Search Through Private Grants for Nonprofits in New Jersey in the U.S.

About Us

The Achelis and Bodman Foundation was formally established on November 25, 2015, from the merger of The Achelis Foundation (established in 1940) and The Bodman Foundation (established in 1945).

Program Areas

In keeping with the broad purposes in its charter documents, the Foundation has chosen to spread its grants over six program areas. Most grants are made in New York City, reflecting its dynamic not-for-profit sector, large and persistent needs, and the staff's and Trustees' "local knowledge." The Foundation also makes grants in northern New Jersey in recognition of the Bodman family's ties to that state, with an emphasis on Newark and Monmouth County. Over 90% of grants fall into one of the following categories:

Arts and Culture

Cultural institutions are among New York City’s most valued resources. They attract visitors from around the world and are one reason why so many people choose to live here. They are also major employers and vital to the City’s economy. The arts were important to Miss Achelis and Mr. and Mrs. Bodman, and so the Foundation has continued to support this area, generally through operating grants to the City’s prominent cultural institutions. The Foundation is most likely to support organizations that promote and sustain traditional concepts of artistic excellence. 

Education

The failure of inner-city public education is a national tragedy with enormous consequences for the children in these schools and for society as a whole. The Foundation has long believed that accountability and competition can contribute to the improvement of urban public schools. Therefore, the Foundation has funded charter schools, voucher programs, scholarships to parochial schools, and research that examines the impact of competition and other factors on K-12 educational performance. The Foundation also has an interest in helping young people and adults to realize their dreams of a college education. Finally, the Foundation seeks to promote intellectual excellence and balance at American colleges and universities.

Employment

Chronic unemployment or underemployment is a harsh and demoralizing burden. The welfare reforms of the mid-1990s increased the need for effective job training and placement programs. Such programs are especially critical for ex-offenders, chronic substance abusers, those with low educational attainments, and those suffering from mental or physical disabilities. The Foundation is particularly interested in supporting programs that emphasize the private sector and entrepreneurship.

Health

It is difficult for small grantmakers to make a significant impact in a field as large and complex as healthcare. Therefore, the focus of the Foundation's grants has been on the health needs of poor children, the disabled, and other disadvantaged populations, as well as on basic biomedical research, where a small grant at a pivotal time in a scientist's research can have a disproportionate impact. The Foundation has also supported the work of policy experts evaluating reforms that would improve the healthcare system and make it more accessible and efficient.

Public Policy

Funding in this category covers a broad range of issues including: K-12 education (listed under ), healthcare, families and marriage, crime prevention, prisoner reentry, philanthropy, the environment, welfare reform, and faith and religion. In all areas, the Foundation's grantmaking is guided by a belief in the merits of economic and political liberty, free enterprise, and personal responsibility.

Youth and Families

The disparate needs of New York City's disadvantaged youth and families are served by hundreds, even thousands, of charitable institutions, ranging from established settlement houses to small neighborhood organizations to local houses of worship. The Foundation supports programs that boost academic achievement, provide positive recreational and educational activities for disadvantaged young people, promote good character and values, preserve families, and encourage responsible parenting. In addition, the Foundation has a special interest in programs that prevent criminal behavior, discourage pre-marital sexual activity among teens, and assist vulnerable populations, such as disconnected youth, children who have been in foster care or suffered abuse, the disabled, and the homebound elderly. The Foundation is particularly interested in funding smaller, neighborhood-based organizations that choose to rely on private support rather than government grants or contracts.

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

About the Foundation

The Fidelity Foundation is a private, nonoperating foundation committed to building capacity in nonprofit organizations. Foundation grants are designed to encourage the highest standards of management and long-term self-reliance in nonprofit organizations. Taking an investment approach to grantmaking, we fund organizations where we feel we can add lasting, measurable value. We seek to support major initiatives that nonprofits undertake to reach new levels of achievement, and the Foundation’s founding operating principles still guide our decisions and grantmaking today.

Grantmaking Guidelines

As a private, independent, nonprofit entity, the Foundation awards grants only under the direction of its Trustees on the basis of our guidelines, project merits and availability of funds. We use a comprehensive approach to determine whether our collaboration and investment can add value and will measurably improve the applicant’s impact. Our selection criteria focus on the overall organization, the project being proposed and the project’s likelihood of success. Outlined below are the organizational requirements, sector priorities, and geographical boundaries that govern our funding.

