Barclays Center on Tuesday was buzzing with inspiration as nonprofit and community leaders gathered to celebrate the recipients of Brooklyn Org’s Spark Prize, which awards $100,000 in grant funding to five Brooklyn-based nonprofits.
Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, president and chief executive officer of Brooklyn Org, acknowledged the “very difficult time in our country” where the Trump administration slashed federal funding for nonprofits. Brooklyn Org continues to uplift dozens of organizations that help borough residents, she said.
“Even in the midst of my own struggles, I have found solace in the fact that I get to do this work,” Rainey said.
“It is our hope that you leave feeling inspired and renewed,” she continued, emphasizing the importance of local organizations as beacons of change. “Brooklyn continues to lead with compassion and resilience.”
The winners of the Spark Prize were chosen from a group of 20 finalists by a committee of Brooklyn residents. This year, the committee selected The B.R.O. Experience Foundation, Asiyah Women’s Center, Black Trans Femmes in the Arts, Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, and YVote.
The B.R.O. Experience Foundation creates mental health awareness and mentorship opportunities for young Black and brown men. This work includes community and career services, as well as cognitive-behavioral therapy.
“They (The B.R.O. Experience Foundation) believed in my spark – they believed it wasn’t something to be extinguished, but something to be nurtured,” said James Jefferson, a participant of the program.
Asiyah Women’s Center is an emergency shelter for women and children focused on helping survivors of domestic violence from Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities in Brooklyn.
Soraya, a former resident of Asiyah Women’s Center who did not reveal her last name, accepted the award through tears of joy.
“They made sure I had food on the table, a roof over my head, and clothes on my back,” she said. “But the things they gave me that I needed could not be packed in a bag – they gave me dignity. They gave me patience. They spoke to me like I was a whole person when I had forgotten that I was.”
She showcased the center’s dedication to helping women, describing how, after leaving the shelter for her first home of her own, volunteers from the center helped her move.
Black Trans Femmes in the Arts was founded to aid Black trans women in artistic fields. The award was accepted by N’yomi Stewart, the group’s 2024-25 Artist in Residence and 2024 Rising Star Award Winner.
“I was told I was unique but unfamiliar – and unfamiliar meant unwanted,” said Stewart, who credits the “sisterhood and mentorship” that BTFA provided throughout her artistic journey.
Starting in the underground ballroom scene, Stewart has since worked in off-Broadway shows and will serve as one of the associate directors for CATS: The Jellicle Ball in her first Broadway credit.
“In 2026, the funding to make art is under attack,” Stewart said, adding that the prize award will help the organization launch a film production development lab to provide Black trans femme filmmakers with experience on set. “Abundant support is not optional; it’s survival."
Surveillance Technology Oversight Project addresses surveillance-based discrimination through litigation and legislative efforts. Marwa Sayed, legal fellow and former intern, said she was drawn to the organization due to her own experience being surveilled as a Muslim-American.
“We’re tired of being treated as though we are suspects,” she said, pointing out that the highest concentration of CCTV cameras were in neighborhoods like East New York and Brownsville.
She also addressed how federal immigration officials utilize surveillance-based discrimination through the app Mobile Fortify to collect data to identify civilians and their immigration status.
"Now more than ever, it is of paramount importance that we take away the chance for this data to be collected,” she said. “STOP stands alongside our community.”
YVote is a nonprofit that promotes civic engagement among young people to address low youth voter turnout. Ariel Segura, a youth leader, credits the organization for enhancing both his knowledge of local government leaders and inspiring him to lead a student protest against current immigration policies.
“To maintain a functioning democracy, it is crucial we all participate,” he said.
