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The Camden Funders Affinity Group serves as a vehicle for funders to connect and share updates about their initiatives throughout the city. We heard from Group members an interest to better understand the current environment that these programs serve and to identify opportunities for future endeavors.
In this first in-person meeting of 2024, please join your fellow Camden Funders to hear from each other about our current work in the city, as well as to gain insight into the upcoming efforts we each intend to engage in. Information gathered at this meeting will be used to inform our next meeting, where we will hear directly from leaders working across the city to advance progress in Camden. Light refreshments will be served.
To help with planning, please email Chanika Svetvilas about Camden initiatives and updates you'd like to share with attendees during the meeting.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.
The F. M. Kirby Foundation Board of Directors announced 103 grants totaling $10,669,250, were approved in the first half of 2024 to nonprofit organizations working to increase the strength and vitality of their communities.
In all, 58 grants included general operating support and 54 grants were made to organizations that have been partners of the Foundation for over 25 years, representing the Foundation’s grantmaking strategy of forming long-term, trusting relationships with grantees.
Grantmaking from January through June included a combined $6.8 million to organizations working in New Jersey and North Carolina, the Foundation’s primary geographic areas of interest.
Additional grants, totaling over $3.8 million, supported organizations in Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania, regions dear to Kirby family members, as well as national nonprofits largely based in Washington D.C., and New York City.
The Fund for Women and Girls at the Princeton Area Community Foundation awarded more than $200,000 in grants to six nonprofits that work to help single mothers, families with young children, abuse survivors and high school students.
“I would love it if we didn’t need to continue this work – if our work was done. But it isn’t done. Great needs remain in the community,” said Carolyn Sanderson, Fund Chair. “I’m so very grateful for the support of all our Fund members. I especially appreciate all our nonprofit partners who work tirelessly to help our neighbors get the assistance they need and who work together to address important and sometimes difficult challenges. They are incredible partners, doing their best every day to help build a thriving community.”
Founded 26 years ago, the Fund for Women and Girls is comprised of generous members – mostly women – who pool their donations because they believe they can make a larger impact in the community through collaborative giving.
Each year, the grants committee recommends to its voting members grants for local nonprofits. Since its founding, the Fund has awarded a total of more than $2 million in support to local organizations.
Community Investment Strategies, Inc. (CIS), a women-owned leader in affordable housing, has announced a strategic partnership with the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to preserve and rehabilitate affordable housing in Elizabeth.
The first phase of this collaboration will support the renovation of Portside II, a 169-unit affordable housing community for low-income families. Originally completed in 2006 as part of the HOPE VI redevelopment, Portside II has been recognized for its contributions to the city’s revitalization.
CIS, founded by President and CEO Christiana Foglio, is dedicated to ensuring long-term housing stability through innovative funding strategies, policy advocacy, and community engagement. The Dodge Foundation’s predevelopment financial support will help maintain affordability, enhance accessibility, and improve living conditions for residents.
“This partnership enables us to expand our reach and secure critical funding early in the process,” said Foglio. “Our investment in Portside II will preserve safe, sustainable, and affordable housing for generations to come.”
The Bunbury Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation has awarded more than $3.8 million in grants to more than four dozen local nonprofits, marking the final phase of its $17 million Sunset Awards.
As part of its sunsetting process, the Fund has distributed a total of $17,139,000 across 74 grants to 55 organizations, concluding its 75-year philanthropic legacy that began with The Bunbury Company. The Fund transitioned to a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation in 2015, and its sunset grants mark the culmination of a decade of impactful giving.
“The Bunbury Fund Advisors hope these sunset grants will amplify what has always been at the heart of our grantmaking—enhancing effectiveness and fostering innovation for the greater good,” said Jamie Kyte Sapoch, Lead Advisor to the Fund.