Sector Focus

The Foundation supports non-profit organizations making high impact in the following sectors:

• Arts & Culture
• Conservation
• Education
• Health
• Social & Economic Mobility

Types of Projects

The Foundation seeks to work with organizations on strategic, transformative projects that have the potential to substantially increase the grantee's impact, efficiency, or long-term sustainability. These capacity-building projects fall into three areas:

Capital Investments

These are large-scale projects central to the overall health and sustainability of the applicant, such as new construction, renovations, expansions, and other initiatives that support the organization's strategic vision.

Planning Initiatives

This includes funding for project consultants to develop strategic, business, feasibility, technology, and other types of plans.

Technology Projects

These are high-impact technology initiatives that can substantially increase an organization's efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability.

Projects may include the development of front and back-end office systems; performance measurement systems; online functionality; and financial accounting, inventory management, point-of-sale, and other business systems.

Green Acres' State Land Acquisition Program

The Green Acres Program serves as the real estate agent for the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), acquiring land – much of which has been offered for sale by property owners – that becomes part of the system of state parks, forests, natural areas, and wildlife management areas. Green Acres works with programs throughout DEP, including Parks and Forestry, Fish and Wildlife, and the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust to determine which lands should be preserved. Green Acres does not own the land it acquires; instead land is assigned to the divisions for management. Land and easement interests in land can be acquired not only by purchase but also by donation and bequests.

PURPOSE OF FUNDING

To acquire land offered for sale or donation by property owners for open space, to be used for recreation and conservation purposes.

Acquired land becomes part of the system of state parks, forests, wildlife management areas, and natural areas, and is assigned to the NJ State Park Service, NJ Fish and Wildlife, or NJ Natural Lands Trust for management.

Pi Chubb & Schumann Field Trip New Jersey Funds

These funds provide grants for trips to arts and cultural organizations, historical landmarks, nature preserves, science institutions and college tours — helping students in underserved communities to connect their classroom learning with real-life experiences.

It also prioritizes field trips in the state that give students the opportunity to travel outside of their districts. Schools may transport students for college tours in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, and New Jersey. They can also submit an application for multiple trips.

Schumann

Field Trip New Jersey helps school children in underserved communities across New Jersey connect classroom learning with real-life experiences by providing funding for school trips to arts and culture, historical landmarks, nature preserves, science institutions, and college campuses. Thanks to a generous grant from the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, Field Trip New Jersey funding will now also be available to all Essex County schools and other non-profit organizations serving Essex County that are current grantees of the Schumann Fund for New Jersey.

Field Trip Grant Details

Total funding per field trip will not exceed $1,500 per academic year and must be used for field trip expenses only. An organization may submit an application for multiple trips as long as the request does not exceed $1,500 per academic year and the trips serve different teachers and students.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

What does this program do?

This program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas.

How may the funds be used?

Funds may be used to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of:

• Drinking water sourcing, treatment, storage and distribution
• Sewer collection, transmission, treatment and disposal
• Solid waste collection, disposal and closure
• Storm water collection, transmission and disposal

In some cases, funding may also be available for related activities such as:

• Legal and engineering fees
• Land acquisition, water and land rights, permits and equipment
• Start-up operations and maintenance
• Interest incurred during construction
• Purchase of facilities to improve service or prevent loss of service
• Other costs determined to be necessary for completion of the project
• See 7 CFR Part 1780.7 and 1780.9 for a complete list

Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation collaborate with a wide range of nonprofit organizations that align with our strategic funding priorities. We prioritize our funding to activities and programs that have a broad reach and support the needs of underserved communities. We aspire to have a positive impact on the communities we serve by using our financial and volunteer resources and business expertise in collaboration with community organizations to help solve complex societal problems.

• Financial health
• Housing affordability
• Small business growth
• Sustainability

We may also support other local needs in eligible communities such as disaster relief, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, human and social services, and workforce development. However, opportunities are limited as our intent is to direct the majority of our giving within our major focus areas.

Policies

The W. W. Smith Charitable Trust is a private foundation which makes grants primarily for three specific purposes. With few exceptions, grants are limited to organizations within Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties as well as the City of Camden, New Jersey.

Mission

Ensuring basic human needs, supplementing higher education scholarships, supporting maritime education/maritime heritage preservation, and enabling basic medical research in the areas of heart disease, cancer and AIDS.

