In this Issue
- Q1 Grant Awards total $197,500
- Grantee Spotlight on Newark Youth Career Pathways
Q1 GRANT AWARDS TOTAL $197,500
Eight Essex County non-profit organizations received $197,500 in grant awards approved by Schumann Fund for New Jersey’s Board of Trustees at their March 2024 quarterly meeting. The funds support advancing three of the Fund’s priorities – affordable homes and healthy communities; early childhood and education; and child welfare and youth justice programs. Each organization is engaged in a range of complementary strategies to positively impact children and families, includingcommunity power-building, Essex County direct service programs, and public policy.
“These non-profit organizations are leaders in advancing the crucial effort to end childhood food insecurity, ensure families have access to quality, affordable childcare, and improve equity in our child welfare system,” noted Schumann Fund’s Executive Director, Lucy Vandenberg.
Board Chair, Martha Day added, “We are particularly excited about the work our partners are doing in Newark and throughout Essex County to create affordable housing opportunities and to prevent evictions while ensuring residents’ homes are healthy and safe, especially for families with children.”
Read more about each of these grantee partners and their awards by clicking the links below.
CASA of Passaic and Union Counties was awarded $25,000 in program support for its Safe Babies Court Team program. Wayne, NJ
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers was awarded $37,500 in program support for its support of the economic security pillar of the First 1,000 Days Policy Coalition focused on investment in early childhood. CNJG’s Newark Philanthropic Liaison will support the economic security pillar. Ewing, NJ
Early Childhood Funders Collaborative’s Raising Child Care Fund was awarded $15,000 in program support to conduct a landscape assessment of the ecosystem in New Jersey for child care advocacy and organizing (fiscally sponsored by Third Sector New England). Boston, MA
Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss was awarded $25,000 in program support to provide trauma-informed peer grief support groups for Newark pre-teens and teens at its new Newark location. Mountainside, NJ
Legal Services of New Jersey was awarded $20,000 in program support for its Parent Ally Program. Edison, NJ
New Jersey Institute for Social Justice was awarded a second installment of $40,000 in operating support with a focus on its youth justice work. This installment is part of a three-year grant totaling $120,000. Newark, NJ
Newark Community Impact Fund was awarded $10,000 in operating support (fiscally sponsored by Community Foundation of New Jersey). Newark, NJ
Turning Point Community Services was awarded $25,000 in program support for its emerging FirstStep Permanent Housing Program. Irvington, NJ
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT: Newark Youth Career Pathways (NYCP)
Schumann Fund is pleased to highlight the work and impact of its grantee partners in this quarterly spotlight. For our inaugural spotlight, we are proud to share the work of Newark Youth Career Pathways.
Founded in 2019, the Newark Youth Career Pathways (NYCP) program is a collaborative initiative committed to improving the post-secondary success of Newark students. NYCP bridges the gap of access and coordination through program implementation during the school day and by serving as the intermediary between youth development programs and schools. Executive Director Kaleena Berryman is an innovative Newark leader who is a strong advocate for youth and parent empowerment and community engagement.
The program currently serves 350 students (high school juniors and seniors) across 21 technical education programs in six Newark Public and Essex County Vocational Schools – West Side, Eagle Academy, University High School, Newark Tech, Donald Payne Tech, and West Caldwell Tech. Students benefit from the year-long program and participate in weekly courses from several program partners – Abbott Leadership Institute (ALI), Early Learning Financial Literacy (ELFLP), Goode Education Group (GEG), Leaders of the 21st Century (LOT21), and Rutgers Newark Center for Pre-College Programs (RUN-CPP), a five-year post-secondary plan development and support program that includes work-based learning.
Most recently, Essex County Technical Schools, in partnership with NYCP, was awarded a $1.4 million annual/multi-year Career Connected High Schools grant as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Raising the Bar: Unlocking Career Success Initiative. This grant expands the Newark Youth Career Pathways program from a two-year to a three-year program, starting sophomore year for 200 students. Through this grant, students also participate in three paid summer work experiences in partnership with Summer Youth Employment, earn 12 dual enrollment credits from Rutgers University-Newark, and at least one industry credential from Goode Education Group.
In December 2023, Schumann Fund awarded $30,000 to NYCP in operating support. Their efforts are aligned with Schumann Fund’s early childhood & education program priority and are advanced under the strategy of Essex County direct-service.
“Newark Youth Career Pathways is excited to have the Schumann Fund of New Jersey as a partner in developing the next generation of career ready, future focused, purpose driven, community rooted workforce leaders. We collaborate with organizations dedicated to community economic mobility to create an ecosystem of development, support, and investment for youth to thrive after high school.” – Kaleena Berryman, Executive Director, NYCP
About Schumann Fund for New Jersey
Founded in 1988, Schumann Fund for New Jersey is a private foundation based in Montclair, NJ. It advances ideas and opportunities to empower low-income children, families, and communities of color to thrive. The foundation invests in non-profit organizations rooted in Essex County and statewide that work to advance racial and economic equity.