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The New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) is pleased to announce that we have awarded $402,514 in grant funding to 33 organizations across the state for Spring 2022. These awards cap off a banner grant cycle which saw the largest-ever response to an NJCH call for applications, with 83 Letters of Intent submitted earlier this year. The high demand for funding reflects both the robust activity of the cultural sector and the need for ongoing support in that sector, as we emerge from the COVID-related challenges of the last few years.
The grantees’ projects reflect the creativity, excellence, and lifelong learning that public humanities programming contributes to New Jersey’s cultural and civic life. NJCH’s awards include Incubation Grants, which help organizations plan, research, develop, and prototype public humanities projects and events; Action Grants, which help organizations implement a wide array of humanities-based projects, including public programs, exhibitions, installations, tours, and discussion groups; and Seed Funding, a brand-new award type that recognizes promising applicants from the Action and Incubation award pools and supports them in building greater capacity to do high-impact public humanities projects.
“From telling underrepresented stories to exploring new modes of audience engagement as we emerge from the pandemic, the new grantees’ projects speak to the astonishing breadth and depth of public humanities work in the state,” said NJCH Executive Director Carin Berkowitz. “NJCH’s grantmaking not only highlights those who are already doing exemplary work in the field, but also supports those organizations and communities that traditionally have less access to the public humanities. This approach ensures that New Jersey’s cultural sector will continue to thrive—now and well into the future.”
Whole Foods Market Foundation is excited to announce that 10 community-led nonprofit organizations in Newark, New Jersey have been awarded up to $20,000 each through the Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access Grant.
In the nine years since the Foundation started the Whole Cities Newark Fresh, Healthy Food Access grant, over $1.4 million has been awarded to community-led organizations that are spearheading an increase in long-term access to fresh, healthy food across all five wards of Newark. In that time, the Newark community has developed innovative ways to reach more community members with fresh food access through approaches like community gardens, urban farms, farmers' markets, healthy cooking classes, agricultural skills development programs, and more!
Since the grant's inception in 2017, the goal has always been to provide Newark community leaders with the resources they need to drive - and sustain- long-term change. With the last year of formal funding in Newark, the Foundation will help support this transition through initiatives like Leadership and Business Developing Training, where partners can receive one-on-one grant writing, bookkeeping and business development mentoring from subject matter experts. The Foundation is inspired by the momentum of the Newark community to continue expanding access to healthy food and nutrition education.
"Whole Cities has been honored to support locally led organizations increasing access to healthy food across Newark for the past 9 years. During that time, I've been inspired to witness the collaborative spirit of so many leaders in this community, which not only fosters a healthy environment but also enables food access efforts to go further, faster," said Dianna Purcell, Director of Programs at Whole Foods Market Foundation.
Food is essential. But how often do you consider where your food comes from?This issue of What Funders Need to Know from the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers explores the stages of the food system, from production all the way to disposal. Why is this important to philanthropy?
Because hunger, food insecurity, nutrition-related chronic disease, the health of resource lands and waterways, wages, and equal opportunity in the food economy all converge in our regional food system.
A CNJG member queried our listserves on policies regarding: 1) number of vacation days for new full-time employees; 2) paid time off (PTO); and 3) working remotely. CNJG compiled the answers from responding members.
On April 24, 2008 a $19 million landmark award was announced that will strengthen Newark public charter schools. The award comprises grants from seven funders including four national family foundations -- the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Doris & Donald Fisher Fund, Robertson Foundation, and The Walton Foundation -- and three New Jersey funders -- the MCJ and Amelior Foundations, Prudential Foundation, and Victoria Foundation.
The national funders have pledged $4 million each and the New Jersey foundations have earmarked $1 million each toward the initiative. “We welcome these generous national foundations to Newark, and we are grateful for the new investment from three of the city’s longstanding philanthropic partners,” Mayor Cory Booker said.
The $19 million is part of a larger $25 million campaign to help expand and strengthen the capacity of Newark’s charter schools. For further information, visit the website of the newly established Newark Charter School Fund.
Grantmakers Convene Around Prisoner Reentry
A group of 30 grantmakers and Newark officials gathered on April 28 at the offices of the Charles Edison Fund to get a close-up look at the City’s strategies to address the growing issue of prisoner reentry, one of Mayor Booker’s key priorities. Newark faces an influx of 1,500-2,000 men and women every year returning from incarceration. At the same time, 15,000–20,000 individuals are currently on probation or parole in Essex County, the majority in Newark.
Funders seeking to positively impact the city and its residents have a vested interest in helping to improve prospects for the rising number of incarcerated persons returning home. The challenges are complex and intertwined with issues of public safety, job creation and job-readiness, family reunification and fatherhood, access to housing and addiction services, and vigilant case management.
Cornell Brooks, executive director of the New Jersey Institute of Social Justice, gave an overview of the barriers which prevent ex-prisoners from successfully reentering society. Among the most burdensome hurdles are prohibitions on conditional driver’s licenses and inflexible fine payment plans. Such measures effectively close the doors to viable employment options upon release. Another barrier is the effect of exorbitant surcharges on collect telephone calls from prison. The high charges contribute to the erosion of family ties during incarceration, thereby reducing successful family reunification post-release.
Richard Greenwald, an executive on loan to the City from the Manhattan Institute, cited the importance of creating transitional jobs immediately upon release as a proven means of reducing recidivism. Wanda Moore, Director of the Prisoner Reentry, explained the need to mobilize and organize multiple nonprofit and government partners to better serve ex-prisoners. She described “Opportunity Reconnect,” a one-stop center operated by the City, which is helping link ex-prisoners to case managers, job services, and myriad agencies. Performance measures and data-communications systems are in the development stage to help the City assess and evaluate its effectiveness at helping individuals successfully return to the community and their families.
