2024 Grantees
CASA of Atlantic, Cape May and Camden Counties ($100,000)
CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, will use the money to expand their presence in Camden County. The grant will be used to increase visibility and improve access for children they serve and volunteers that fulfill their mission by securing a Camden-area office. They will also recruit more CASA volunteers to support children as they travel through the court system.
Bayshore Center at Bivalve ($27,500)
Through the state’s offcial tall ship, the oyster schooner A.J. Meerwald and an historic waterfront museum, the Bayshore Center at Bivalve advances the understanding of human impact on New Jersey’s aquatic environment through education, advocacy, and programming. As a General Operating Grant recipient, they can use funding how ever they choose, however they applied for support for STEM and Humanities On-the-Water Learning. The goal is to create 10 new partnerships focused on bringing youth to the Bayshore Center and providing hands-on experiential learning for in Cumberland County schools, youth organizations & non-profits.
Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey ($27,500)
Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey, provides comprehensive programs and services that address the immediate needs (physical, mental, social, and economic) of the residents of Southern New Jersey, as well as establishes the organization as an instrument of change and a voice of power for those they serve and represent. They can use General Operating Grant as they choose, but they applied for funding to create at Mental Health Healing Garden. It will serve a wide variety of populations and be used by their existing mental health, substance use, and domestic violence programs as a place for therapeutic activities and group counseling sessions.
Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation ($10,000 Community Heroes Grant)
The Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation provides age-appropriate programs and activities for children and teens receiving treatment for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Their Teen ‘Welcome’ Kit Program is a significant program within their Victorious 4 Teens Programs inspired by the founder’s daughter Alicia’s experiences during her 13-month battle with cancer.
The Tender ($10,000 Community Heroes Grant)
The Tender fosters holistic well-being through personalized care, caregiver support, community connections, nurturing independence and sense of community. The grant will help them bolster their website with comprehensive educational materials and informative videos, provide caregivers with practical guidance and emotional support. Through tutorials on effective communication strategies to insights into managing caregiver burnout, their online resources will serve as a lifeline for those in need.
Women of Hope Resource Center ($10,000 Community Heroes Grant)
The Women of Hope Resource Center provides encouragement to families in our community by helping them explore various ways to enrich their quality of life, and offering services like effective counseling, mentoring, and referrals. Impact100 South Jersey funds will be used for their “Prison No More” program — an evidence-based system that prevents prison recidivism. It will help provide supportive services like shelter, clothing, food, basic needs and a peer to help newly release people navigate returning to society.
2023 Grantees
Heart of Camden ($100,000)
A $100,000 core mission grant was awarded to the Heart of Camden. The grant will be used to expand programming and services provided by their Bridge Builders Project at the Michael J. Doyle Fieldhouse. The goal is to build on ten years of success at the MJD Fieldhouse by maximizing capacity to improve the lives of women, children, and families living in low-to-moderate income households in the Waterfront South neighborhood, South Camden, and the City of Camden as a whole.
The Bridge Builders Project is a unique initiative that aims to connect critical services to residents, young people, women, women with children and families. The project will serve as a bridge to connect outside volunteers and supporters, educating them about the city and building stronger connections with the community.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland & Salem Counties ($55,500)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland and Salem Counties‘ mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Although the grant is for general operating expenses, they applied to implement the Mentor2.0 program at Cumberland Regional High School. The program matches high school student mentees with college-educated and career-professional mentors, utilizing an online platform to support the students with preparation for college and a career through weekly, secure technology- enhanced communications and monthly in-person meetings.
Camden County Habitat for Humanity ($55,000)
Camden County Habitat for Humanity partners with people, communities and organizations to foster economic empowerment and sustainable community revitalization through home ownership. The grant they received is for general operating expenses, however they applied for their Aging in Place program which targets low-income senior homeowners struggling to stay in their homes because of the need for critical home repairs or accessibility modifications. Critical home repairs are those that affect the livability of the home and may include roof repairs, plumbing, heating and cooling, electrical, structural (floors, ceilings, walls) and water infiltration repairs.
