Two Local Organizations Receive Grants From Brooklyn Community Foundation

The Brooklyn Community Foundation announced the recipients of 54 new grants as part of its Invest in Youth initiative last week, awarding over $2 million in total. Two local organizations, Council of Peoples Organization and DRUM, received grants.

The Brooklyn Community Foundation launched the Invest in Youth initiative earlier this year in order to improve opportunities for 16 to 24 year olds, particularly those of color.

“We believe that by investing heavily in Brooklyn’s youth we are investing in a better future for Brooklyn—one that is vastly more equitable and offers more opportunity for all,” said Brooklyn Community Foundation President and CEO Cecilia Clarke in a statement.

“Right now, half a million young people are utterly disconnected from Brooklyn’s growing prosperity and influence. But we can change that by elevating our most vulnerable youth and helping them realize their own potential to lead our borough forward. Through Invest in Youth, outstanding frontline nonprofits across Brooklyn are getting the vital support needed to bring about true change for our communities.”

The 54 new grants will support the critical service and advocacy programs of community-based nonprofits focused on youth development and leadership, youth justice, and immigrant youth and families.

The Council of Peoples Organization, headquartered at 1081 Coney Island Avenue, will receive $30,000 for their Join In, Find Out after school program, which provides South Asian and Muslim immigrants resources and support to address the pressures of family, assimilation, and education.

DRUM will receive $30,000 to expand programs that serve low-wage South Asian immigrant workers, youth and families organizing for social and economic justice in the neighborhood, specifically focused on building leadership in undocumented women and girls.

This is the first year for the Brooklyn Community Foundation’s Invest in Youth Initiative, which will award $25 million over the next 10 years. The program is the Foundation’s largest competitive grant distribution, prioritizing support for community-based organizations led by community members.