Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity

What Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity does

Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity (BRJE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization founded in 2016 in Brookline, Massachusetts, and formally incorporated as a nonprofit in 2023. The organization is dedicated to dismantling systemic racism in Brookline through three focus areas: Access (affordable housing, childcare, food, and recreation for communities of color), Inclusion (political participation and civil rights enforcement), and Opportunity (health, environmental, and educational benefits, plus economic mobility pathways). BRJE serves Brookline residents broadly, with primary segments including communities of color, general residents engaged in civic life, Brookline students and youth, and immigrant community members.

BRJE's core offerings are programmatic rather than technological: annual Racial Justice Candidate Forums (running for 8 consecutive years), Schools Programs (advocating against school resource officers and for educational equity), Immigrant Justice initiatives (bystander training, ICE response, legal partnerships), Housing Advocacy (including MassINC polling on rent control across 508 residents), and Courts Advocacy (including amicus briefs and the $11 million Gerald Alston Jr. racial harassment settlement). Supplementary programs include the paid High School Fellowship ($17/hour), the Read On, Dream On book drop campaign, Rising Together annual fundraiser, Bystander Training with ACLU of Massachusetts, a Community Resource Hub, and Juneteenth celebrations. Technology is limited to off-the-shelf nonprofit tools: Action Network for member mobilization, Mailchimp for newsletters, Little Green Light for donor CRM, and Canva for content creation.

BRJE operates a donation-based revenue model accepting tax-deductible contributions through Fidelity Charitable, Venmo (@joinBRJE), donor-advised funds, and checks, with no membership fees. Distribution is purely direct community engagement: free membership signup, in-person forums at local venues (Town Hall, Brookline High School, Brookline Booksmith), and grassroots outreach via email, social media, and community partnerships. The organization has 5 employees, is led by Founding Executive Director Raul Fernandez (also an equity-focused educator at Boston University), and is governed by a board chaired by Kimberley Richardson. No parent company, institutional investors, or ownership changes are disclosed.

Name

Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity

Legal name

Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity

Website

https://brje.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization in Brookline, Massachusetts, dedicated to eliminating systemic racism through advocacy, candidate forums, schools equity, immigrant justice, housing, and courts advocacy programs serving Brookline residents of color and allies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Advocacy and Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

Keywords

• Community organizing services
• Racial justice advocacy
• Civic engagement programs
• Immigrant rights advocacy
• Educational equity programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Brookline

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: BRJE generates revenue through donations from individuals, sponsors, and supporters. They accept charitable contributions via Fidelity Charitable electronic fund transfers, Venmo (@joinBRJE), donor-advised funds, and check. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, making donations tax-deductible.
2. Sponsorships and Fundraising Events: The organization raises funds through events like the Rising Together Spring Mixer fundraiser, with sponsorship opportunities for partner organizations. They also collect donations in honor of individuals who can be assigned to community members in need of access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity (BRJE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers community organizing, advocacy, and educational programs focused on eliminating racism in Brookline, Massachusetts. Its core offerings center on civic engagement (annual Racial Justice Candidate Forums), policy advocacy in schools, housing, immigrant justice, and courts, supplemented by community programs such as a paid High School Fellowship, a BIPOC-authored book drop campaign, bystander trainings, and an annual Juneteenth celebration. Membership is free and open to all, with revenue generated through tax-deductible donations and event sponsorships.