Vision

Helping organizations and individuals achieve their goals, 

Basic Needs

The Trust awards grants to nonprofits that provide direct assistance to those in our community who are in need of food, clothing or shelter. We prioritize requests that benefit disadvantaged and vulnerable children and older adults who reside within the five county Greater Philadelphia region (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties) or the City of Camden, NJ. The Trust monitors basic needs trends in the region to help us reassess and adjust our grantmaking.

W. W. Smith funds efforts to provide food, clothing, or shelter assistance for children and older adults in the five-county Greater Philadelphia area (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia counties) or the City of Camden, NJ.

Funding Duration & Award Size

• Grants are awarded for a one (1) year term.
• Organizations that receive three (3) consecutive years of funding must then wait two (2) years before being eligible to reapply. We make this determination based on the calendar year of your notice of award.
• The minimum award is $5,000.
• There is no maximum award limit. Grants typically range from $10,000 to $40,000. Higher-dollar awards are possible for certain projects. Please contact the Grant Administrator when planning your grant request amount.

Schumann Fund for New Jersey Grant

Program Priorities

The Schumann Fund for New Jersey is a tax-exempt, private foundation, incorporated as a corporation not for pecuniary profit under the laws of the State of New Jersey.

Schumann Fund program priorities fall into three categories:

• Affordable homes & healthy communities: Foster affordable homes, economic mobility, and healthy, resilient communities for children and families.
• Early childhood & education: Support low-income children and families of color to thrive through opportunities in early childhood development and youth education.
• Child welfare & youth justice: Advance reforms in systems affecting children and youth, such as the child welfare, juvenile justice, and immigration systems, to support racial equity and youth justice.

We support organizations engaged in a range of complementary strategies, including:

• Organized and engaged communities
• Effective programs that center low-income children and families of color
• Equitable public policy

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Our Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

To make the highest possible impact on the climate and biodiversity crises, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to advancing solutions and supporting partners throughout the Appalachians to connect and conserve vital wildlife habitat, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and generate new job and recreation opportunities for communities.

Approximately one-third of the U.S. population lives in or within 100 miles of the Appalachians, including an estimated 36 million people that rely on the region for sources of drinking water. The landscape contains the world's largest remaining expanses of temperate broadleaf mixed forest and provides habitat to a wide diversity of plants of animals, many of which are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Conserving this landscape is critical for nature and for the people that live and work there.

However as climate change drives ecosystem instability, plants and animals are shifting their ranges northward, and people are having to find ways to adapt to complex and intertwined challenges. TNC and many others have been working to conserve vital Appalachian habitats for decades. Now we must ramp up our efforts and coordinate with partners across the Appalachians for maximum impact.

To succeed in these efforts, TNC’s Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund offers two grant programs for conservation and community organizations, municipalities, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies in the Appalachians who are working to protect and conserve this region:

• The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
• The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 for fee and easement acquisition projects throughout the Appalachians.

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

Conservation organizations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships, and projects and evolving how they work to have better outcomes for people and nature.

TNC defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from or are included within conservation projects as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic underinvestment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities. 

RCA program funding will support projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to a fairer distribution of benefits for people and communities.

Some examples of community benefits include improved and greater access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and resource-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with the land protection goals.

Project Evaluation

Projects will be evaluated  according to their capacity to deliver land protection outcomes aligned with the program goals, including:

• Location:
  • the project is located within TNC’s Appalachians Program boundary and is in or near a mapped focal area.  Projects outside of focal areas will also be considered.
• Resilience:
  • the percentage of the total project area that is part of the Resilient and Connected Network.
• Connectivity:
  • adjacency to protected lands or other attributes that will lead to landscape connectivity over time (e.g., the project is a necessary acquisition for advancing a local or regional plan that aims to protect a critical conservation corridor).
• Collaboration:
  • evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups, or local governments (including, but not limited to, shared funding).
• Community:
  • project elements that directly engage and or benefit people, especially vulnerable or marginalized communities.
• Timeline:
  • the project will close within 12 months from the start of the grant agreement term.
• Feasibility:
  • likelihood that the project will close and the costs seem reasonable.

Grantmaking Philosophy

The Community Foundation of New Jersey considers regularly how we as an organization and civic community leader can effect lasting change that leads to greater equity. To that end, our discretionary grantmaking is informed by many of the below criteria and grounded in the associated values.

