South Jersey Resiliency Fund Awards $450,000 to 60 Local Nonprofits

Sixty nonprofits across South Jersey's eight southern counties divided $450,000 in flexible grants through the newly launched South Jersey Resiliency Fund, with demand for the money running nearly five times what the first round could provide.

The Community Foundation of South Jersey announced the first round of awards on Feb. 4, with organizations in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem counties each receiving a share. By mid-March, more than 150 applications had been submitted to the foundation requesting over $2,135,000 in funding against the $450,000 distributed in round one.

The fund was designed specifically to reach smaller and grassroots organizations, using an open and competitive process built around equitable grantmaking, general operating support rather than restricted project grants, and geographic spread across the region. Recipients can use the money however they see fit, from technology upgrades to basic program stability.

"When our neighbors do better, our towns do better," said Andy Fraizer, executive director of the Community Foundation of South Jersey. "This Fund is about ensuring the local organizations on the front lines receive support to address the priorities they identify as crucial in these uncertain times. These grants represent a collective belief that South Jersey prospers together."

Among the first round recipients pulled from the award list: All Things Are Possible Foundation in Willingboro received $5,000; Allies in Caring in Hammonton received $7,500; Angels in Motion of Northfield received $10,000; and AVANZAR in Pleasantville received $10,000. The full list of all 60 grantees spans the region.

The fund was seeded by a coalition of philanthropic and corporate partners: The Campbell's Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Holman, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the Regional Foundation, the Virginia Cretella Mars Foundation, and the Community Foundation of South Jersey itself.

Kate Barrett, president of The Campbell's Foundation, framed the investment as a direct response to what South Jersey's nonprofits are facing on the ground. "South Jersey's nonprofit organizations are innovative problem-solvers on the front lines of community challenges," Barrett said. "Through the South Jersey Resiliency Fund, we are investing directly in the sustainability of these organizations to help ensure their critical work continues."

Fraizer added that the collaboration among funders is itself part of the strategy. "When the funding community works together, the impact is immediately amplified."

The foundation accepted its first round of applications in November 2025. A second funding round is expected within the next several months. Nonprofits serving the eight-county region can find application details and donor information at sjresiliencyfund.org.