The Bronx Community Foundation (BxCF) is the first and only community foundation in The Bronx, solely dedicated to delivering resources to the entire borough. Our model is unique in that we engage community stakeholders across the borough in identifying challenges and designing solutions that create four pillars of sustainability:
We believe that it’s the power of the people that drives the change. The strength and durability of our strategic solutions come from investing in and pooling our resources, talents, and expertise to create tangible and sustainable improvements to the quality of life in our community. Meaning Bronxites helping Bronxites.
This year, the foundation provided grants to 14 Bronx nonprofits totaling $350,000. Since the beginning of 2023, the Foundation has provided $650,000 to support more than 20 nonprofits working to lift up Bronx residents. Our participatory grantmaking process, led by a committee composed of leaders and staff, has supported nonprofits working in the categories of Community, Education, Digital Equity, Health, Equity & Justice. In addition, the foundation has provided $125,000 to organizations supporting asylum seekers in the borough.
Since its inception, the foundation has garnered more than $10 million in grants and resources to grassroots organizations, nonprofits, and small businesses in The Bronx.
Our focus is to be community-driven and working with place-based organizations to realize a resilient and prosperous Bronx. We are not just a grant-making institution. To make significant progress, we take a unique and strategic role in working with the community to define a community-wide common agenda, and we take a collaborative and participatory philanthropic approach toward solving challenges. We accomplish this through engaging organizations and individuals from the nonprofit, education, government, and business sectors in participatory decision-making.
Our Community Power approach empowers partners to co-identify priority areas, undertake quick wins, and set ourselves up for the development of a common agenda in order to create system and institutional change. Once strategic solutions are defined, we fund, create, and help to lead collaboratives focused on solving those challenges.
Working with organizations such as BronxWorks, New York Common Pantry, Rap4Bronx, Bronx Private Industry Council, World Central Kitchen, Bronx Impact and many local restaurants, pantries, and Community Fridges we worked to delivered over 2.5 million meals, 1,800+ grocery bags per week to families, and more than 29,000 lb. of fresh produce.
Working with Bronx Defenders and other organizations we provided microgrants and we are also working on a participatory defense hub.
