Brooklyn Non-Profit Awarded $150K Grants for Tackling Inequity

New York, N.Y. – Brooklyn Communities Collaborative (BCC) announced today that it has been awarded two $150,000 grants from the Altman Foundation and The New York Community Trust (The Trust) – funding that will help support BCC’s groundbreaking initiatives tackling social and economic disparities in Central Brooklyn. These disparities have driven long-standing health inequities, as seen with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionally impacted communities of color. These grants will help fund key staff and expand the reach of BCC’s programs, an increasingly critical mission as COVID rates spike among communities that have suffered the worst of the health and economic devastation over the past several months.

“For too long, many in communities throughout Brooklyn have experienced health disparities caused by structural and economic inequities,” said Maurice Reid, BCC Board Member. “BCC’s work to leverage the economic power of anchor institutions like CUNY, Maimonides, and One Brooklyn Health, in partnership with community partners to develop community-based solutions, will work to ensure every Brooklynite has the tools they need to live longer and healthier lives. We thank the Altman Foundation and The Trust for their generosity and commitment to this goal. Together, we will work in true partnership with communities at such a critical time, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.”

"The health and economic turmoil of the last six months have emphasized the importance of addressing historic inequities," said Rachael Pine of the Altman Foundation. "We are pleased to be able to support BCC and its community partners as they work to promote a shift in some of the social and economic structures that have contributed to inequity, poverty, and ill health in Central Brooklyn."

“BCC has shown what is possible when resourceful and committed institutions leverage resources to support the communities they are in and those that surround them—we are proud to join BCC in that effort,” said Irfan Hasan of The Trust. “We must address the devastation facing communities of color as the nation continues to face a pandemic, an economic downturn, and systemic racism. Together, we have the resources to make a difference. Now it’s time to put those resources to use.”

These grants, allocated over the next two years, will support key staff to further develop and roll out the following programs from BCC:

• The Health Enterprise Hub, a borough-wide health-focused workforce development and procurement eco-system;
• The Homes for Health initiative, which addresses the development and improvement of housing that promotes health, including funding housing improvements and new housing development in Brownsville and East New York;
• The Caring Communities Program, which offers care management for high-need patients ineligible for Medicaid care management, coordinating across community partners to serve high-risk residents;
• The Strong Communities Fund, 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.

More information on the Altman Foundation can be found here, and more on The New York Community Trust can be found here.

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About Brooklyn Communities Collaborative

Brooklyn Communities Collaborative is a not-for-profit based in New York 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, which have helped connect 80,000 complex-need patients to care management services, produce 30,000 pounds of fresh produce annually in Central Brooklyn, and develop 3,400 housing units.