Criteria

We seek to support initiatives that:

• Pilot a good idea and have a realistic path toward broader uptake
• Have an achievable public policy objective
• Promote a public systems fix that CFNJ and partners have the tools/standing to influence
• Reach a New Jersey community or group of people who are not being served or have historically been underserved.
• Leverage other private or public resources

Values

The work we support is:

• Community-driven, with input that comes from the community and take into account the expressed needs and plans of the community.
• Equity-informed, directly addressing racial, economic and/or social inequity in New Jersey.
• Diversely-led, drawing from a greater diversity of organizations that people of color, different ages and perspectives lead and/or serve, and that may or may not have proven track records but show promise in future work
• Broad-based, serving more than one community.
• Inclusive and Equitable

A. Van Deusen Young Artist and Musicians Grant

The A. Van Deusen Young Artist and Musicians Grant aims to support nonprofit organizations dedicated to fostering growth and inspiration in young artists and musicians across the state, providing the resources, mentorship, and opportunities for artistic expression, helping to cultivate the next generation of creative talent in New Jersey. 

Funding

One to four grant awards will range between $5,000 – $25,000.

Grantmaking Philosophy

The Community Foundation of New Jersey considers regularly how we as an organization and civic community leader can effect lasting change that leads to greater equity. To that end, our discretionary grantmaking is informed by many of the below criteria and grounded in the associated values.

Criteria

We seek to support initiatives that:

• Pilot a good idea and have a realistic path toward broader uptake
• Have an achievable public policy objective
• Promote a public systems fix that CFNJ and partners have the tools/standing to influence
• Reach a New Jersey community or group of people who are not being served or have historically been underserved.
• Leverage other private or public resources

Values

The work we support is:

• Community-driven, with input that comes from the community and take into account the expressed needs and plans of the community.
• Equity-informed, directly addressing racial, economic and/or social inequity in New Jersey.
• Diversely-led, drawing from a greater diversity of organizations that people of color, different ages and perspectives lead and/or serve, and that may or may not have proven track records but show promise in future work
• Broad-based, serving more than one community.
• Inclusive and Equitable

Rose Anthony Howard and Elizabeth V. Brinley Next Generation Grant

This grant opportunity is aimed at supporting small to midsize nonprofit organizations in New Jersey dedicated to providing vital services to children with a focus on uplifting children’s lives, fostering growth, and creating opportunities for a brighter future. While all services geared towards the betterment of underserved youth are welcome, including mentorship, recreational opportunities, etc., we particularly encourage educational programs to apply.

Funding

One to three grant awards will range between $5,000 – $15,000.

Awareness. Education. Prevention.  These are three key tenets of Bayer Fund’s investments in health and wellness.  With a focus on cancer and cardiovascular disease, we provide resources to organizations dedicated to educating and/or providing services to patients, caregivers and at-risk populations.

Health & Wellness Grants

Programs that Bayer Fund will support include those that focus on patients and their families needing assistance with issues to managing cardiovascular disease and cancer. This includes education, disease awareness, and supportive services for these diseases. In areas related to cardiovascular disease, priority (though not exclusivity) will be given to charitable organizations that focus on programs and support for the African American community due to the high incidence rate of disease in this population.

Giving in this category will focus on support services such as education, disease awareness, and general access to care (e.g., housing for families traveling for cancer or heart care).

All funding requests and budgets must be for program activities and expenses that start after funding decisions are made. All programs must be completed within one year of the start date, except in limited situations where longer term programs have been agreed upon. Grant award amounts vary, depending on the size of the community, the type of programming, and the reach of the organization.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Grantmaking Philosophy

The Community Foundation of New Jersey considers regularly how we as an organization and civic community leader can effect lasting change that leads to greater equity. To that end, our discretionary grantmaking is informed by many of the below criteria and grounded in the associated values.

