November 11, 2013
We’ve told you about our friends at Impact 100 Garden State, an aspiring nonprofit organization we house here at the Community Foundation. Click here for the story of their founding, here for the announcement of their grant amount, and here for a recap of their April 2013 information session.
Well now it’s time for the big news: Impact 100 Garden State has announced its inaugural grant recipient. Congratulations to the Printmaking Center of New Jersey, which will receive $135,000 for its Combat Paper NJ Project.
The Printmaking Center was chosen from among hundreds of nonprofit applicants and five finalists. This 40-year-old, award-winning community arts center manages Combat Paper NJ, which is a veteran-led therapeutic program using art as a tool to heal. With Impact 100 Garden State’s $135,000 grant, the program will now be able to hire a dedicated team for a permanent mobile workshop presence throughout New Jersey. Here’s how the Printmaking Center describes the program:
Combat Paper NJ is run by veterans, for veterans. It provides safe and comfortable settings where veterans can use art to help them recover from physical, psychological and emotional effects of war. In weekly drop-in sessions, on college campuses, on community centers, VA Hospitals, and Military Installations, Combat Paper NJ brings printmaking and the ancient art of hand-papermaking to all veterans from all conflicts.
The announcement of Impact 100 Garden State’s grant recipient was supported by a statement to members from the group’s Arts and Culture focus committee. They said:
“Awarding Impact 100′s first grant to Combat Paper NJ would be a powerful statement–illustrating how a unified group of women can underwrite a transformational program honoring the commitment and sacrifice of the thousands of soldiers who dedicate their lives to the military and to our country, protecting our lives.”
Impact 100 Garden State is a group of 135 women united by a commitment to give at least one $100,000 high-impact grant annually. Launched by six New Jersey women just last year, each member contributes $1,000 to the fund and then votes for one grant recipient.
The Community Foundation of New Jersey is proud to support the extraordinary work of Impact 100 in their first year in operation. To learn more about Impact 100 Garden State, visit their website or contact CFNJ at 973-267-5533.