Articles

Afghan Girls: Meet Geeta

December 10, 2014 This year AGFAF was fortunate to have been granted the opportunity to send two students to Hollins.  Geeta ’16 and Husnia ’16 both graduated from community college in the spring and are settling in well as Juniors at Hollins.…

Students Mark 20 Years Since the Rwandan Genocide

December 4, 2014 Our friends at the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights & Genocide Education (Chhange) at Brookdale Community College are true pillars in the New Jersey nonprofit community, working each day to address human and civil rights issues worldwide. The organization holds a permanent archive of survivors’ memorabilia; sponsors a Speakers’ Bureau of scholars, educators and Holocaust survivors; and hosts an Annual Colloquium on human rights issues, among many other initiatives.…

On Giving Tuesday, Take Time to Think

November 28, 2014 Hans Dekker The Thanksgiving leftovers hardly have time to cool before Americans turn their attention to the rapid succession of days that kick off the holiday season. On Black Friday, we shop for bargains. On Small Business Saturday, we shop close to home.…

This Thanksgiving, Celebrate Charity

November 26, 2014 With the grocery shopping done and the turkey just hours from the oven, now is when many New Jerseyans pause to reflect on the things in their lives for which they are thankful. Good health usually tops the list, as well as happiness, time spent with family, and personal or professional growth.…

Hurricane Sandy: Two Years Later

October 29, 2014 In the two years since Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey and the region, the philanthropic community, joined by thousands of donors, responded to the myriad of community challenges and today has much to be proud of.  Of course, there is still important work to do, especially for those families still rebuilding their lives.…

Year-End Update from the Afghan Girls Financial Assistance Fund

October 21, 2014 The below update is from our friends at the Afghan Girls Financial Assistance Fund.  We are proud to work with this wonderful organization making a real difference for young women.   Summer internships, academic research, volunteer work, travel and relaxation – our students did it all this summer.  …

Responding to the Ebola Outbreak

October 20, 2014 With the global Ebola outbreak dominating recent news coverage, many of the Community Foundation’s donors have either given to fight the deadly disease or requested additional information on the most effective organizations worthy of a donation.  Given the disease’s potential for widespread harm, the concern is well-placed and the desire to learn more especially astute.…

Why it Matters: Supporting the Rutgers Post-Disposition Advocacy Project

October 20, 2014 Many things fall through the cracks in life, but when it’s a young person, no length is too great to go to find them. Tragically, our state is filled with far too many youth who have fallen through every possible crack in society and now sit incarcerated, some in solitary confinement—“the box”—a five foot by seven foot cell with a metal or plastic bunk, thin foam mattress, toilet, and sink.…

Making a Difference for Incarcerated Youth

October 20, 2014 Young people incarcerated in New Jersey’s juvenile correctional institutions have, historically, been treated as statistics. From being subject to unduly harsh punishments to being denied access to lawyers to advise them of their rights, youth have been forgotten in a system that until recently, was shielded from public scrutiny and, therefore, from accountability.…

Fundholder Project: Keeping Carly’s Love and Legacy Alive

October 15, 2014 Nothing is more heartbreaking than losing a child. Haworth, New Jersey native Carly Elizabeth Hughes was just two days shy of her 24th birthday when she was diagnosed with gastric cancer in October 2012. She fought the disease with determination and endured radiation, chemotherapy, and multiple operations before passing away on February 17, 2013.…