Brooklyn Org on June 17 announced a new round of grants through its Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn campaign, awarding $240,000 to preserve the borough’s creative vitality, protect community-rooted cultural spaces, support their leaders, and expand pathways into the arts for future generations.
Thee new grants build upon grants distributed in January 2026 focused on protecting rights and protecting family stability; this round of funding recognizes the essential role cultural institutions and their leaders play in preserving Brooklyn’s identity, safeguarding historically excluded narratives, and creating spaces for dialogue and connection during a time of increasing polarization and political attacks on the arts.
“Brooklyn’s cultural institutions are more than venues for art and performance. They are anchors of community, protectors of history, and spaces where Brooklynites come together to imagine and shape our collective future,” said Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, president of Brooklyn Org. “At a time when people feel powerless watching cultural institutions and public history come under attack nationally, local action matters more than ever."
Grants of $10,000 each to 15 organizations are awarded through two focus areas: Supporting Cultural Institutions and Brooklyn’s Cultural Future. Together, the grantees represent a cross-section of the Brooklyn arts ecosystem, from community-based performance spaces and neighborhood cultural organizations to groups expanding arts access, mentorship, training, and creative opportunities for emerging generations of artists and audiences.
Grant recipients include: 651 ARTS, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, BRIC Arts Media, MoCADA, Prospect Park Alliance, The Billie Holiday Theatre, Brooklyn Arts Council, Brooklyn Ballet, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Flex Dance Program, Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet, Haiti Cultural Exchange, Hook Arts Media, Mark Morris Dance Group and STEM From Dance.
In addition, Brooklyn Org awarded a $90,000 grant to the Brooklyn Arts and Culture Kollective (BACK), a coalition of Black CEOs and executive directors leading 13 of Brooklyn's major cultural institutions. The funding will help BACK transition from a volunteer-led effort to a more sustainably staffed collective. The grant is the largest single award under the Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn campaign.
