Grant Guidelines

The majority of our assets are granted from our family of Donor Advised Funds, and applications for these funds are generally not accepted. Additionally, the majority of our discretionary grants are in response to applications solicited by the Community Foundation directly from nonprofits that have programs relating to the current subjects of interest to the Foundation.

For Nonprofits

Automated Clearing House (ACH) is the Community Foundation’s preferred method of payment as it is an efficient and faster way to receive monies that are due to your organization. In order to take advantage of this payment method, please complete the ACH Enrollment Form.

Leadership Committee Grants

The Leadership Committee aims through its grantmaking to identify and support initiatives in the state that address pervasive, systemic needs of vulnerable or underserved individuals, families and communities. The Committee seeks to make meaningful, targeted investments in initiatives that

  • Address an unmet need that no, or few, other funders are supporting
  • Can lead to some kind of systems change, with policy outcomes possible or likely
  • Leverage other fundholders’ or funders’ work and investments
  • Offer an opportunity to test a new idea, or pilot an untested approach, that may serve as the basis for broader-based impact in the future.

Recent examples of this kind of grantmaking include: increasing the number of low-income school children who receive school breakfast, supporting advocacy for legislative and regulatory change to youth incarceration practices, broadening awareness and prevention of human trafficking, and enhancing financial opportunity for unbanked women via microlending. Ideally, these grants enable CFNJ to serve as a leader bringing partners together to work toward a goal that may not be achievable via single civic institutions working individually on challenges.

The Committee is open to new ideas from a multiplicity of sources – from practitioners to fundholders to residents – about ways to improve the quality of life and well-being for more New Jerseyans.

The Committee does not accept unsolicited proposals, except for some limited grantmaking for healthcare in Sussex and Morris counties, but will accept letters of inquiry, and may request additional information from a potential partner in a more full-scale proposal.

For more information, non-profit leaders may contact Nalune Francois at nfrancois@cfnj.org or 973-267-5533.

Location-Specific Grants

The Community Foundation makes location-specific grants through legacy funds affiliated with Mercer County, Monmouth County, Morris County, and South Jersey.