SparkNJ

Gratified to see SparkNJ's story in The Optimist Daily as told by our friend and team member Ruth Zowader. Scroll down to the 2nd half. SparkNJ "doesn’t just fund change—it highlights it. By making the work of Black-led groups visible to a broader audience, SparkNJ fosters understanding and unity across racial and cultural lines." Drop us a line at [email protected] to connect. https://lnkd.in/djW9DfeD #trustbasedphilanthropy #newjersey #changemakers #thankful

SparkNJ was most honored to welcome Gary B. Crosby, Ph.D., President of Saint Elizabeth University, Morristown, NJ, as guest speaker at its 2024 Grant Recipients Celebration recently. Dr. Crosby is the eighth president of Saint Elizabeth University, having assumed that role in July 2021. He is the first African American and first male president in the University’s history. Learn more about Dr. Crosby and Saint Elizabeth University: https://lnkd.in/e4h492R5 Photo L to R: Carole Rogers of SparkNJ, Gary B. Crosby, Ph.D., France Delle Donne of SparkNJ. #alignedvalues #buildingcommunity #trustbasedphilanthropy #newjersey

Such an honor for SparkNJ to welcome its inaugural Sponsor, Norwescap. With aligned visions, we're grateful to CEO Mark Valli for his validation of our work and testimonial: “Norwescap is proud to be the inaugural sponsor for the SparkNJ Annual Celebration because investing in black-lead nonprofit organizations to find community-based solutions and help achieve the hopes and dreams of individuals, families and communities is perfectly aligned with our mission, vision and values.?Norwescap was founded as a Community Action Program in 1965 and, so, was born out of the LBJ-era ‘War on Poverty’ which grew out of the Civil Rights movement, so the fight for civil rights, equality and social justice are baked into our nonprofit DNA.?After the killing of George Floyd, Norwescap committed itself to reaffirm our values and to look for ways to be proactive in our efforts to achieve racial, economic and social justice.?Investment in SparkNJ is an excellent strategy for us to make good on our efforts to create a better, more fair, equitable and just future for everyone.” -Mark?Valli #Partnerships #TrustBasedPhilanthropy #Collaboration

Three members of the SparkNJ community inspired the Madison (NJ) Branch of AAUW, the Summit College Club and the Morristown (NJ) League of Women Voters on Sept.16, 2024 by sharing their riveting accomplishments and challenges. Moderated by Lisa Barsky Firkser, PhD and SparkNJ co-founder and coordinator, we thank our panelists: ’22 ’23 ’24 nonprofit Nominator and Child Welfare Administrator, Kareemah H. Baker, MPA; SparkNJ ’23 Grantee and ’24 Nominator and president & founder of Nassan’s Place, Nadine Wright-Arbubakrr; and ’23 Grantee, founder of SHE Wins, A’Dorian Murray-Thomas. With SparkNJ coordinators Carole Rogers, Katherine Teti, and France Delle Donne In the interest of promoting racial equity, SparkNJ’s mission is to build a diverse community that provides trust-based funding to Black-led nonprofit organizations in northern New Jersey. Interested in meeting us? Visit www.SparkNJ.org. Email [email protected]

We are honored to highlight a 2024 SparkNJ $10,000 grant recipient, the Paterson Alliance; brought to us by Nominator Barbara L. Lawrence. Founded in 1998 by five nonprofit agencies in the City of Paterson, it is led today by Board Chair Richard C. Williams and by Program Manager Shanikwa Lemon. The Alliance’s mission is to unite nonprofit and community partners to create a vibrant Paterson. They strive to improve collaboration between members, to be inclusive and build a culture where everyone feels respected, included, and valued. The Alliance now has a membership of more than one hundred organizations. They host monthly meetings with a theme, a speaker, and a time to ask for help; they share funding opportunities; work with members to develop an advocacy agenda around key city issues; and promote initiatives that work toward the betterment of all Paterson residents. #CityofPaterson #NewJersey #Nonprofits The #SparkNJ community is proud to support this collaborative culture and lasting work! Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/esEU9a5Y

Nominated by Joe Lee, we are proud to highlight SparkNJ’s 2024 $15,000 grant recipient, Parents Engaging Parents (PEP); co-founded in 2017 by Altorice Frazier. PEP’s mission is promoting civic awareness and proactive community advocacy by advancing the interests of parents and communities. PEP strives to unite parents and stakeholders with access and information in order to help parents navigate an ever-evolving world, influence the development of their communities, and promote a productive lifestyle for their families and children. They offer workshops and engagement activities to parents in #Newark, #Orange, and #Paterson, #NewJersey, to help them learn to navigate #educational systems, local #governments, and support systems so they can become better #advocates for their #children. #SparkNJ celebrates PEP’s community in advocating for children and strong #families. Learn more here: https://www.pepnj.org/

Continuing to highlight SparkNJ’s 2024 grant recipients, please meet our $7,500 grant recipient Maroon Theatre Project which was nominated by @AmandaBokosia. The Maroon Theatre Project aims to empower youth of color by providing them with a safe space to engage in social justice and political education through the arts. The larger impact of this organization’s work is to expose young people to learning opportunities they may not have had access to in traditional education settings, helping them to develop a critical analysis of gender, race, class, disability and other important social issues. Through the art of theatre, the youth develop the tools and skills necessary to address these issues. SparkNJ is proud to support this youth based social justice theatre program in Newark, NJ. #PerformingArts #Theatre #SocialIssues #Youth #Newark #EssexCounty #NewJersey Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ekVuTH9d

Nominated by Richard Cammarieri and Carlos Lejnieks, please meet one of our 2024 SparkNJ $10,000 grant recipients, Leaders For Life; founded and led by #Newark #NewJersey resident Dr. Altarik B. White. The mission of this nonprofit is to improve the quality of life and access to opportunities for disenfranchised youths by providing training support and resources that result in increased literacy, life-skills, and employment opportunities. Their Leaders for Life’s High School Equivalency Diploma prepares students to successfully pass the HSED exam. Their Middle School Transition to High School program provides support for a successful beginning in high school.?Jobs for America’s Graduate (JAG) seeks to recover dropouts and to provide an array of services leading to a solid future. The #SparkNJ Community is honored to support this life-changing work! Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gPSQVc7J

SparkNJ is proud to highlight one of our 2024 $12,500 grant recipients, HBCU Scholarship Ride, brought to us by Nominator, Richard Roper. Led by the organization’s Founder and Board Chair, Hassan Abdus-Sabur, the mission of this organization is to financially assist students from #Newark, NJ in realizing their aspirations of attending an HBCU, or #HistoricallyBlackCollegesAndUniversities. At the request of the Nominator, SparkNJ funds will be used to assist the potential students to learn more about HBCUs by funding within their Academy programming, the new Drum Academy, opening this summer and aiming to give young students an understanding of an important part of HBCU life. Funds will also be used to improve the organization’s operating infrastructure. The #SparkNJ Community wishes HBCU every continued success! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eVPy4bUD

Delighted to hear that Table of Hope, one of SparkNJ's 2022 grant recipients, continues to grow and receive more funding for their important mission.