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In predominantly renter-based markets across the Northeast, housing-related financial strain remains a significant barrier to household stability and long-term economic security. Yet innovative models are emerging that seek to flip that script, creating pathways for renters to build assets, reduce risk, and participate more fully in local prosperity.
Building on the momentum from AFN’s September 2024 webinar exploring regional strategies to increase affordability, reduce evictions, and deliver financial return or dividends to renters, this session will take a deeper dive into renter wealth-building models in action.
Join AFN, partners in New Jersey, and collaborators from national nonprofits and financial institutions as we explore promising approaches that leverage public-private tools, housing finance innovation, and credit-building strategies tied to rent payment. We’ll examine how these approaches can expand renter access to economic opportunity and help funders consider how to adapt similar efforts in urban centers across the region.
Speakers:
Rachel Levy-Culler, Housing Innovations Senior Specialist, Credit Builders Alliance (CBA)
Marcus Randolph, President & CEO, Invest Newark
Khaatim Sherrer El, Executive Director, Clinton Hill Community Action
Marco Villegas, Program Officer, JPMorgan Chase
Who Should Attend:
Philanthropic leaders, community investors, housing advocates, and public-private partners working to advance financial security and equity for renters. This webinar is open to all and will focus on the New Jersey and Northeast AFN regions.
Captioning will be provided. If you have any other accessibility requests or questions, please email Paula Dworek. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be received by May 5, 2025, to ensure our ability to meet your request.
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Philanthropy can be defined in many ways. The word comes from the Greek, meaning "love for humanity." Modern definitions include the concept of voluntary giving by an individual or group to promote the common good and improve the quality of life.
Here in the United States, the term "philanthropy" is also used to describe the granting of money to nonprofit organizations by foundations and corporations. This type of giving is often called organized philanthropy or grantmaking.
This popular, fast-paced video offers a realistic — and often humorous — glimpse of how the public views philanthropy, using a series of "people in the street" interviews shot in the Twin Cities plus interviews with local donors. Discover the true, and often not so true, meaning of philanthropy.
Co-produced by the Minnesota Council on Foundations, The Minneapolis Foundation and the Minnesota Community Foundation and The Saint Paul Foundation.
Schools are uniquely positioned to support student wellbeing and promote a positive learning environment, but often lack the resources to do so. The Foundation for Educational Administration (FEA) is giving schools the tools needed to help students succeed through two initiatives: Transforming Early Childhood Leadership Institute and the Healing Centered Engagement program.
As New Jersey continues to expand full-day preschool, principals and school leaders face the challenge of creating a high-quality experience for early learners. The Transforming Early Childhood Leadership Institute supports this endeavor by training and coaching leaders from schools offering PreK-3 instruction. Through the Institute, participating schools send leadership teams of principals, teacher leaders, and central office staff to learn best practices on strengthening early childhood education and creating a strong learning foundation. The Institute is supported by The Nicholson Foundation (now sunsetted) and The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation.
Launched in response to unprecedented levels of youth mental health concerns, the Healing Centered Engagement program offers interactive trainings and tailored coaching to school staff on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma informed practices, healing centered engagement, and Youth Mental Health First Aid. The model takes a whole-school approach – reaching community partners, teachers, administrators, school staff, and families across regions and grade-levels. Since the program’s launch, FEA has trained over 3,400 New Jersey school staff and partners. The Burke Foundation supports the project with the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Princeton Area Community Foundation, and the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (now sunsetted).
Join our speakers from the NJ Office of Resilience, NJ Department of Education, and the Foundation for Educational Administration to:
- Understand the importance of alignment in early childhood education
- Learn the role of positive childhood experiences in promoting student wellbeing
- Find out more about the Healing Centered Engagement program and Transforming Early Childhood Leadership Institute
- Discuss opportunities to get involved in this work and support the initiatives in your community
Speakers:
Mary M. Reece, Ed.D; Director of Special Projects, NJ Principals & Supervisors Association/Foundation for Educational Administration
Rebecca Bryan, DNP; Executive Director of the Office of Resilience, NJ Department of Children and Families
Dottie Specht, M.S. Ed, Director, K-3 Office of Education/Division of Early Childhood Services, NJ Department of Education
Monica Carmichael, Director of Early Childhood, Trenton (TECLI)
Samantha Lott-Velez, Assistant Superintendent, Newark (TECLI)
Dr. Bobbi Downs, Director of CST, Burlington County Special Services School District (HCE)
Thomas Barclay, retired Assistant Superintendent and current consultant (TECLI & HCE)
Webinar Video
Articles
Rethinking Our Approach to Youth Mental Healthcare
The Surgeon General’s New Mission: Adolescent Mental Health
8-Year-Olds in Despair: The Mental Health Crisis Is Getting Younger

The COVID-19 public health and economic crisis has changed our world as we know it. As employers moved to remote work, schools shifted to distance learning, and businesses closed completely, it became clear that the impact on residents, nonprofits, and businesses was far greater than anyone could have ever imagined.
In response to the growing and evolving needs of our region, the Greater Washington Community Foundation established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to raise and rapidly deploy funding to local nonprofits providing food, shelter, educational supports, and other critical services.
From the beginning our goal was clear: to address the immediate needs and reach adversely affected communities, particularly low-income households and communities of color. We know all too well that in a crisis like this, these marginalized communities are hit the hardest, and often take the longest to recover.
In times of crises, The Community Foundation is our region’s philanthropic first responder, bringing together individuals and families, philanthropic peers, corporate partners, and local government advisors to address community issues. Building on our rich history of emergency response work, we grounded our COVID-19 response efforts in a similar coordinated approach.
This report chronicles the steps taken, under immense pressure, to develop a coordinated emergency response effort to support a broad range of needs across the region. Once again this effort has demonstrated that working in partnership and close collaboration with our philanthropic peers and local government advisors is an effective way to manage a response to both urgent and longer-term needs.
Hurricane Helene was a monster storm, one of the biggest on record to hit the U.S. It made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Perry, Florida on Sept. 26, bringing devastating, widespread impacts across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and beyond.
While Helene’s full impacts won’t be known for days, CDP recognizes that the storm hit communities affected by other hurricanes, as recently as Hurricane Debby last month. When communities get hit repeatedly, they can’t fully recover before the next blow. This diminishes resilience and increases the need for funders to enhance available resources.
By the end of this webinar, donors will:
Understand the most urgent and ongoing needs in affected communities.
Learn how chronic and repetitive disasters create additional needs.
Be aware of ways they can invest funds to support community needs.
Free for all funders