Brooklyn nonprofits that help new and expecting parents can once again apply for funding to throw community baby showers, as Borough President Antonio Reynoso renews his Community Baby Shower Fund for a third year.
The $50,000 fund will provide eligible Brooklyn nonprofits with up to $5,000 in matching funds for non-personnel expenses associated with community baby showers held between July 1, 2026, and May 31, 2027.
The program is part of Reynoso’s broader maternal health agenda, which focuses on addressing disparities in maternal health outcomes across Brooklyn.
“We cannot improve maternal health outcomes solely within the walls of hospitals—new parents need support networks in their own neighborhoods,” Reynoso said in a statement. “Community baby showers foster those connections while equipping new parents with essential resources and celebrating the milestone that is starting or growing a family.”
Applications will be awarded on a rolling basis and will conclude when the $50K total has been awarded.Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso
Since the program launched in 2o24, the Borough President’s office said it has awarded $100,000 to local nonprofits serving new and expecting parents.
Ten organizations received funding through the second annual Community Baby Shower Fund, announced in July 2025. Their showers served hundreds of parents across the borough with everything from baby supplies and workshops to connections with clinical and social service providers.
Second-year recipients included Life Equip Group in East New York and Brownsville; Brownsville Community Culinary Center; New Neighbors Partnership Association in Flatbush and Midwood; Kiwanis Kings Plaza & Canarsie; and other organizations in Coney Island, Bed-Stuy, and Canarsie.
For New Neighbors Partnership Association, the funding helped create a baby shower specifically designed to support recently resettled refugee mothers.
Shoshana Barzel, the nonprofit’s founder and executive director, said each family received baby essentials worth over $500, transportation assistance to and from the shower, culturally familiar food, family portraits and more.
“Support from the Brooklyn Borough President’s Community Baby Shower Fund allowed New Neighbors Partnership to create a welcoming space where recently resettled refugee moms from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Nicaragua and beyond could receive essential supplies while building connections with other parents and members of the community,” she said. “For families who are new to Brooklyn, these gatherings are an important opportunity to feel welcomed, less alone, and strengthen their support network.”
The showers help provide community and support to local families.Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso
Other organizations used the funding to pair baby supplies with health education and services. Kiwanis Kings Plaza & Canarsie hosted an event at P.S. 276 that brought together more than 25 resource tables and served more than 300 local families, while Hope Development Corporation’s Brownsville event drew more than 140 expecting and new mothers. Holding Hands Ministries provided essential supplies and resources to new and expecting parents, and Brooklyn Perinatal Network hosted three smaller showers serving 55 individuals and their families, with events offering educational workshops, food, games and community services in multiple languages.
Who can apply?
The fund is open to Brooklyn nonprofits with current 501(c)(3) status that can match the amount of funding requested and have experience serving prenatal, postnatal or postpartum individuals and their families.
The Borough President’s office will prioritize applicants hosting events in neighborhoods with historically high maternal mortality and morbidity rates: Brownsville, Crown Heights, Red Hook/Gowanus, East New York, East Flatbush, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Fort Greene/Brooklyn Heights and Flatlands/Canarsie.
Priority will be given to applicants who plan showers in neighborhoods historically impacted by high maternal mortality and morbidity rates.Photo courtesy of Rewrite Corporation & MABCBK
Funding is available on a rolling basis until the $50,000 runs out. Awards are issued as reimbursements, and submitting an application does not guarantee funding.
Nonprofits can apply through the Borough President’s budget page and must also submit a 501(c)(3) determination letter, their most recent Form 990 or financial statement and a project budget to funding@brooklynbp.nyc.gov with the subject line “Community Baby Shower Fund.”
The application and forms are available through the Brooklyn Borough President’s website.