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The Provident Bank Foundation announced the recipients of its inaugural Empowerment Grant cycle.

PBF’s Board of Directors has approved 41 multi-year grants totaling $515,000 in funding annually to support the missions of nonprofit organizations in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Empowerment Grants range from $5,000 to $20,000 per grant and will be automatically renewed at the same level in 2026.

Projects funded by these grants align with PBF’s priority areas of education, human services, and workforce development, and their corresponding areas of interest that include community colleges, vocational programs, special education services, housing assistance, food security, health-care access for uninsured and underinsured individuals, youth mental health, job training, employment supports, and reentry programs.

“This is the first year of our Empowerment Grant program, which emerged from The Provident Bank Foundation’s recent strategic revisioning process focused on advancing equity and inclusion,” says Samantha Plotino, vice president and executive director of The Provident Bank Foundation.

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held a public meeting on March 16, where nearly $750,000 was awarded to 50 New Jersey nonprofit organizations through a recovery program that will help the arts sector prepare for a full-scale recovery.

The COVID Critical Needs Program (CCN) is a single year grant program that provides support for COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) and safeguarding needs for arts nonprofits. The CCN Program will financially assist New Jersey organizations with their efforts to ensure their venues are compliant with all safety standards as they welcome the public back inside.

The grant recipients include American Repertory Ballet, Appel Farm Arts & Music Campus, Arts Council of Princeton, Asbury Park Music Foundation, Bergen Performing Arts Center, Cape May Stage, Eagle Theatre, Farmstead Arts, Frontline Arts, George Street Playhouse, GlassRoots, Grounds for Sculpture, Growing Stage - The Children's Theatre of NJ, Guttenberg Arts, Hopewell Valley Children’s Theatre, Hunterdon Art Museum, Institute of Music for Children, Jazz House Kids, Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences, Luna Stage Company, Mainstage Center for the Arts, Matheny Medical & Educational Center, Mayo Performing Arts Center, McCarter Theatre Center, Monmouth Arts, Monmouth Museum & Cultural Center, Montclair Art Museum, and Montclair Film.

"The arts and entertainment industry has been among the hardest hit by the COVID pandemic," said Secretary of State Tahesha Way. "And yet, over the past year, New Jersey’s arts community has adapted to continue reaching people throughout the state and across the globe at a time when the power of the arts has been needed most. I am proud to work closely with the Arts Council to help ensure our state’s arts organizations can reopen and welcome audiences in a safe environment."

Community foundations are beginning to deepen and shift how they work, adopting an anchor mission that seeks to fully deploy all resources to build community wealth. Moving into territory relatively uncharted for community foundations, they are taking up impact investing and economic development — some in advanced ways, others with small steps. This report offers an overview of how 30 representative community foundations — including The Seattle Foundation, the Vermont Community Foundation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation — are working toward adopting this new anchor mission.

This Democracy Collaborative report was written by Marjorie Kelly, Senior Fellow and Director of Special Projects and Violeta Duncan, Community Development Associate.

Six million immigrants in the US have jobs that could increase their risk of contracting the virus -- from physicians and home health aides to agriculture and food production workers. Another 6 million work in areas that have suffered major financial loss, including the restaurant and hospitality industry, in-home childcare, agriculture, and building services.

Yet, documented and undocumented immigrants are ineligible for federal relief funds and government-sponsored safety-net programs. Many “essential” workers lack health insurance. Language barriers often make getting services difficult. And, fear of repercussion if they test positive for COVID or uncertainty around immigrant policies prevent many immigrants from even seeking assistance.

During this webinar briefing, we will hear from Abel Rodriguez, Director for the Center on Immigration and Assistant Professor of Religion, Law, and Social Justice at Cabrini University and Sara Cullinane, Director of Make the Road New Jersey.

Topics will include:
• How immigrants and their families have been impacted by COVID, nationally and in our state.
• Supporting immigration policies and programs that advance the social and economic well-being of immigrant populations.
• Efforts in New Jersey communities to provide direct support, education, and other needed resources to immigrants during the pandemic.

Nearly 1 in 4 New Jersey residents is an immigrant. And despite their vital importance to this state and our country’s culture and economy, immigrants are often left out of programs and denied services that are critical for recovery. Join us for an important briefing on why your organization’s response to COVID must uplift immigrants and their families – now and for the future.

Cost: Free for CNJG Grantmakers. $50 for Non Member Grantmakers

Webinar Video

This new report from CNJG and partners examines the response of foundations, corporations, and other institutional donors to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Numbering nearly 600, these funders have so far committed more than $380 million for relief, recovery and building efforts. The hard data and reflective observations in the report contribute to the growing body of knowledge that helps foundations and corporations be strategic and effective with their giving when disaster strikes.

Two years after the historic storm, Philanthropy & Hurricane Sandy: A Report on the Foundation & Corporate Response breaks down the allocation of dollars contributed thus far and offers perspective on the role of private giving in disaster response and lessons to be taken from this one. The report was published by the Foundation Center in partnership with the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and Philanthropy New York, and with support from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

“Throughout the past two years, our exceptional nonprofit and funder community has taken on challenges they never imagined,” said Nina Stack, president of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers. “These organizations continue to develop innovative solutions that other communities will learn from and build upon in future disasters.”

In addition to the report’s numerous funders, CNJG wishes to thank the PSEG Foundation for supporting this project.