Government-Nonprofit Contracting Reform
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance is the biggest change in government grant guidelines in over 30 years. The rules require that federal grants and contracts—including those that pass through state and local governments—include a “reasonable amount” for indirect costs. A “reasonable amount”, according to the guidance, is at least 10 percent of direct costs and, in some cases, nonprofits can negotiate a higher amount.
With the nonprofit sector earning nearly 33 percent of its revenue from government grants and contracts, this new requirement is a game changer. Nina Stack wrote a piece discussing these changes for the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation blog:
Excerpt from A Social Sector Game Changer:
“Nonprofits that are hired by the government to perform a service and paid through federal dollars are to use at least 10 percent of the direct costs of their grant or contract to pay indirect costs. BOOM! Just as John Madden would say. A mandate for funding that can be used for core operations. Never before has there been such a clear directive and recognition from the federal government.”
To see this change however, industry-wide advocacy is essential to ensure that all nonprofits are aware of this monumental shift and that governments follow the new requirement. Without advocacy, it is very possible that, despite the requirement to add an additional 10 percent or more to pay for indirect costs, legislative bodies at the federal, state and city levels may further reduce project budgets to keep them flat. And this could mean that in order to maintain the same level of services, nonprofits will seek additional resources from the philanthropic sector to make up the difference. Therefore it is imperative that philanthropy remains active in the conversation between nonprofits and government to continue to maintain a balance in the critical services provided by all.
What this means for nonprofits:
- Government contracts are now required to reimburse nonprofits for reasonable indirect costs (administrative, “overhead”) as part of their service-delivery agreement.
- The OMB Uniform Guidance is only a promise of better treatment—nonprofits should know the rules and protect themselves.
What this means for foundations:
- Advocacy is needed! To ensure government partners do not underfund nonprofits due to the new rules, foundations need to help spread awareness and enforce the regulations.
In New Jersey, the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits has been teeing up advocacy, information sessions, and other assistance to help non-profits take advantage of the new rules. For questions and information about the new guidelines, please visit the resources below.
Resources
Federal Register: OMB Uniform Guidance
Wells Fargo is making good on its promise to help underserved communities.
On Monday, the bank announced it is giving a grant of $1 million to the Trenton Regional Business Assistance Corp. and a grant of $500,000 to the Camden-based Cooperative Business Assistance Corp. The grants are part of the Wells Fargo Open for Business Fund, which was created last year.
The organizations will use the grants to provide low-interest loans to small businesses that — for a variety of reasons — lacked the access to such capital.
Tomas Porturas, vice president of social impact and sustainability, said Wells Fargo hopes the funding will help underserved small businesses in Trenton and South Jersey stay open and preserve jobs through short- and long-term COVID-19 resiliency efforts. It also will expand microlending activities and programming for diverse business owners.
“Wells Fargo’s Open for Business Fund is another avenue of support and enlists the expertise of our CDFI partners to urgently help diverse South Jersey entrepreneurs recover and preserve the jobs they provide in their communities,” he said. “The funding will provide much-needed access to capital with increased equity in resources and technical assistance for local businesses, which are the backbone of our local economies and neighborhoods.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to students, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) awarded eight scholarships to students attending colleges across the nation.
The assessment and research organization, presented more than $80,000 in scholarships to students this year through two of its scholarship programs, ETS CARES Scholarship and the Trenton Central High Scholarship. The Trenton Central High scholarships are renewable up to four years, assuming the students maintain a 3.0 GPA.
"We are so proud to support you on this journey--your future matters to us," ETS President and CEO Amit Sevak told the students at an awards ceremony held in their honor on July 14. "These scholarships are part of our commitment to give back, especially here in our state of New Jersey. I also want to recognize the ETS staff because without their incredible generosity, these scholarships and our other work in the community would not be possible."
NJM Insurance Group said it recently made a $100,000 donation to benefit hunger relief efforts across the mid-Atlantic region.
The monies are part of the West Trenton-based firm’s yearlong commitment to supporting communities, which now totals more than $2 million in donations in 2022.
NJM’s support of communities is rooted in a culture of purpose-driven service. The company directs charitable contributions toward organizations that support arts and culture, health, community assistance, safety and financial literacy. Other areas of focus include education and enrichment and revitalization programs such as those offered by social service organizations and food banks.
“NJM is a service organization working on behalf of our policyholders and the communities in which they live and work,” Mitch Livingston, NJM CEO and president, stated. “We partner with nonprofits and organizations dedicated to delivering needed resources that can positively impact lives, and we are privileged to support these causes throughout the region.”
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on Tuesday announced the recipients of the 2022 Creative Catalyst Fund awards. A total of 114 grants will be awarded to individual artists and artists’ collectives, with an average award of $3,200; and 34 grants will be awarded to small and midsized arts organizations with an average award of $10,100.
Baraka created the fund in January 2020 as a multiyear initiative providing the local community of artists and small and midsized arts organizations up to $1 million annually for at least three years. The fund has awarded a total of $2.35 million in grants in its first three years. Grantees use the funds to help pay for operating costs, space rentals, staff, programming costs, supplies and equipment, and COVID-related expenses.
“Newark has a long history as a center of the arts, and our administration has supported the arts in word and deed, creating great works like the second-longest public mural on the East Coast. We are proud, privileged and humbled to write a new chapter by supporting this year’s grantees. Their works will define the voice and talent of a new generation of Newark artists for our present and future,” Baraka said.