The Future of Philanthropy is Local
By: Brooklyn Org
Brooklyn has never lacked for energy, creativity, or ambition. With nearly three million residents and unquestionable global cultural influence, ours is a borough that shapes trends far beyond New York City. Yet beneath that growth lies a persistent paradox: while Brooklyn’s economy, wealth, and visibility have surged, investment in many of our communities has not kept pace.
For more than 15 years, Brooklyn Org (formerly Brooklyn Community Foundation) has been working to close that gap. In our new white paper, The Foundation of Our Future, we document the evolution of a community foundation that has deliberately reimagined its role—not simply as a grantmaker, but as a catalyst for cultivating the next generation of Brooklyn givers.
The challenge is clear. Brooklyn is home to nearly one-third of New York City’s population and nonprofits yet historically has received a disproportionately small share of charitable dollars. Rapid development and rising incomes in some neighborhoods stand in sharp contrast to persistent poverty, housing instability, mental health disparities, and under-resourced grassroots organizations in others. As federal funding contracts, economic uncertainty deepens, and threats to civil society grow, nonprofits face rising demand with fewer public resources to rely on.
In this context, the historic approach to philanthropy—top-down and largely confined to the domain of the elite few—cannot meet the moment nor inspire a public that is hungry for solutions and eager to participate.
Brooklyn Org’s response has been to deploy a new model based on a simple conviction: philanthropy belongs to the community.
We are intentionally expanding who sees themselves as a philanthropist, with a particular focus on engaging younger Brooklynites—entrepreneurs, creatives, tech workers, small business owners, and emerging professionals who care deeply about their borough but may not see traditional philanthropy as accessible or relevant to them.
To reach this audience, we have created visible, culturally resonant entry points into giving. Our boroughwide “Show Brooklyn Some Love” campaign met residents in subways, busy streets, and billboards, reframing local giving as an expression of Brooklyn pride. We have leaned into digital storytelling and social media to spotlight grassroots leaders and tangible neighborhood impact—formats that resonate with younger audiences accustomed to transparency and immediacy.
We have also structured giving vehicles to match how younger donors engage. Brooklyn-based Donor Advised Funds provide accessible, values-aligned pathways for entrepreneurs and professionals experiencing liquidity events or building wealth in Brooklyn’s innovation economy. We work closely with these donors to connect them to community knowledge, nonprofit leaders, and issue briefings—creating opportunities not only to give, but to learn and participate.
The Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn campaign—launched in response to government funding rollbacks and escalating immigration enforcement—further mobilizes this emerging donor base. It invites Brooklynites to act collectively and visibly in defense of their communities.
This work is not just about raising more dollars; it is about democratizing philanthropy. When more people—especially younger residents building their lives and careers in Brooklyn—see themselves as contributors to community wellbeing, giving becomes cultural, not transactional. It becomes sustained, not episodic. It becomes local, not abstract.
At the same time, expanding the circle of givers requires equal rigor in how resources are deployed. Brooklyn Org has paired this broader culture of giving with a community-led approach to grantmaking that aligns capital with resident-defined priorities.
Over the past several years, we have reduced barriers to funding by moving to rolling applications and expanding microgrants for grassroots organizations. We have embedded resident advisors into participatory grantmaking processes so those closest to community challenges help shape funding decisions. We have conducted extensive neighborhood listening tours—visiting 27 neighborhoods over three years—to ensure that investments reflect lived experience, not distant assumptions.
This dual strategy—broadening who gives and deepening how we listen—has reshaped our institution. Since 2019, Brooklyn Org has significantly increased assets under management and annual grantmaking, while dramatically expanding nonprofit engagement. We complement grant dollars with year-round capacity building, leadership development, and ecosystem support to strengthen Brooklyn’s nonprofit infrastructure.
In this critical moment, foundations must do more than steward capital—we must cultivate civic participation and align resources with community power. When residents see themselves as philanthropists and as decision-makers, trust deepens and collective action strengthens.
Brooklyn’s story has always been one of resilience and reinvention. By inviting more people—especially the next generation of Brooklyn givers—into philanthropy and grounding investments in neighborhood leadership, Brooklyn Org is building a future for our communities inspired by our past.
When Brooklyn backs Brooklyn, we see what becomes possible. The opportunity before our field is to ask: how might we expand who gets to be a philanthropist—and what could change if we did?