The Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) today thanked its 1,160 fundholders for making 7,350 philanthropic gifts to worthy causes and communities in 2022 totaling approximately $153 million. The total dollar amount of grants is a record for the Community Foundation, following annual grantmaking of $103 million in 2021, $87.5 million in 2020, and $57.8 million in 2019.
CFNJ currently stewards over $725 million in charitable assets, making grants to nonprofit organizations in line with the advice of active fundholders or the philanthropic goals of those who leave bequests. Fifty-seven new funds were established in 2022.
Last year marked the final year of grantmaking for the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, which the Community Foundation was proud to host in partnership with First Lady Tammy Murphy. Final grants included:
- $250,000 to The College of New Jersey to support local tutoring programs that address academic learning gaps in area elementary schools, with a focus on grades PK-5 in the disciplines of Math and Literacy
- $70,000 to the NJ Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists to increase access to mental health support for families of color impacted by COVID-19
- $250,000 to the Foundation for Educational Administration to support ongoing coaching and training efforts related to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Mental Health First Aid, and healing-centered practices throughout the state
- $161,000 to Volunteer Lawyers for Justice to support the Housing Stability Project which provides pro-bono legal services to low-income tenants at risk of eviction
Also in 2022, the Community Foundation of New Jersey and the Community Foundation of South Jersey were awarded a planning grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to co-design and re-envision the New Jersey Health Initiatives program through an equity and community-building lens that will invest significant dollars over the next ten years to empower residents to create system changes that result in healthier communities.
In 2022, the Community Foundation announced two new corporate partnerships, with Johnson & Johnson Vision and Biosense Webster, resulting in $878,000 in grants across the United States.
“Philanthropic giving through the Community Foundation saw a tremendous spike during the COVID-19 pandemic and, remarkably, hasn’t slowed since,” said Hans Dekker, president of the Community Foundation of New Jersey. “The more than $150 million in grants our team processed on behalf of active fundholders and in line with the wishes of those who left bequests have strengthen many New Jersey counties through some very challenging years. We’re proud to work with these individuals, families, and businesses – and many new ones this year – to maximize the impact of their giving.”
Additional highlights of the year’s giving and impact include:
- $300,000 from the Community Foundation of New Jersey and Community Foundation of South Jersey to community-based organizations providing workforce development training to those ages 16-26; emphasis on long-term job retention for at-risk youth
- $250,000 from CFNJ across three statewide organizations: the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, New Jersey Policy Perspective, and Advocates for the Children of New Jersey; in addition to other remarkable achievements, their collective advocacy resulted in allowing eligible New Jersey residents to claim a refundable Child Tax Credit on their New Jersey Resident Income Tax Return
- Launching Safe Babies Court Team (SBCT), a pilot program across three New Jersey counties to identify and close gaps in services for children facing family separation; goal is for children to maintain healthy development and have lasting permanency, specifically family reunification, whenever safely possible
- $54,000 in grants from Monmouth County-focused legacy funds and $39,000 in grants from Mercer County-focused legacy funds to support local nonprofits in the respective counties
- $50,000 grant from the Schumann Fund for New Jersey to support the Schumann Field Trip Fund at the Community Foundation, with the goal of making field trips possible for students across an even wider range of disciplines and interest areas in the Greater Newark area
- $1.5 million in scholarships to help 276 students achieve their dreams of a college or vocational education, thanks to more than 140 individual scholarship funds at the Community Foundation
Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities, has previously named the Community Foundation of New Jersey one of the top ten community foundations in the United States and one of the top ten charities in New Jersey, owing to its high scores on financial accountability and transparency metrics.
About the Community Foundation of New Jersey
The Community Foundation of New Jersey creates and scales custom solutions for purpose-driven individuals, families, and businesses. From creative projects that tackle critical societal or policy issues to scholarship funds, corporate philanthropy, legacy funds and donor advised funds, CFNJ manages nearly every kind of giving vehicle and tailors solutions to meet critical needs. CFNJ’s team of specialists understand the unique contours of communities and manage the scope of CFNJ investment and grantmaking capabilities with precision. With $725 million in assets, the Community Foundation grants tens of millions of dollars each year through its more than 1,100 funds. In 2022, CFNJ granted more than $150 million to nonprofits in New Jersey and beyond.