Brooklyn Org announced the five winners of the 2026 Brooklyn Org Spark Prize on Thursday, celebrating exceptional nonprofits across the borough.
At a time of unprecedented cuts in federal funding and challenges for Brooklyn’s communities, the winners are empowering and protecting Brooklynites by supporting survivors of domestic violence, investing in the emotional development of young men of color, uplifting trans performing artists, protecting civil rights, and helping young people lead in democratic and civic engagement, officials said.
Each organization will receive a $100,000, no‑strings‑attached grant in recognition of their work and will be recognized at the Brooklyn Org Spark Breakfast on March 3 at the Barclays Center.
“This year’s Brooklyn Org Spark Prize winners reflect the ingenuity and determination to overcome every challenging moment that defines what makes Brooklyn great," said Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, president and chief executive officer of Brooklyn Org. "From expanding safety and dignity for Muslim women to elevating youth civic leadership and protecting communities from harmful surveillance, these organizations are moving our borough toward lasting equity."
The 2026 Brooklyn Org Spark Prize winners are:
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Asiyah Women’s Center — Provides emergency shelter, advocacy, and mental health and housing support for survivors of domestic violence from Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian communities in Brooklyn. The center delivers culturally sensitive survivor-led care using a model built on community trust, partnerships with local mosques and organizers, and pathways that help families move from crisis to safety, healing and leadership.
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Black Trans Femmes in the Arts — Supports Black trans femme artists in Brooklyn through community-led programming, event production and mutual aid that meet both creative and material needs. By offering residencies, emergency grants, free studio space and public platforms for performance and storytelling—from ballroom events to a hit YouTube series—BTFA invests directly in artists and the sustainability of their creative lives.
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Surveillance Technology Oversight Project — Founded in Brooklyn in 2019, S.T.O.P. protects civil rights by confronting the expansion of discriminatory surveillance technologies, like facial recognition tools, that threaten privacy and deepen racial and religious profiling of overpoliced communities. As a leading advocacy organization and legal services provider, S.T.O.P pairs community-led digital safety trainings with litigation, research, and policy advocacy to equip communities across Brooklyn and beyond with tools to protect their rights and drive systemic change.
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The B.R.O. Experience Foundation — Offers trauma-informed mentorship and healing programs that help Black and Latino young men in Bed-Stuy, Brownsville and Bushwick build emotional resilience and leadership skills. Through summer camps, rites of passage groups, fatherhood workshops, and facilitated spaces for reflection and connection, The B.R.O. Experience Foundation supports young people in building coping skills, stronger relationships, and a sense of purpose.
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YVote — Builds pathways for young people to actively shape democracy through peer-led, issue-driven civic engagement led by students and educators. Founded in Brooklyn in 2017, YVote works in high schools across the borough to equip the next generation of civic leaders with real-world organizing and leadership experience through voter registration drives, participatory budgeting campaigns, and school-based civic clubs.
Tickets for the Brooklyn Org Spark Breakfast are now on sale at brooklyn.org/spark.