Criteria

We seek to support initiatives that:

• Pilot a good idea and have a realistic path toward broader uptake
• Have an achievable public policy objective
• Promote a public systems fix that CFNJ and partners have the tools/standing to influence
• Reach a New Jersey community or group of people who are not being served or have historically been underserved.
• Leverage other private or public resources

Values

The work we support is:

• Community-driven, with input that comes from the community and take into account the expressed needs and plans of the community.
• Equity-informed, directly addressing racial, economic and/or social inequity in New Jersey.
• Diversely-led, drawing from a greater diversity of organizations that people of color, different ages and perspectives lead and/or serve, and that may or may not have proven track records but show promise in future work
• Broad-based, serving more than one community.
• Inclusive and Equitable

The Passaic County Children’s Support Grant

The Passaic County Children’s Support Grant is dedicated to providing financial assistance to nonprofit organizations within Passaic County that are committed to serving abused or homeless children. Grant focus areas include emergency shelter and housing services, trauma-informed care and counseling, management and advocacy, educational support and enrichment, and basic needs assistance, including food, clothing, hygiene supplies, and transportation assistance to homeless or at-risk children and their families.

Funding

One to five grant awards will range between $5,000 – $25,000.

Grantmaking Philosophy

The Community Foundation of New Jersey considers regularly how we as an organization and civic community leader can effect lasting change that leads to greater equity. To that end, our discretionary grantmaking is informed by many of the below criteria and grounded in the associated values.

Criteria

We seek to support initiatives that:

Pilot a good idea and have a realistic path toward broader uptake

Have an achievable public policy objective

Promote a public systems fix that CFNJ and partners have the tools/standing to influence

Reach a New Jersey community or group of people who are not being served or have historically been underserved.

Leverage other private or public resources

Values

The work we support is:

• Community-driven, with input that comes from the community and take into account the expressed needs and plans of the community.
• Equity-informed, directly addressing racial, economic and/or social inequity in New Jersey.
• Diversely-led, drawing from a greater diversity of organizations that people of color, different ages and perspectives lead and/or serve, and that may or may not have proven track records but show promise in future work
• Broad-based, serving more than one community.
• Inclusive and Equitable

Mercer County Community Grant

The Mercer County Community Grant welcomes proposals from nonprofit organizations addressing a wide range of community needs and priorities. While projects from all areas will be considered, priority will be given to initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in leadership and service delivery.

Key focus areas for funding consideration include, but are not limited to:

• Programs and Services: Support for initiatives that directly benefit underserved populations, including education, healthcare, housing, food security, employment, and youth development.
• Collaborative Partnerships: Funding for collaborative projects and partnerships between nonprofit organizations, community groups, government agencies, and other stakeholders to maximize impact and address systemic issues affecting underserved populations.
• General Operating Support: Funding to continue supporting the mission of the nonprofits.

Funding

Up to $10,000 per organization.

Grantmaking Philosophy

The Community Foundation of New Jersey considers regularly how we as an organization and civic community leader can effect lasting change that leads to greater equity. To that end, our discretionary grantmaking is informed by many of the below criteria and grounded in the associated values.

Criteria

We seek to support initiatives that:

• Pilot a good idea and have a realistic path toward broader uptake
• Have an achievable public policy objective
• Promote a public systems fix that CFNJ and partners have the tools/standing to influence
• Reach a New Jersey community or group of people who are not being served or have historically been underserved.
• Leverage other private or public resources

Values

The work we support is:

• Community-driven, with input that comes from the community and take into account the expressed needs and plans of the community.
• Equity-informed, directly addressing racial, economic and/or social inequity in New Jersey.
• Diversely-led, drawing from a greater diversity of organizations that people of color, different ages and perspectives lead and/or serve, and that may or may not have proven track records but show promise in future work
• Broad-based, serving more than one community.
• Inclusive and Equitable

Monmouth County Community Grant

The Monmouth County Community Grant welcomes proposals from nonprofit organizations addressing a wide range of community needs and priorities. While projects from all areas will be considered, priority will be given to initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in leadership and service delivery.

Key focus areas for funding consideration include, but are not limited to:

• Programs and Services: Support for initiatives that directly benefit underserved populations, including education, healthcare, housing, food security, employment, and youth development.
• Collaborative Partnerships: Funding for collaborative projects and partnerships between nonprofit organizations, community groups, government agencies, and other stakeholders to maximize impact and address systemic issues affecting underserved populations.
• General Operating Support: Funding to continue supporting the mission of the nonprofits.

Funding

Up to $10,000 per organization.

About

The Preservation Leadership Forum of the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a network of preservation leaders — professionals, students, volunteers, activists, experts — who share the latest ideas, information, and advice, and have access to in-depth preservation resources and training.

