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Newark is one step closer to its highly anticipated Guaranteed Income Pilot Program following the release of a report by the city, the Jain Family Institute and the Economic Security Project outlining findings and recommendations that would put more cash into residents’ hands.
Mayor Ras Baraka first broached the idea of a universal basic income pilot program at a 2019 State of the City address, saying it would be a welcome experiment in Newark, where more than a third of residents live below the poverty line. Universal basic income is a government benefit that aims to reduce income inequality through direct cash infusion.
More than a year later, the report completed by the city’s special task force is positioning Newark to join a national body of research on guaranteed income. The pilot program would focus specifically on residents struggling with housing insecurity, according to the city.
“What we really want to do is add to the national body of research and put Newark on a national stage,” said Kevin Callaghan, Newark’s philanthropic liaison. “This is Mayor Baraka entering a conversation and saying this is something that we support, and the top recommendation of the report is that there should be a federal guaranteed income policy.”
With the support of JFI and ESP, two internationally recognized research groups, Newark will begin to cast a line to national foundations and donors to fund the pilot. The report estimates anywhere between $4.5 million to $12 million based on three studies, but Callghan put the sweet spot around $5 million for meaningful results.
Estimates say that a Newark family would need $63,000 a year to meet its basic needs, according to United Way of Greater Newark.
In New Jersey, an estimated 762,530 people are facing hunger, according to Feeding America. As the pandemic continues, hunger relief organizations in New Jersey and across the country are facing ongoing challenges such as increased demand for their services and rising food prices.
To that end, Bank of America announced a $700,000 investment to Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Fulfill and Trenton Area Soup Kitchen to address food insecurity in the region. The investment is expected to provide approximately 1.75 million meals.
Earlier this year, Bank of America announced it would make a $100 donation to local hunger relief organizations and food banks for each employee in New Jersey who received a COVID-19 booster shot or vaccine and notified the bank before the end of January.
The company made an additional contribution to address the increased need experienced by hunger relief organizations across the country. Since the onset of the pandemic, Bank of America has provided $2.29 million in funding to Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Fulfill and TASK in support of local hunger relief efforts.
“As the pandemic continues to impact our New Jersey communities, food banks and hunger relief organizations are experiencing increased demand and higher costs to meet the needs of individuals and families,” said Alberto Garofalo, president, Bank of America New Jersey. “Our commitment to help strengthen the communities we live in and serve is unwavering, which is why we are investing in the health, safety and well-being of our teammates, while also providing funds to help our longtime nonprofit partners that are tirelessly working to fight food insecurity and ensure each of our neighbors has access to a meal.”
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 recordings of each are below.
Immigration Webinar
Health Webinar
Environment Webinar
Education Webinar
Housing Webinar
Media & Journalism Webinar
Arts Webinar
In our most recent round of funding, the Dodge Foundation made more than $5 million in grants which served to acknowledge long-standing partners and collaborators, support new partners who are driving racial equity and justice, and respond to the real-time issues and crises facing people across the State of New Jersey. These grants represent our purposeful efforts to support and recognize the impact of years-long partners and institutions, while also strengthening and growing our support to new organizations focused and aligned to our new strategic direction of building a just and equitable New Jersey.
The Dodge Foundation provided multi-year funding to support a number of partner organizations, representing a collaborative strategy of providing the space, time, and opportunity for each organization to strengthen and build their capacity and encourage new voices and funding partners to join the movement. The goal of this support is to achieve long-term sustainability that allows these organizations to continue their impact well into the future. As the Foundation continues our transformation to center racial equity and justice in our work and our funding, we are also thrilled to recognize these long-standing partner organizations and the impact they have had and will continue to have on communities across New Jersey.
In this funding cycle, we provided three organizations each with a three-year grant of $1M general operating support. For all of these initiatives, the Dodge Foundation was a core partner from the earliest days and an integral supporter in achieving years of state-wide impact.
What does an age-integrated society look like and how can funders be part of the movement to strengthen aging initiatives in the philanthropic sector? Join this special conversation with Lindsay Goldman, CEO of Grantmakers In Aging, a community of funders mobilizing money and ideas to strengthen policies, programs, and resources for all of us as we age. Lindsay will share insights on how aging intersects with funding priorities including health, caregiving, social connection, and housing.
Lindsay Goldman serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Grantmakers In Aging (GIA), a position she assumed in January 2021. She draws on nearly 20 years of experience in program development and administration, direct service, philanthropy, and health and social policy. Most recently, Lindsay was the founding director of the Center for Healthy Aging at The New York Academy of Medicine. Specializing in public-private partnerships to create age-inclusive environments, Lindsay oversaw a portfolio that included the award-winning Age-friendly NYC, Health & Age Across All Policies NYS, and IMAGE: The Interactive Map of Aging. Earlier in her career, Lindsay was responsible for strategic planning and allocations to support older adults in New York and Israel while working for the UJA-Federation of New York. She also directed the Health Enhancement Partnership at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and received a Best Practice Award from the National Council on Aging in 2008. She began her career at Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC, where she coordinated an intergenerational mentoring program in the Bronx. She holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MSW from NYU.
Emily Hinsey is the Director of Programs. In her capacity, Emily coordinates the programmatic work of the organization, including the webinar series, member meetings, funder networks on housing, serious illness, caregiving, technology, rural health, and multisector plans for aging, and grant-funded projects. Prior to beginning her work with GIA in 2017, Emily was the Administrator and Project Development Manager at Aging & In-Home Services of Northeast Indiana, where she advised on the organization’s accreditation and new business development. Emily began her career as the Prevention Coordinator at the Open Arms Domestic Violence Center. Emily serves on the Fort Wayne Mayor's Age-Friendly Council. Emily holds a BA in Social Work from Bluffton University.
This program is open to all interested attendees.