Meet The Changemaker Championing Community-Driven Philanthropy in Brooklyn

by Gee NY

Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, President and CEO of Brooklyn Org, recently joined Angela Yee on her popular show, Way Up With Angela Yee, to discuss her organization’s innovative approach to philanthropy and its impact on Brooklyn communities.

Alongside Jelani Anglin, co-founder and CEO of Good Call—a 2025 Brooklyn Org Spark Prize winner—Rainey shared insights into how Brooklyn Org is redefining philanthropy by putting power back into the hands of the community.

Brooklyn Org, a foundation dedicated to supporting the borough’s vibrant and diverse neighborhoods, is committed to doing philanthropy differently.

“We’re trying to bring everyone to the table, making sure that everyone feels like they can do something to help their neighbors,” Rainey explained during the interview. “We’re doing it in a way that’s from the bottom up instead of from the top down.”

A key pillar of Brooklyn Org’s mission is its participatory grantmaking model, which ensures that funding decisions are made by the very communities the organization serves.

“All of our grantmaking is participatory,” Rainey stated. “Our Brooklyn community makes the decisions on where the money goes because we believe that the people who are on the ground know what’s needed more than we do.”

This approach has allowed Brooklyn Org to support impactful nonprofits like Good Call, co-founded by Jelani Anglin. Good Call provides critical legal support to individuals in crisis, ensuring they have access to legal representation during arrests.

Anglin’s organization was recently honored with the Brooklyn Org Spark Prize, which recognizes innovative nonprofits making a difference in the borough.

Rainey’s appearance on Way Up With Angela Yee highlighted the importance of collaboration and community-driven solutions in addressing Brooklyn’s challenges.

“We’re trying to get funding to those nonprofits like Good Call that are doing the work on the ground that really changes lives,” she said.

The conversation also touched on the unique role Brooklyn plays as a hub of culture, diversity, and resilience. Rainey, a proud Brooklynite herself, expressed her passion for the borough, calling it “the best borough in the city.”

Her commitment to uplifting Brooklyn’s communities was evident as she spoke about the foundation’s efforts to ensure that everyone—regardless of their background—can contribute to and benefit from its work.

Listeners can catch the full interview on Way Up With Angela Yee at brooklyn.org/news, where Rainey and Anglin delve deeper into their missions, the impact of the Spark Prize, and the future of community-driven philanthropy in Brooklyn.

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