2022 Grantees
Boys & Girls Club of Cumberland County ($100,000)
Boys & Girls Clubs of Cumberland County offers after-school programs for healthy lifestyles, academics, community service, and recreational activities. The programs empower the youth and help rebuild their integrity and self-esteem. They will use their $100,000 Impact100 South Jersey grant to expand their current building (a former credit union), more than doubling its existing space and increasing the number of young people they serve.
Pinelands Preservation Alliance ($50,000)
The Pinelands Preservation Alliance mission is to preserve the Pine Barrens ecosystem, promote wide public engagement in their preservation, and advance acquisition of land and development rights by private and public conservation agencies. They received at $50,000 general operating grant to be used toward creating an accessible experience for people living with physical disabilities.
Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge ($50,000)
Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge’s mission is the preservation of New Jersey’s wildlife and habitats through education, conservation, and rehabilitation, serving as a community resource on the importance of protecting and enhancing healthy ecosystems for all. This is the second year Woodford Cedar Run has been awarded a $50,000 Impact100 South Jersey grant. They will use this year’s grant for the creation of a New Watershed Study Dock and Pavilion for New Jersey Student Environmental Education.
2021 Grantees
Family Promise of Southwest New Jersey ($100,000)
Family Promise of Southwest NJ provides homeless families with an opportunity to achieve stability by providing shelter, food, case management, and hospitality while simultaneously utilizing resources within local congregations and the community. Over the next two years, Glassboro-based organization will use our grant for their Promising Futures Program which supports families through financial literacy training, job search assistance, connections to resources within our community, and assistance finding permanent affordable housing.
NJ Agricultural Society’s Farmers Against Hunger Program ($50,000)
Farmers Against Hunger (FAH) is one of New Jersey Agricultural Society’s (NJAS) signature programs. The overarching mission of the NJAS is to preserve and enhance agriculture, farming, and related activities and businesses in New Jersey through educational, informational, and promotional programs. The specific mission of FAH is to connect healthy food from farms to families and, in doing so, reduce food insecurity, reduce food waste by helping farmers and wholesalers share their surplus produce with those in need, and provide opportunities to help those in need to grow their own food, including in urban areas. Our grant will help to establish the Laurel Run Land Stewardship Center in a former farm building that will include a large food storage cooler, located on three acres of land.
Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge ($50,000)
Woodford Cedar Run is dedicated to NJ’s children, wildlife, and the habitats they share. It is home to the busiest wildlife rehabilitation hospital in the Tri-State area — New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Located on 171-acres of protected habitat in Medford, NJ, with an on-site wildlife rehabilitation hospital and nature center, it hosts STEM and nature-based education programs for all ages. Cedar Run’s mission is the preservation of New Jersey’s wildlife and habitats through education, conservation, and rehabilitation, serving as a community resource on the importance of protecting and enhancing healthy ecosystems for all. Our grant will be used to expand their after-school program’a reach and impact, providing more in-depth STEM and wildlife education on a variety of topics throughout the school year. The Education Department staff will develop a full suite of lessons and activities to engage young minds in nature and STEM-based education, including classroom lessons, hands-on activities, and group projects, to further develop critical thinking skills and a love for learning.
2020 Grantees
LUCY Outreach ($100,000)
LUCY Outreach‘s youth are impacted by severe childhood trauma, and LUCY is currently unable to meet and address the rapidly growing need due to a lack of staff, training, and therapeutic on-site support. Trauma manifests itself in different ways for different youth. It is urgent that staff are comfortable addressing their needs, and that supports are in place both for youth and program staff, who can become frustrated and burnt out. LUCY will respond to this need by becoming a trauma-informed agency that integrates trauma-informed principles and practices into their organizational culture. LUCY will also meet the needs of the highest risk youth by providing access to greater therapeutic support services and more intensive one-on-one support on-site.
