News

Fundholders’ Family Gives Back to the Community

John and Helen Durante established their fund to create opportunities for others to follow their dreams. Their daughter, Barbara Van Slooten, noted that her parents believed in giving back to the community. The son of Italian immigrants, John started a home building business when he returned home from World War II in 1946, and he became a successful builder in Bergen County.…

Fundholder Helps Students Find the Words to Succeed

Memorial High School in West New York has changed a lot since Jim Lynch graduated in 1948. But that hasn’t stopped him from giving back to his alma mater — and making a difference in the lives of its students. As chairman of the Community Foundation Scholarship Committee, Lynch has reviewed many scholarship applications from students at inner-city schools.…

Alternatives to Traditional Scholarships

The ways to support education are as dynamic as learning itself. The scholarships provided by the Community Foundation provide a good illustration of how donors can be creative in changing the lives of young people. The Community Foundation supplements its traditional scholarships by supporting alternative scholarships that encourage learning on many different levels.…

Fundholders Supporting Children in Foster Care

June 11, 2012 There are few things more memorable than a gift received as a child, be it a doll, a baseball — or a pair of new shoes. A Gift in Time, developed by Leo, Carole, Douglas, and Matthew Rogers through the Rogers Family Fund at the Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ), has strived to make this experience available to children in foster care across New Jersey.…

Education Makes a “Fearless Woman”

April 25, 2012 In 2008, when two local businessmen created the “Afghan Girls Financial Assistance Fund” (AGFAF) at the Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ), they thought they might change the life of the first young woman selected to attend college in the United States.…

From Little Seeds Grow Mighty Oaks

Bright students with high potential who attend inner-city schools can sometimes be lost in a system unable to accommodate their aspirations. The result is trapped potential and blocked opportunities. Through an intensive, fourteen month program, New Jersey SEEDS unlocks that potential and opens the doors of opportunity to independent secondary schools by preparing them to thrive in their new environment.…

Bestfoods Educational Foundation: Making a Difference

Bestfoods always valued education. Based in Englewood Cliffs since 1968, it made corporate contributions to educational institutions in New Jersey, and Bestfoods Educational Foundation (BEF) paid toward the continuing education of its employees and the college educations of their children. In 2001, when Bestfoods was acquired by Unilever, BEF came into considerably more money — and decided to shift its focus, to support only non-profit educational causes.…

Fundholder’s Scholarship “Saved My Family”

February 1, 2012 Jeff Cohen likes saving people money. As the owner of a Valpak franchise in northern New Jersey, he has distributed roughly $30 million worth of Valpak coupons each year. And since his Valpaks have been hitting New Jersey mailboxes since 1976, total potential savings from Mr.…

How Donors Can Make a Difference in the Lives of Those in Need During the 2011 Holiday Season

November 10, 2011 Greater Newark Holiday Fund – www.holidayfund.org “For most people the holidays are a season of joy. But the neediest among us have so little to celebrate. You can make a difference. Your support reaches across six counties — Essex, Union, Passaic, Hudson, Morris, and Bergen counties in northern New Jersey to help in so many ways: Food for the Hungry Shelter for the Homeless Care for Seniors Clothes and Toys for Kids Crucial services to individuals and families in crisis Our 2011 campaign runs from November 13, 2011 through January 15, 2012.…

Summer Job Programs Build Character & Confidence

August 24, 2011 For the last few summers, Community Foundation donors have approached us about how to help youth find summer work. Their interest was motivated by a simple belief that summer employment can accomplish a number of good things: for some, it is an opportunity to gain learning opportunities, confidence, and a set of new skills.…