Over the past decade, the Bunbury Fund has awarded more than $24 million to nearly 100 regional nonprofits. The final round of grants includes unrestricted support for organizations and competitive capacity-building funding aimed at strengthening nonprofits’ operations and strategic growth.
Kearny Bank said Wednesday that it gifted $590,385 in 2024 to charities in New Jersey and New York. The donations were made through the KearnyBank Foundation and went to community, education, housing, and quality of life organizations.
Kearny Bank’s 2024 contributions were: $272,885 to community; $142,885 to education; $92,500 to quality of life; and $80,000 to housing.
During 2024, the largest single donation was to Junior Achievement of New Jersey, which received $65,000. In addition, the 55 Kip Center of Rutherford received $50,000. Also included among recipients was the Essex County chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women, which received $18,000. The Robeson Classic High School Football All-Star Game and HABcore, Inc. each received $15,000, while $12,000 was contributed to the Student/Partner Alliance.
“We’re delighted that our success enables us to donate to a range of programs and organizations that help communities in which we conduct business,” says Craig Montanaro, Kearny Bank president and CEO. “Our company has been committed to charitable giving since it was founded in the 19th century and we continue seeking ways to enhance people’s lives.”
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.
Philanthropists are increasingly willing to support direct cash assistance. Foundations and individual donors have supported a range of emergency cash relief for various crises throughout the years, and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the greater Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia region has been no exception. Private philanthropy is also working with the current wave of government-sponsored cash assistance pilots. This virtual convening highlighted Urban’s findings on philanthropic support and gathered speakers including Kevin Callaghan, our Newark Philanthropic Liaison, to reflect on the implications and future of philanthropic efforts aimed at transferring cash directly to individuals.
Welcome Remarks
Sarah Rosen Wartell, President, Urban Institute @swartell
Research Presentations
Benjamin Soskis, Senior Research Associate, Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, Urban Institute @BenSoskis
Sonia Torres Rodríguez, Research Assistant, Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center, Urban Institute @urbaninstitute
Fay Walker, Research Analyst, Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center, Urban Institute @faycwalker
Panelists
Mary Bogle, Principal Research Associate, Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center, Urban Institute @MaryMBogle
Kevin Callaghan, Newark Philanthropic Liaison, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and Office of Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka @CNJG
Nisha G. Patel, Creative Catalyst, Powered by Shakti @heynisha
Paula Sammons, Program Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation @WK_Kellogg_Fdn
Tonia Wellons, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Washington Community Foundation @ToniaWellons
Shena Ashley, Vice President, Nonprofits and Philanthropy, Urban Institute (moderator) @shenarashley
Please join us for our next Newark Funder Affinity Group Meeting at a special location. We will meet at the Courage in Care: Community Doulas and Joyful Revolution in Birth exhibit at the new Newark ArtsSpace (more information below). Our discussion will focus on local implementing partners in Newark and Essex County committed to improving black maternal health. We will also use the second part of the meeting to update each other on the response to the federal funding environment.
Joining us will be these dynamic speakers representing philanthropy, direct service, systems change, and training backgrounds:
Jazmin Rivera, Vice President of Holistic Support, BRICK Education Network
Nastassia K. Harris, Founder & Executive Director, Perinatal Health Equity Initiative
Julie Blumenfeld, Program Director, Nurse-Midwifery and Dual Women's Health, Rutgers University School of Nursing
Lisa Block, Senior Prorgram Officer, Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey
Atiya Weiss, Executive Director, The Burke Foundation
Please plan to stay after the meeting to interact with the exhibit.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members and Nonprofits; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
About Courage in Care
The Courage in Care was developed under the guidance and leadership of a statewide advisory council of community doulas and maternal health advocates across New Jersey. With support from Narrative Initiative and In Good Company, these birth workers shaped the stories, themes, and vision that bring The Courage in Care to life.
