Area nonprofit receives Legacy Grant award to foster collaboration in community

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SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation launched and announced the first awards of its Legacy Grants Program. These four nonprofit organizations in New Jersey received awards of $2,500 each: CivicStory in Summit, Creative Placemaking Communities in South Orange, Hackensack Riverkeeper in Hackensack and Network for Responsible Public Policy in Ridgewood.

The NNJCF is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve community life through its work in the arts, civic engagement, education, the environment, philanthropy and public health. The new Legacy Grants Program expands the NNJCF’s mission to bring people and organizations together to address pressing issues and needs in northern New Jersey. 

“The Legacy Grants Program supports organizations fostering collaboration in their communities. With these awards, the recipients will promote creativity, civic engagement and environmental resilience in their daily work,” NNJCF President Michael Shannon said.

Nonprofit partners with a long-standing track record promoting NNJCF’s priority areas received the grant awards to support their general operations. Grantees were selected based on their existing relationship with NNJCF and their ability to leverage a small grant for a broader impact.

CivicStory, a solutions-based news site, focuses on environmental health, justice and sustainability. Creative Placemaking Communities works to help creative placemakers lead and achieve; inspire new and better partnerships, projects, programs and policies; support those who strengthen communities through local arts and culture; connect creative placemakers to opportunities and resources; and build lasting communities of practice. Hackensack Riverkeeper, a defender of the Hackensack River Watershed, accomplishes its mission through environmental action, advocacy, education, and litigation for the people and wildlife that depend on the river and its watershed for life. NFRPP has a mission to foster a vibrant democracy by providing stories with authoritative information and forums for debate on public policy issues.

Photos Courtesy of CivicStory and of Ivan Schustak, South Arts