Henry A. Jordan, M.D., Preservation Excellence Fund - Mid-Atlantic States

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's Henry A. Jordan, M.D., Preservation Excellence Fund provides funding to deserving organizations demonstrating commitment to the protection of natural and cultural resources in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Jordan Preservation Excellence Fund was established in November 1996 in recognition of Dr. Jordan’s distinguished service to the National Trust and his visionary leadership of the national preservation movement. Applicants can apply for up to $5,000.

The fund awards programs and activities that:

• Facilitate positive dialogues between the diverse interests of historic preservation, land conservation, business development, transportation, and government in a search for common ground in protecting the environment
• Stimulate the development of local and state policies that protect the cultural landscape and its resources
• Heighten public awareness of or increase involvement in issues relating to the livability and sustainability of communities
• Encourage innovative partnerships and approaches to open space conservation and historic preservation

About the Foundation

A firm handshake, a clear steady gaze, a welcoming smile, a persuasive energy and a dynamic achiever… this was Frank Doyle. He attended Fordham and Rutgers Universities and he, along with his wife Gertrude R. Doyle combined education with a dedication to the belief that when opportunity knocks, it’s wise to open the door. From New Jersey to Nevada, Florida to California, Frank found challenges and embraced them with a zest and vigor that never said, “it can’t be done.” The seventh son of immigrant parents his was a life well lived. After the passing of Frank M. Doyle in 1996, Gertrude R. Doyle founded The Frank M. Doyle Foundation, Inc. Initially, the foundation provided scholarships to students in the Huntington Beach, California area. As described by Gertrude R. Doyle,

Over the years, the foundation expanded the scholarship application pool to include students from Orange County, California Community Colleges, Washoe County, Nevada students, and certain vocational school students to its application pool. The foundation also branched out beyond the academic world and began providing grants to nonprofit organizations in an effort to fulfill Mr. and Mrs. Doyle’s dream of a better world for all. In late 2008, after the passing of Gertrude R. Doyle, the foundation adopted the name, The Frank M. and Gertrude R. Doyle Foundation, Inc., and in 2018 became “The Doyle Foundation, Inc.”

The Doyle Foundation, Inc. awards grants for the betterment of life.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Edith P. C. Taylor Charitable Trust

Grants are made to charitable organizations serving the homeless population in Morristown and Dover, New Jersey.

Program Areas

• Arts and Culture,
• Health and Medical Research,
• Human and Social Services

Local Arts Program (LAP) Grant

The Local Arts Program (LAP) Grant enables the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA) to support local arts development within each of New Jersey’s 21 counties through a competitive grant application process by awarding funds to officially designated county arts agencies (CAAs). The Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission (SCC&HC) is the agency officially designated in Somerset County to apply for, receive, and administer this annual Local Arts Program Grant.

Though a small percentage of the annual total grant award supports local arts development through planned programming and other services provided by the Cultural & Heritage office, the greater percentage of the grant award (generally 75% ) is set aside for re-grants, through a formal application/independent peer review panel process to support eligible local arts organizations and other non-profit organizations within Somerset County that provide public art projects, programs, services and development to benefit diverse public audiences. Grant awards are competitive and seek to encourage artistic excellence at the local level.

Types of Grants Available

General Operating Support (GOS)

GOS is limited to non-profit organizations whose missions are exclusively devoted to the public presentation of the Arts. The organization must present a documented history of artistic excellence and outreach efforts within Somerset County. GOS funds provide support for the overall operations of these organizations for the calendar year, although there are specific uses for GOS funds that are considered ineligible, GOS funds may be used for most activities that support the organization’s Arts mission.

• Eligible Uses: To strengthen administrative capacity; to support on-going programs and/or to expand programs; to begin an innovative program/project. 
• Ineligible Uses: Capital improvements or construction costs; purchase of equipment; hospitality costs; reimbursement for deficits; out of state travel; fundraising; scholarships or awards, retroactive funding for work completed before submission of this application; projects primarily recreational, rehabilitative, or therapeutic in nature

Special Project Grant

Open to any organization that meets the eligibility requirements. A special project is a public Arts activity or event that occurs during the grant year with specific start and completion dates. The project may contain multiple events or activities, but these must be clearly related by discipline or theme. The planned activity or event MUST be presented in and benefit the general public of Somerset County. Examples of a special project include a concert, an exhibition, a festival, artist’s workshops, lectures and demonstrations.