Supported by the Burke Foundation, Ascend at the Aspen Institute, MERCK for Mothers, Community Health Acceleration Partnership, Turrell Fund, MCJ Amelior Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Bristol Myers Squibb, The Courage in Care is part of a larger effort to reimagine maternal health in New Jersey and beyond. Events associated with the exhibit are produced by NJPAC Arts & Well-Being.
The second year of the coronavirus pandemic began optimistically with the promise of multiple, effective vaccines. However, 2021 proved to be a challenging and complex year. The pandemic continued to put pressure on economies and societies, exacerbating inequities, and hitting poorer, historically marginalized communities the hardest. Through it all, nonprofits continued to play an essential role, providing critical services, trusted information and a variety of resources.
In the report titled “Philanthropy and COVID-19: Examining two years of giving,” Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy examine $1 billion in philanthropic funding for COVID-19-related efforts during 2021 to see how donors responded in the second year of the pandemic.
This report will assist donors as they consider how to invigorate their COVID-19 giving strategy to support equitable, holistic community recovery from the pandemic.
This work is a joint project of Bridgespan Social Impact, the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), PolicyLink, and CapEQ.
Since the social unrest over racial injustice in the summer of 2020, philanthropists, corporations, and impact investors across the United States pledged to invest billions of dollars to advance racial equity. However, recent scrutiny of those commitments reveals that the majority of those dollars remain on the sidelines.
A common hypothesis for the shortfall is the lack of investable “shovel-ready” opportunities. But Bridgespan Social Impact has formally and informally advised organizations seeking to invest for racial equity over the years, and found that hypothesis to be patently untrue. To make the case, Bridgespan is publishing this list of racial-equity funds that emerged from our experience, at the request of multiple funds and potential investors, and alongside the launch of a new racial-equity theme in the IRIS+ family of impact measurement and management guides. It comprises more than 160 funds that explicitly seek to improve the livelihoods of individuals who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and their communities. And we’re not done yet.
What is racial-equity investing?
In putting together this list, we chose to characterize “racial-equity investing” as directing capital toward creating equitable opportunities for BIPOC individuals and communities. That often requires shifting decision-making power and redefining risk so that capital flows more freely in service of those opportunities.
Sourcing these funds, we uncovered dozens of creative financing vehicles aimed at building power, creating economic opportunity, and improving livelihoods for communities of color.
On this webinar, Newark funders discussed the childcare practice and policy during COVID-19 and heard front line observations on matters of mental health and domestic violence.
Speakers:
Ceil Zalkind, President and CEO, Advocates for Children of New Jersey
Beverly Lynn, CEO, Programs for Parents
Maria Ortiz, Executive Director, Student Life, Newark Board of Education
LaKeesha Eure, Director, Shani Baraka Women’s Resource Center and Chair, Newark Anti-Violence Coalition
Webinar Video
The United Way of Greater Newark has awarded more than $800,000 in grant funding to 15 community-based organizations in Newark to create and launch neighborhood-based mobile vaccination clinics as well as neighborhood-based outreach and public information campaigns.
This effort is part of the Newark Equitable Vaccine Initiative, which is led by the United Way of Greater Newark and is focused on building a fully community-powered model for increasing access and equity in vaccine distribution in Black and brown communities. It is part of a national pilot program created by the Rockefeller Foundation.
Despite the rapidly increasing number of vaccinations available to eligible residents in New Jersey and nationally, the vaccination rates in Black and brown communities remain disproportionately low. Newark has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the state among communities with more than 10,000 residents.
The Provident Bank Foundation (PBF) today named its Major Grant recipients for its second cycle of 2021. The Foundation awarded nearly $450,000 of total funding to 27 nonprofit organizations within the Foundation’s three priority areas of Community Enrichment, Education and Health, Youth & Families.
Grants provide funding between $5,000 and $25,000 to organizations across the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania communities served by Provident Bank.
