In High Demand Fourth Quarter of 2022, HFNJ Awards $3,230,217

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey (HFNJ) is pleased to announce that it has awarded $3,230,217 to seventeen New Jersey non-profit organizations in the fourth quarter of 2022.  The foundation experienced a record quarter for requests for funding.  Many of the largest grant awards this cycle support projects that will enhance the health, well-being, and independent living prospects of seniors in Essex County, NJ, and several others address the health needs of children.

The largest grant of the cycle is a $1,001,767 award to Clara Maass Medical Center to purchase a 128-slice CT scanner, which will be used on an estimated 13,500 patients per year and which can provide sharper and clearer imaging than the hospital’s current equipment.

Jespy House received $281,040 to make senior-friendly accessibility enhancements to the organization’s Aging in Place home in South Orange.  Jespy House advances independent living for developmentally disabled adults, who typically face greater health challenges than the rest of the population as they age.  The Aging in Place home will allow Jespy clients to maintain their independence into their senior years.

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center received $250,000 to support the launch of a Geriatric Center for Excellence at the hospital.  The Center will employ a best-practice, one-stop shop model which provides seniors coordinated care, including coordination of transportation and pharmacy needs.

In addition to the projects primarily supporting the health needs of older adults, several of the grants approved this cycle help area organizations that attend to the physical and mental health needs of children.

The Valerie Fund received $115,000 to support a Nurse Navigator for pediatric cancer patients.  The navigator will help families navigate the complexities of oncology treatment at Goryeb Children’s Hospital at Morristown Medical Center.

Bridge, Inc. received $242,500 for a program at Irvington High School which is designed to reduce substance use among students while increasing school attendance and academic performance.

Addressing the needs of young children, a $100,000 grant to YCS Foundation will support YCS’s work training and assessing several Early Head Start and Head Start Programs in Newark.  And, targeting healthcare at the very beginning of life, a $70,000 grant to the Perinatal Health Equity Initiative will support a rigorous needs assessment of maternal and infant health needs in the East Orange community.

“Caring for the most vulnerable among us – including seniors, children, and the developmentally disabled – remains at the core of the mission of The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey,” said Michael Schmidt, Executive Director and CEO of HFNJ. “Looking ahead to 2023, we are proud that many of these projects will be providing high quality care to those most in need throughout the coming year.”

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey operates on a quarterly grant-making cycle.  With the inclusion of the fourth quarter grants, HFNJ has pledged a total of $8,554,063  throughout 2022 to support nonprofit organizations that improve the health and well-being of vulnerable populations in the greater Newark and the Jewish Greater MetroWest communities.  2022 has been marked by an increase in demand for funding and The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey has received a record number of requests.

The grants awarded in the fourth quarter of 2022 are:

• $1,001,767 to Clara Maass Medical Center for Clara Maass Medical Center’s 128-slice CT scanner project
• $281,040 to Jespy House for Aging in Place on Prospect
• $250,000 to Main St. Counseling for Meeting Community Demand  
• $250,000 to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center for Expanding Outpatient Geriatric Care Access in Greater Newark 
• $242,500 to Bridge, Inc. for Irvington High School Substance Use Program           
• $175,728 to Clinton Hill Community Action for Transforming Clinton Hill from a Food Desert to a Food Oasis
• $150,000 to City Green for Good Food Buck SNAP Nutrition Incentives     
• $124,100 to Wynona’s House for Prevention by Design
• $115,000 to The Valerie Fund for Nurse Navigator for Valerie Fund Children’s Center at Goryeb Children’s Hospital
• $107,212 to NJCRI for VaccineTask Force
• $100,000 to Caucus Educational Corporation for Mental Health: Access, Equity and Reducing the Stigma          
• $100,000 to YCS Foundation for YCS Institute Early Head Start/Head Start Partnership 
• $97,170 to Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey for Project One-STEP
• $75,000 to Perinatal Health Equity Initiative for East Orange Black Maternal & Infant Health Community Needs Assessment   
• $70,000 to Lifetown for UMatter @ Lifetown       
• $60,700 to American Cancer Society for Road To Recovery Transportation Program      
• $30,000 to Sadie Nash Leadership Institute for Mental Health and Wellness Support for Newark Youth