• Eligible Uses: Eligible expenses include items such as artists’ fees, rentals, purchase of sheet music, printing and photocopying, in-state travel, postage, technical crew and other professional fees, promotion, project supplies, etc. related to the special project only. The hiring of New Jersey artists is encouraged and favored.
• Ineligible Uses: General administrative salaries; capital improvements; construction costs; renovations; purchase of permanent equipment; hospitality costs; previous program deficits; general operating expenses that are not related to the special project; fellowships/awards; student publications, activities which are normally the extra-curricular activities of public or private schools; projects in educational or religious institutions that do not seek a wide general public audience; scholarship funds; replacement of funds normally budgeted for the project or operation; reimbursement of deficits; retroactive funding for work completed before submission of this application; fundraising; projects primarily recreational, rehabilitative, or therapeutic in nature.

Creative Placemaking (CP)

Open to any organization that meets the eligibility requirements. Creative Placemaking is an evolving field of practice that intentionally leverages the power of the Arts, culture and creativity to serve a community's interest while driving a broader agenda for change, growth and transformation in a way that builds character and quality of place. Partners from public, private, nonprofit and community sectors strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, city or region around Arts and cultural activities or assets. Creative Placemaking animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business visibility and public safety, and brings diverse people together to build shared understanding of culture and community. Creative Placemaking grants encourage and require Somerset County non-profit organizations, both cultural and non-cultural and Somerset County based governmental agencies or commissions to create new collaborative partnerships to integrate the Arts (Music, Visual Arts, Theatre, Dance, Film/Video, Literary Arts) into public venues to broaden and diversify public exposure, access to and participation in the Arts.

New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund - Phase 10 – Grant Program

The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund provides financial support to stabilize and build resilience among New Jersey-based smaller nonprofit arts and culture organizations.  Funding is specifically for organizations whose primary mission is Arts, Arts Education, or History.

The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund (NJACRF) was established in 2020 to ensure the survival and strength of the state’s arts and culture nonprofit sector during and after the pandemic. The Fund was created as a public-private partnership, capitalizing on the resources and expertise available through the government, corporate, community, and private philanthropic sectors. Strategic alignment of these partners ensures a coordinated approach to sector support and ongoing dialogue with the field and stakeholders.

Arts and culture experiences build social cohesion, enhance cross-cultural understanding, and improve the quality of life in communities.  The Renewal Fund acknowledges that cultural access and experiences have been unequally distributed, especially in historically under-resourced communities.  The Renewal Fund seeks to address this inequity through its funding such that smaller community-connected organizations will be sustained, individual artists will receive support, and cultural experiences will be available to all.  The Renewal Fund also seeks to address the underrepresentation and incomplete storytelling that has marginalized the creative, historical, and intellectual contributions of some groups including Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other People of Color (BIPOC) in New Jersey.

The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund provides unrestricted grant support.

The Ruth Danley and William Enoch Moore Charitable Fund is a private grantmaking foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, established in 1992. It focuses primarily on philanthropy and voluntarism, with an emphasis on charitable and educational purposes.

The fund specifically supports K-12 education for Native American children living on reservations, aiming to improve educational opportunities in these communities.

The foundation administers grants primarily to select regions based on donor preferences, including Pittsburgh and various counties in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Washington DC, and West Virginia.

New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NJ NSGP)

The New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NJ NSGP) provides funding to eligible nonprofit organizations across New Jersey, as described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, at the greatest risk of terrorist attacks.

EFCF Grant Program

The purpose of the Ellis Family Charitable Foundation (EFCF) shall be to make qualifying gifts, grants, and contributions to religious, charitable, educational, scientific, literary, historical and youth organizations. . . including but not limited to, post-secondary educational institutions for scholarships and other education purposes, and to community chests, trusts, or foundations, which are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service or otherwise qualified as either 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt entities and as 509(a) public charities or 4942 (j)(3) private operating foundations, or described as governmental units under 170(c)(1) of the Code; and perform all other acts and things not prohibited to a corporation organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey relating to nonprofit corporations, which are necessary, desirable, or appropriate to facilitate the accomplishment of the foregoing purposes. 

At least ninety (90%) percent of the benefits to be disbursed by the foundation will be for the benefit of recipient organizations or entities that support the welfare of residents or workers who are employed in Burlington County, New Jersey.