Together in Health: HFNJ’s March 2026 E-newsletter
March 25, 2026In this Issue:
- Letter from the Board Chair and CEO (below)
- First Quarter Grant Awards
- Humanism at the Heart of HFNJ
- Welcoming Sara Gorman
- Funders Roundtable
- Grants in Action: VNA of Central NJ
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Supporting Our Community: Flexible Funds for Essential Healthcare Providers
Throughout 2025, nonprofit organizations across New Jersey faced significant funding reductions from both federal and state sources. Reimbursement rates declined. Government contracts became more uncertain and payments, if any, were stalled. Yet even as resources tightened, the needs of our communities continued to grow.
In moments like these, leadership from philanthropic funders can make all the difference between nonprofits having to scale back their programming or having the ability to adapt to meet financial constraints and community needs. That is why The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey launched an initiative investing up to $1.5 million in unrestricted core operating grants in 2026. This funding is in addition to our regular quarterly grantmaking cycle.
In January, we were pleased to announce the first 13 organizations that have each been awarded $100,000 in flexible support through this initiative. These grants are intentionally unrestricted. They are designed not just to sustain programs, but to strengthen organizations, allowing them to retain dedicated staff, respond quickly to emerging needs, and continue delivering lifesaving healthcare services. Together, these trusted partners serve as anchor institutions in the communities we support.
This initiative reflects The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey’s long-standing commitment to listening carefully and responding thoughtfully to the needs of our community. The concept took shape during our 2025 board retreat, when trustees and staff engaged in candid conversations about the mounting pressures facing our nonprofit partners. From that moment forward, our team worked swiftly to design an application and review process that balanced urgency with rigor.
We are grateful to our Board of Trustees and our professional staff for bringing this timely and important initiative to life. Their leadership, insight, and dedication made it possible. At a time of uncertainty, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the health and wellbeing of the greater Newark and Jewish MetroWest communities. Together, we will continue to adapt, to lead, and to invest where the need is greatest.
In good health,
Amy Schechner, Board Chair
Michael Schmidt, CEO/Executive Director