Creative Collaborations
Partnering for the good of the community
We’re proud to have been involved in crucial initiatives and programs that have helped our neighbors, revitalized communities, and funded causes that we all care about. Read more below about our work with families, communities, state leaders, and local organizations.
NJ Pandemic Relief Fund
In the midst of the worldwide COVID-19 crisis in 2020, we partnered with Tammy Murphy, First Lady of New Jersey and founder of the NJ Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF), along with other statewide philanthropic organizations to provide services and relief to vulnerable New Jersey communities.
Over $65 million in grants and support were allocated to more than 130 organizations to ensure an equitable and fair recovery in areas of critical need. These areas included domestic violence, healthcare/vaccine support, family/childcare support, shelters/homelessness, food insecurity, statewide multi-service organizations, and direct cash assistance such as funds for higher education students.
Hurricane Sandy relief and recovery
When a disaster strikes, the work of a community foundation takes on added importance. And in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, CFNJ — in collaboration with the philanthropic community — took a leading role in harnessing the good will of thousands of New Jerseyans seeking to help their friends and neighbors recover.
Our staff emphasized to all those reaching out that the true cost of a natural disaster is felt over time. Communities may struggle well after federal and state funds run out. And many nonprofits will need time to get back on their feet following sharp increases in demand for their services. We understood this as a long-time advocate for our communities and knew we could play a pivotal role in the state’s recovery.
Neighborhood Leadership Initiative
CFNJ recognized the need to invest in our community’s leaders, so we established one of our most successful initiatives in 1992 — cementing our role as a grassroots community-based partner.
The Neighborhood Leadership Initiative identified committed residents and trained them over nine months in leadership and community organizing. These Community Foundation Fellows were then awarded grants for local projects.
Our goal? To provide resources and initiate people-powered solutions by providing mentorship for Fellows, who then trained new leaders to sustain their community’s transformation into the future.
Star-Ledger Disaster Relief Fund
In the months after September 11, 2001, the issue at the forefront for nearly all Americans was coping with that day’s tragic attacks and dealing with the devastating after effects. To help communities, the team at The Star-Ledger founded and established The Star-Ledger Disaster Relief Fund in partnership with CFNJ.
In total, the fund raised nearly $1.6 million in relief from residents — with the funding supporting The Salvation Army, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the New Jersey Interfaith Partnership for Disaster Recovery, and the New York Times Neediest Cases Fund.
First 1,000 Days NJ Policy Coalition
The First 1,000 Days NJ Policy Coalition understands the depth of the affordable child care crisis for families, and CFNJ is embracing the opportunity to support a critical statewide initiative.
The first 1,000 days of a child’s life is a crucial time of development. And the Start Strong NJ movement considers high-quality child care to be essential infrastructure that we must invest in — as it ensures healthy families, strong businesses, and a thriving economy.
The aim of the coalition — which includes community leaders, educators, researchers, advocates, and foundations — is to identify and advance research-based policy solutions in our communities.
Reitman Foundation
The Reitman’s family legacy of making a difference endures among the five women leading the Reitman Foundation, a fund at CFNJ. More than 50 years after their trailblazing mother and grandmother — Peg Reitman Carter — modeled the importance of both being a strong woman and giving back to one’s community, younger generations of their family proudly support women and children through grantmaking.
The Foundation makes grants to projects for women and children at risk in New Jersey — helping them find the hero within as they build their self-esteem and become self-reliant. CFNJ works closely with its board to steward a charitable vision that funds groundbreaking initiatives and seeds projects that help individuals thrive. Some recently funded projects include Meet Her at the Gate, a re-entry program for women readjusting to life after prison, and a Kessler Foundation study focusing on exoskeleton-assisted training that can help women recover from stroke-related symptoms.
Learn about Reitman Foundation>
For questions on collaborating for a philanthropic project, contact us at info@cfnj.org.