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The program supports community-based projects that foster neighborhood stability and growth by providing grants to residents and organizations in Newark.
On May 21, Prudential Financial announced the recipients of the second annual Prudential Community Grants Program during a ceremony at Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey.
The program, launched in 2023, was created to support neighborhood-based solutions that foster community vitality through grants to residents and organizations in Newark. Among this year’s recipients are a variety of inspiring projects supporting community health and wellness, arts, education, beautification and development.
“Through the Community Grants program, Prudential is proud to continue our support of the residents and projects that are driving growth and quality of life in our hometown city,” said Lata Reddy, senior vice president of Inclusive Solutions at Prudential Financial and chair of The Prudential Foundation. “Thriving neighborhoods are the heartbeat of a strong city, and we designed this program to directly support residents as they work to solve challenges in their community. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this next group of grantees has across all five wards of Newark.”
With a $300,000 grant to the Community Foundation of New Jersey, Prudential will support neighborhood-based solutions that increase community vitality. The program received 400 applications this year, up from 225 applications in 2023 (a 78% increase), from a combination of individuals, 501(c)(3) organizations, and small business owners. Of the 66 community-based projects chosen, 19 are repeat recipients.
The PSEG Foundation celebrated a decade of community impact through its Neighborhood Partners Program (NPP), hosting a special event to honor more than 400 nonprofit organizations that have received nearly $8 million in grants since the program’s inception. This year, the program set new records, with an 11% increase in applications and $1.2 million in total giving—a 20% rise from last year’s $1 million.
Representatives from more than 100 nonprofits that have benefited from the program attended the event, sharing testimonials about its impact on their communities. The NPP provides grant funding to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations that demonstrate effective programming aligned with the PSEG Foundation’s three strategic pillars: environmental sustainability, social justice, and equity and economic empowerment.
“In 10 years, the Neighborhood Partners Program has not only awarded millions in grants but has stood alongside hundreds of community-led organizations to create lasting change throughout New Jersey. NPP now serves as a role model for other funders who also seek to be catalysts for progress at the neighborhood level,” said Calvin Ledford Jr., president of the PSEG Foundation. “We are proud to support these transformative partnerships, which embody our unwavering commitment to empowering communities, tackling critical environmental and socio-economic challenges, and advancing equity—especially for those with the greatest need—so that all communities can thrive in a more sustainable and just New Jersey.”
This weekly funder briefing webinar series welcomed New Jersey-based grantmakers along with national funders and provided an opportunity for grantmakers to hear from a wide range of nonprofit experts. This series started on March 13, 2025, less than a month after the first executive order was issued and continued through April 24, 2025. The written summaries of each recording are listed below.
How the government can partner with impact investors to unleash new capital, talent and energy for maximum impact.
Nonprofits can and should play an active role during elections, particularly by educating and activating voters. However, with important local, state and federal elections coming up this fall, nonprofits should take the time to remind their staff about appropriate activity during a political campaign or at any other time. This overview developed by Donors Forum provides important tips and examples of activities that are permissible for nonprofits during an election cycle.
A CNJG member queried our listserves on what online grants management system members use and would recommend for a small foundation. CNJG compiled these responses, and listed the different systems that members do use.
- Frequent moves are the most significant barrier to academic success, as they disrupt both students and teachers. Students on the move need extra time and attention to get caught up, requiring teachers to spend more time with those students.
- Students who are unable to find stable shelter have difficulty meeting state or district mandates regarding the number of days they must attend school to stay enrolled.
- Often, the slow transfer of student records, along with differing course requirements from school to school, complicates the accrual of sufficient credits for homeless students to be promoted and receive a high school diploma.
This case study of the Council of Michigan Foundations' Peer Action Learning Network (PALN) is one of six examined in a report from New York University's Wagner Research Center for Leadership in Action, commissioned by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. The PALN case study, along with the other five, explores the power of learning communities to build connections and knowledge to increase organizations’ community impact. It explains ways grantmakers can strategically support these efforts as well as key elements for designing learning communities, executing for success and extending the learning.
The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation in Morristown, New Jersey, has announced grants totaling more than $2.4 million.
