We're only one week away from #GivingTuesday, the global day of giving that takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation as a response to commercialization and consumerism spurred by Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is the one day out of the year when individuals and organizations are encouraged to be generous and philanthropic to those non-profit organizations that serve as the backbone and strength of every community.
[perfectpullquote align="right" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""]"We want to make it easy for Brooklynites to support some of the most effective organizations right in their own backyard who are making a lasting difference for communities across our borough."[/perfectpullquote]
This Giving Tuesday, Brooklyn Community Foundation is launching Brooklyn Gives, Brooklyn's first-ever boroughwide local giving campaign.
On #GivingTuesday, BCF has committed to match total donations up to $5,000 to twenty local non-profit organizations-- finalists of the Foundation's inaugural Spark Prize! After a rigorous judging and survey process, the Spark Prize finalists were chosen because of their the diversity, scope and excellence in either serving immigrant communities, promoting criminal justice reforms, strengthening neighborhoods, tackling food insecurity, protecting the environment or advancing the arts.
"Our borough has more than 2.6 million generous hearts, and those among us with the means to contribute a little or a lot on this #GivingTuesday will see the power of their donations grow, all thanks to the Brooklyn Community Foundation and the finalists of our Spark Prize," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
The below listed organizations all have been chosen:
- Arab-American Family Support Center
- Audre Lorde Project
- Black Women's Blueprint
- Center for Community Alternatives
- Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions
- Children of Promise NYC
- Common Justice
- Dance Theatre Etcetera
- Green City Force
- IMPACCT Brooklyn
- Make the Road New York
- MoCADA Museum
- Neighbors Together
- Reconnect Brooklyn
- Red Hook Community Justice Center
- Red Hook Initiative
- Turning Point Brooklyn
- United Community Centers
- UPROSE
- YWCA Brooklyn
"We are so excited to bring greater attention and recognition to these 20 outstanding Brooklyn changemakers on #GivingTuesday," said Brooklyn Community Foundation President and CEO Cecilia Clarke. "Through Brooklyn Gives, we want to make it easy for Brooklynites to support some of the most effective organizations right in their own backyard—many often overlooked or not widely known—who are making a lasting difference for communities across our borough."
The Foundation is hosting an official Brooklyn Gives kickoff breakfast at Brooklyn Industries' Smith Street store location from 9-10am on Tuesday, November 29. The event is open to the public and is sponsored by Brooklyn-based DOUGH doughnuts. For more information and to RSVP, go here.
Brooklyn Industries also has designed a limited edition Brooklyn Gives t-shirt and will be donating 10% of sales on #GivingTuesday in its NYC stores and online to support the campaign. Breakfast attendees will have the opportunity to be the first to purchase the official Brooklyn Gives t-shirt and meet representatives of the 20 beneficiary nonprofits.
If you're unable to make the breakfast, you can donate to the above nonprofits individually, or support the entire group with one donation, at www.BrooklynGives.org.
"When Brooklyn gives, the world wins," said Adams.
