Brookline Community Foundation

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Brookline Community Foundation

We partner with donors like you to raise money to support the causes you care about.

As the only nonprofit in Brookline focused on the community as a whole, the Brookline Community Foundation builds a Brookline where everyone who lives, works, learns here can prosper and thrive. We work with community groups to assess needs and solve problems through targeted grantmaking. We lead on important community issues to identify levers of change and to move Brookline forward.

04/30/2026

Brookline Community Foundation supporters gathered recently at the Brookline Senior Center to learn about a powerful partnership with the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI).

Since 2017, BCF has supported MABVI’s work locally with eight grants totaling $62,000—helping ensure older adults experiencing vision loss can access the services they need to live with dignity and independence.

Through this collaboration, seniors who may not qualify for vision-related benefits can still receive critical support right in the community. We also saw firsthand how assistive technology paired with individualized training can open new doors for connection and confidence.

We left inspired by what’s possible when community partners come together to close gaps and expand access.

Interested in joining a future site visit? Comment “count me in” or send us a message—we’d love to have you with us.

Learn more or volunteer: mabvi.org/get-involved/

03/18/2026

📣 Baseline survey data from the UpTogether Brookline guaranteed income pilot is here! 📣

Three months into our partnership with the Brookline Housing Authority, we’re already learning how direct cash support can ease financial pressure for Brookline’s lowest-income households.

📊 What participants shared:
• 76% experienced a financial emergency in the past month
• 86% had difficulty paying usual household expenses in the past month
• 86% spend at least 30% of their income on rent

Despite these challenges, participants are using $750/month in direct cash—paired with BHA’s financial coaching—to move forward on their own goals. At a recent cohort check-in, residents shared early wins like paying down debt, improving credit, and reaching educational milestones.

This is just the beginning. We’ll continue learning from participants through mid-year and end-of-program surveys later this year. Stay tuned. 💚

03/05/2026

This year has brought rapid changes to federal immigration policy, funding cuts, and uncertainty for many immigrant families.

That’s why we’re proud to support Project Citizenship as one of 18 recipients of a 2026 BCF Community Grant.

Project Citizenship provides free, high-quality legal support to immigrants seeking citizenship. With BCF support, they’ll strengthen partnerships with the Brookline Public Library and other trusted local groups and translate outreach materials to better connect with Brookline’s Asian immigrant communities.

“We really have been grateful to local foundations, like BCF, as well as individuals and corporations for their willingness to step up to help at this time,” says Executive Director Gail Breslow. “In spite of all these obstacles that are being thrown at us and at our clients, there's comfort in knowing that the community is behind us.”

Together, we’re working toward a Brookline where everyone has access to opportunity, support, and a path forward.

Link with more info in the comments.

01/14/2026

📣 Youth Development Grant Applications Are Open! 📣

The Brookline Community Foundation (BCF) is now accepting applications from nonprofits and initiatives that support Brookline youth through education, leadership, arts & culture, health, basic needs, and more—with a focus on youth that face gaps in opportunity.

🗓️ Deadline: February 11, 2026
🔗 Details & application: https://brooklinecommunity.org/youth-development-grant-program/

01/08/2026

Get your (FREE) ticket to this upcoming event honoring the life and values of Martin Luther King, Jr on January 19 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre here: coolidge.org/mlk.

Hosted by Brookline’s MLK Celebration Committee (a BCF grantee), the event will feature a keynote by Dr Nowile Rooks and poetry from MA Poet Laureate Regie Gibson and Brookline Poet Laureate Allison Adair.

Not to be missed!

12/04/2025

We are at First Light! 💚 🥶

Stop by to say hi and to participate in our raffle for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Otto Pizza!

12/03/2025

Give locally this . Help shore up local nonprofits with a gift to the Brookline Community Foundation.

Last month, we received a record number of grant requests from Brookline nonprofits, reflecting the pressure they are under as they contend with large public funding cuts and heightened demand for services. YOU have the power to secure essential local services by giving with BCF. Together, we can ensure that every neighbor has the resources they need to thrive.

JUST ANNOUNCED: The BCF Board of Trustees will match every year-end gift up to $45,000. Give today, and your contribution will be doubled! Make a gift at brooklinecommunity.org/give

11/25/2025

At the Brookline Community Foundation, we’re here to say THANK YOU to the many donors, partners, and friends who’ve contributed to a better Brookline in 2025.

This year, we made grants to 53 nonprofits that provide critical services in our community and launched a hopeful new guaranteed income pilot called UpTogether Brookline. When the delay of SNAP benefits created a food crisis for 1,500+ neighbors last month, we convened an emergency community-wide network to respond.

These are just three examples of how we’ve remained a steady source of support for Brookline in a time of heightened need. We’re deeply grateful for every donor and partner who has stuck with us in our mission to ensure that every Brookline resident has the resources they need to thrive. THANK YOU.

Learn more about our collective 2025 accomplishments in the link in our bio.

10/24/2025

The 2025 Community Grant Program is now open! Our Community Grants support a wide range of nonprofits and initiatives to create opportunity and promote equity for everyone who lives, learns, works, and plays in Brookline.

Please visit https://brooklinecommunity.org/bcf-community-grant for eligibility information, guidelines, FAQs, and to access the application. We are accepting applications now through Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

10/14/2025

Have you heard?

Last week, the Brookline Community Foundation and Brookline Housing Authority launched a one-year guaranteed income pilot, called UpTogether Brookline, that will provide 55 Brookline residents with $750/month for 12 months, no strings attached.

UpTogether Brookline joins hundreds of communities in Massachusetts and nationally that are demonstrating how unrestricted cash investments lead to greater stability, opportunity, and autonomy for people experiencing financial hardship.

We’re thrilled to introduce this exciting initiative, which is funded by two ARPA grants allocated by the Town of Brookline to BCF and the BHA and a private grant from BCF. We are supported by UpTogether, a national organization with extensive experience administering direct cash programs.

Address

202 Washington Street
Brookline, MA
02445

Website

http://www.brooklinecommunity.org/, https://brooklinecommunity.org/2024-2025-bcf-annual-report/

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