The foundation's final grants of 2020 include awards in support of COVID-19 relief and response efforts, as well as to organizations working to improve and/or advance the arts, education, the environment, and community development. Recipients of COVID-related grants include the Community Foundation of New Jersey, which was awarded $200,000 for its New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund; Clinton Hill Community Action, which will receive $25,000 in support of efforts to use the arts to engage residents who have been isolated during the pandemic; the Newark Arts Council, which will receive $50,000 in support of its Creative Catalyst Fund; and the Cave Canem Foundation, which was awarded $10,000 for COVID-19 relief and in support of 2020 Dodge Poetry Festival programming.
The foundation also awarded sixteen grants totaling $785,500 through its Education program area, twenty-two grants totaling $778,000 through its Environment program area, six grants totaling $171,000 through its Informed Communities program, and grants totaling $255,000 through its Technical Assistance and other program areas. In 2020, the foundation committed $10.8 million in support of efforts to build a more equitable New Jersey.
"The dual crises of racial injustice and the global pandemic accelerated the foundation's imperative to Imagine A New Way and commitment to transform our work and the construct of philanthropy itself," said Dodge Foundation president and CEO Tanuja Dehne. "We are grateful to our partners, our community, and networks and friends as we use our collective influence and power to amplify, multiply, and activate the voices of many."
Directors & Officers liability insurance provides financial protection for a foundation and its directors, officers, employees, and volunteers in the event of a lawsuit. CNJG offers its members the D&O liability insurance program provided through Aon Association Services, underwritten by The Hartford and endorsed by the United Philanthropy Forum. A discount is available to foundations with current membership with CNJG.
Fiduciary Liability and other coverage is also available to members at a discounted rate. Coverage is available in all states. Brokers can access the Forum’s D&O program through Aon Association Services.
Learn more using the documents below, on the Aon website or by contacting Jason Tharpe, program administrator at Aon Affinity, at 202-429-8561. To obtain the discount, foundations should let Aon know they are a member of CNJG, a member of the United Philanthropy Forum.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held a public meeting on December 19, 2023, during which 30 New Jersey organizations received grants through the Council's Creative Aging Initiative grant program. This investment is the key component of the Council's focus on lifelong learning, providing $10,000 grants to arts organizations, libraries, veterans homes, and senior and community centers to cover costs for artist-led residencies for New Jersey adults aged 55 and over.
Speaking on the importance of this program, Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way said, “Abundant evidence shows that artmaking and arts participation improves a number of health and well-being factors as we age. I’m honored to work closely with the Council to help ensure New Jerseyans of all ages have opportunities to have a better, overall quality of life.”
Reflecting on the impact of the grant, Council Chair Elizabeth Mattson said, “Supporting quality arts experiences for people of all ages has long been a priority for the Council. I was fortunate to see firsthand the impact of this program earlier this year during a visit to a Creative Aging Initiative session at an adult day center. Hearing the participants speak to the importance and value of being able to express themselves and share their life experiences in new and engaging ways is a powerful reminder of why the Council invests in this work.”
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held its first public meeting of 2024 on February 20th, where just over $1.7 million was awarded to 161 New Jersey artists through the Council's Individual Artist Fellowship program. In 2022, the Council voted to authorize an unprecedented investment of $2 million in the Fellowship program. Through this continued commitment of funding, this year's Fellowship cohort is the largest one the Council has added to its distinguished list of Fellows in over 30 years.
The Fellowships are competitive awards to New Jersey artists in 12 rotating disciplines granted solely on independent peer panel assessment of work samples. The anonymous process is focused on artistic quality, and awards may be used to help artists produce new work and advance their careers. New Jersey artists applied for awards this year in the categories of digital/electronic, film/video, interdisciplinary, painting, printmaking/drawing/book arts, and prose. This program is carried out in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts.
This weekly conference call series welcomed New Jersey-based grantmakers along with national funders and provided an opportunity for grantmakers to hear from a wide range of experts in the field of disaster philanthropy. This series started on September 9, 2013 and concluded on November 4, 2013. The written summaries of each recording are listed below.
This publication from Grantmakers for Effective Organizations offers a framework for thinking about how to measure progress and results in place-based and community change initiatives.