Product overview

Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity (BRJE) is a grassroots nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of community programs and advocacy services rather than a technology product. The organization operates through its core programmatic offerings including annual Racial Justice Candidate Forums for civic engagement, Schools Programs addressing educational equity, Immigrant Justice initiatives including bystander training and legal support, Housing Advocacy campaigns, and Courts Advocacy leveraging legal strategies for institutional accountability. Supplementary programs include the High School Fellowship (paid youth leadership development), the Read On, Dream On book drop campaign distributing BIPOC-authored books, Rising Together annual mixers for community building, and a comprehensive Community Resource Hub. BRJE functions as a community organizing and advocacy organization rather than a software platform, with membership offered free of charge through a pledge-based model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Racial Justice Candidate Forums Annual nonpartisan forums where Brookline candidates for Select Board, School Committee, and BHA Commission present their racial justice positions and policy commitments to community members.
• Schools Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• $11 million settlement won for former firefighter Gerald Alston Jr. in racial harassment case
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• La ColaborativacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025BRJE co-hosted Brookline United for Immigrant Justice event with La Colaborativa as a beneficiary organization. La Colaborativa is a frontline organization providing direct services to immigrant communities facing deportation threats.
• La FuerzacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025BRJE partnered with La Fuerza for the Brookline United for Immigrant Justice fundraising event. La Fuerza volunteers provide active response to ICE detentions in Massachusetts.
• Lawyers for Civil RightscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025BRJE partnered with Lawyers for Civil Rights for the Brookline United for Immigrant Justice event. The organization provides free legal support for immigrants facing deportation, detention, or discrimination.
• LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of MAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025BRJE partnered with LUCE Immigrant Justice Network as a beneficiary of the Brookline United for Immigrant Justice fundraising event.
• Brookline Interactive GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrookline Interactive Group records BRJE events and makes recordings available on brje.org, providing video production support for community education.
• Brookline Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRJE partnered with Brookline Arts Center to co-host a free protest art workshop led by artist Shamayam Sullivan.
• Turtle BooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurtle Books helped source BIPOC-authored books for the Read on, Dream On campaign's Little Free Library book drops.
• Brookline BooksmithminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrookline Booksmith partnered with BRJE to source books for the Summer Book Drop campaign and hosts author events.
• ACLU of MassachusettscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACLU of MA representatives led a bystander training for over 96 in-person attendees. ACLU MA also participates in BRJE panels on racial justice and the courts.
• MassINCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRJE partnered with MassINC polling to survey 508 Brookline residents on rent control, housing affordability, and policy priorities.
• Brookline Community FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRJE's Executive Director participated in a panel hosted by Brookline Community Foundation focused on economic inequality.
• Brookline Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Relations (ODEICR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRJE co-hosted the Brookline AANHPI Month Mahjong Workshop with ODEICR and Brookline Asian American Family Network.
• Brookline Asian American Family Network (BAAFN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRJE partnered with BAAFN for the Brookline AANHPI Month Mahjong Workshop as part of community building efforts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Boston Workers Alliance: Greater Boston community organizing group advancing racial and economic justice through member-led campaigns; comparable grassroots advocacy model but with broader urban geographic focus.
• Brookline Community Foundation: Local Brookline-area philanthropic foundation focused on community-building, economic inequality, and equity issues; a natural convener and potential funder for BRJE's work in the same geography.
• Asian American Resource Workshop: Massachusetts-based AANHPI community organization that BRJE has partnered with for community-building events; operates a comparable racial-justice and community-organizing model for a specific constituency.

Broad incumbents

• Race Forward: National racial equity organization advancing racial justice through policy, narrative, and practice; a broader, more established incumbent in the same racial-equity policy space BRJE operates in locally.
• Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA): Statewide immigrant-rights coalition with policy and advocacy capacity directly relevant to BRJE's immigrant justice program work and La Fuerza/LUCE partnerships.
• Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ): National racial-justice organizing network mobilizing white allies and multiracial coalitions; operates the same grassroots advocacy and education model as BRJE but at a national scope.

Direct peers

• La Colaborativa: Chelsea, MA-based immigrant advocacy organization serving as BRJE's frontline partner on ICE response and immigrant justice fundraising; comparable mission area and community-organizing approach.
• NAACP Boston Branch: Local NAACP branch operating in the Greater Boston area on racial justice advocacy, civil rights enforcement, and community organizing, with a comparable constituency and advocacy-driven operating model.
• Lawyers for Civil Rights: Boston-based legal advocacy organization providing free legal support for immigrants and pursuing racial justice litigation, with which BRJE has a formal partnership and overlapping mission.
• ACLU of Massachusetts: State-level civil rights and liberties organization that BRJE directly partners with for bystander training and panels; operates the same racial justice and immigrant rights advocacy model at a larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/brje_org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joinbrje

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity