Brooklyn Non-Profit Receives Grant for COVID-19 Relief Work

Brooklyn Communities Collaborative (BCC) announced today that it has been awarded a $65,000 grant from the newly-formed Momentum Fund to continue its COVID-19 relief work supporting community-run organizations working with communities of color, low-income populations, and other groups being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The grant was one of 129 grants, totaling $8.5 million, awarded by the recently-founded Momentum Fund to 501(c)(3) organizations around the country managing COVID-19 relief funds that provide grants and other forms of direct support to community-run organizations working with communities of color, historically marginalized populations, and other groups being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic that continues to ravage these communities.

“Every neighborhood in New York City has been affected in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic; however, due to longstanding disparities in our healthcare system and structural and economic inequities, communities of color have been more susceptible and vulnerable to the virus and its devastating consequences,” Dr. Marilyn Fraser, BCC Board Member and Co-Chair of the Strong Communities Fund Review Committee, said. “The support from the Momentum Fund will help ensure that BCC can continue to provide meaningful support, through our Strong Communities Fund, to communities of color, and other historically marginalized groups in Brooklyn being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.”

Launched in April of this year, BCC’s Strong Communities Fund was created to strengthen Brooklyn community-based organizations, and to develop civic infrastructure to address community priorities with flexible funds and amplify community-led voice and impact. The support from the Momentum Fund will assist BCC grant administration, as well as racial equity training for staff and application committee members.

“We are witnessing a historic and unprecedented level of suffering and need that must be addressed before this nation falls even further into a state of absolute humanitarian crisis,” said Amanda Misiko Andere, CEO of Funders Together to End Homelessness and Chair of the Momentum Fund Advisory Board. “It is essential that the philanthropic sector continues to dedicate itself to this work, which includes addressing the devastating and deadly human health, economic, and social impacts that are befalling millions of people of color and vulnerable families across the nation every day.”

The Momentum Fund was launched in May 2020 with a vision of ushering in a new model of philanthropic giving that unapologetically centers racial equity and explicitly prioritizes the needs of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The Momentum Fund is managed by United Philanthropy Forum.

To view a complete list of Momentum Fund grantees, visit www.momentumfund.org.

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About Brooklyn Communities Collaborative

Brooklyn Communities Collaborative is a New York-based not-for-profit that works with local institutions and stakeholders to address longstanding health inequities in the borough. BCC was founded last year with the goal of leveraging the economic power of anchor institutions and community resources to address the economic factors that improve the social determinants of health-- whether it's supporting housing stability, advancing economic empowerment, expanding care management services, or strengthening CBOs in the area. BCC's innovative student-led research studies target historically underserved communities throughout the borough to identify challenges and concerns raised by residents, using that information to inform stakeholders and organizations on solutions. BCC builds upon years of collaborative efforts with anchor institutions and community partners in Brooklyn, who have helped connect 80,000 complex-need patients to care management services, produce 30,000 lbs. of fresh produce annually in Central Brooklyn, and develop 3,400 housing units.