LUCY’s target population is low-income Camden County youth, ages 7-25. Participants live at or below the poverty line, attend underperforming schools, and have limited access to higher education and employment opportunities outside of minimum wage jobs. Camden’s youth are affected by drugs, gangs, and neighborhood violence, and have been profoundly impacted by childhood trauma. LUCY came to be because they wanted the city and county youth to have the same opportunities and access all youth deserve.
Alice Paul Institute ($43,000)
Alice Paul Institute’s online presence through alicepaul.org and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and eventually YouTube) serves a growing national audience of adults and high school age students. Specifically, while a proposed new YouTube channel could be accessed by any individual, API will target girls between the ages of 10-17 who live in Camden, Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester Counties to pilot this project.
Based upon their current media platforms and the partnerships they have developed with the region’s organizations and schools, they anticipate effectively reaching thousands of girls in the region within the 24-month grant period. Currently, API serves an adult audience, high school age and above, as well as teenage girls in a variety of capacities on-site and on-line. Through this project, their focus is to make API’s programs as inclusive as possible.
Family Promise of Southwest New Jersey ($43,000)
Family Promise works with low-mid income families experiencing housing insecurity. Each family unit must consist of at least one child under the age of 18, and all families must pass a criminal background check and be drug free prior to admission to their housing program.
The project they requested funding for will enable Family Promise to serve more families with children and keep the children within their original school district prior to moving to temporary housing. Through a pilot program, Family Promise has already attained all the relevant licenses and approvals from the State of NJ and is registered as a school bus vendor. With the purchase of additional school transport minivans and hiring drivers, they will be ready to expand their bidding and contracting with more school districts in the fall of 2020. Rates for student transport can vary from $150 to $450 per student per day generating sufficient revenue for Family Promise.
Cathedral Kitchen ($7,500)
A special $7,500 grant was given in 2020 to Cathedral Kitchen which came in fourth in the semi-final round of grant review. The extra grant was the result of cost savings that came from Impact100 changing its meeting from in-person to virtual.
South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund ($1,860)
Impact100 South Jersey also donated $1,860 – $10 from each of the 186 2020 members’ admin fee — to Community Foundation of South Jersey’s COVID-19 Response Fund.
2019 Grantees
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland & Salem Counties ($100,000)
Our $100,000 Impact100 SJ grant was awarded to Big Brothers Big Sisters to increase the number of kids they serve through new technology. Mentor 2.0 is a curriculum-based online program model that lets “Big” mentors and “Little” mentees interact weekly through the iMentor program. They anticipate Mentor 2.0 will reduce some of the challenges the organization faces recruiting “Bigs” because of their travel commitments and time limitations.
Impact100 South Jersey Core Mission Grants are intended to help local organizations reach the next level and increase access to their services. Big Brothers Big Sisters’ leadership believes that Mentor 2.0 is the best tool to transform the way they serve their children in one-to-one mentoring relationships. They anticipate that our grant will be a game-changer, catapulting the number of children they will be able to serve.
Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey ($27,500)
Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey received a general operating grant for $27,500. Their proposal focused on transforming multi-purpose offices into private counseling spaces exclusively for mental health therapy and substance abuse treatment for the growing number of people they serve.
Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey ($27,500)
Ronald McDonald House, located in Camden, was awarded a general operating grant for $27,500 that went toward replace the carpeting throughout the facility with engineered flooring. Although the grant did not cover the entire project, an Impact100 SJ member whose family owns General Floor, completed the entire job for the amount of the grant.
2018 Grantee
Hopeworks ‘N Camden ($74,000)
Hopeworks ‘N Camden received our first Impact100 South Jersey grant for $74,000. The organization works with young men and women who’ve experienced traumatic upbringings and teaches them high-tech skills and life skills. The money was used toward improving the resources they have to serve the increasing number of young people they serve, and outfitting a new more professional workspace.