“We are thrilled to offer funding opportunities to some of the outstanding nonprofits that are continually raising up our community,” said Samantha Plotino, Executive Director of The Provident Bank Foundation. “From medical services to educational programs to food banks, these organizations are very valuable to residents across New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Additional funding will allow their various programs to continue to thrive and make an impact.”
In Q4 2021, our foundation awarded 17 grants totaling over $6.4 million dollars. Of these, three grants were new, while nine were renewals.
Our Q4 grantmaking aligns with our updated funding model, which focuses our work on identifying and fueling the scale of cost-effective programs and solutions that accelerate improvement in key academic and socioemotional outcomes for all children. Inspired by venture philanthropy, the model puts an emphasis on grantmaking and strategic support that unlock innovation, evidence, and growth.
Below we highlight just some of the many direct impact and ecosystem organizations we’re proud to support this quarter as we conclude our 2021 grantmaking.
Looking to help drive economic opportunity and upward mobility, Bank of America announced Tuesday that it will be making more than $4.2 million in grants to 75 New Jersey nonprofits.
The grants, announced during “Giving Tuesday,” will be used by groups that focus on basic needs, affordable housing, workforce development and small business and economic revitalization, Bank of America New Jersey President Alberto Garofalo said.
“As part of our commitment to sustainable growth, helping local organizations address immediate short- and long-term needs has been key on our path of economic recovery,” he said. “By supporting New Jersey’s incredible network of nonprofits, Bank of America is providing philanthropic capital to help advance economic and social progress, establishing pathways to success and stability for our community.”
The Devils Youth Foundation, in an effort to bring life-changing opportunities to New Jersey’s youth through the power of sports and entertainment, recently committed its largest-ever grant, $100,000, to foundation partner La Casa de Don Pedro.
The grant provides the La Casa de Don Pedro facility with a brand new “El Patio de La Casa” — a revitalized area to serve as a vibrant community hub modeled after a Caribbean Plaza with safe spaces for children to play, attend concerts, have a neighborhood communal refrigerator and enjoy festivals.
El Patio de La Casa’s subsequent community programming will serve over 800 youth in Newark annually.
The Trenton Arts Fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation has awarded $29,550 in grants to seven local arts, culture and history nonprofits, in particular their programs that support Trenton’s young people.
“We are thrilled to help fund these arts organizations and programs in this city that means so much to us,” said John Hatch, who created the Trenton Arts Fund in 2018 with his husband, David Henderson. “Trenton has a rich cultural history, and the arts are flourishing in Trenton. With this round of grants, we are supporting Trenton’s tradition of creativity, and especially programs that support our young residents.”
Grants were made at the recommendation of the Trenton Arts Fund Grants Committee, whose members are local residents with a background in the arts.
The Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) today thanked its 1,160 fundholders for making 7,350 philanthropic gifts to worthy causes and communities in 2022 totaling approximately $153 million. The total dollar amount of grants is a record for the Community Foundation, following annual grantmaking of $103 million in 2021, $87.5 million in 2020, and $57.8 million in 2019.
CFNJ currently stewards over $725 million in charitable assets, making grants to nonprofit organizations in line with the advice of active fundholders or the philanthropic goals of those who leave bequests. Fifty-seven new funds were established in 2022.
Last year marked the final year of grantmaking for the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, which the Community Foundation was proud to host in partnership with First Lady Tammy Murphy.
Kessler Foundation said Wednesday that in 2022 it approved approximately $1 million in grants to support initiatives that promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace.
The majority of the funding was allocated into two categories: Signature Employment Grants and Community Employment Grants. The remaining funds were awarded to Foundation Directed Grants, Special Initiative Grants and Emergency Relief Grants.
“In our society, work often defines who we are, and how we are perceived by others,” Elaine Katz, senior vice president for grants and communications at Kessler Foundation, said. “Because participating in the workplace has many benefits, both tangible and intangible, Kessler Foundation focuses its grantmaking on expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and addresses employment outcomes through its rehabilitation research.”