civil Rights Movement, we think about the opportunities we were blessed to have growing up in NYC in the 70s and 80s and the world we’ll leave behind some day.  Our grant-making is rounded out by advocacy and civic efforts to help ensure those gains are protected and extended. Ultimately, we want to help build a world where all children can thrive.

How does your DAF help you support Brooklyn and your community?

The DAF provides a simple and efficient structure for our giving. The structure of donating to the DAF also streamlines employer matching and allows us to coordinate and make combined gifts effectively. The BKO platform makes it easy to vet tax status, manage grants, track our history, and support organizations over time. We also hope, in the future, to involve younger members of our extended family as advisors to Serescitos, and we appreciate that there are options within the platform to support that.