About Our Grants
SparkNJ awards annual unrestricted grants that support Black-led charitable, community, and civic organizations in northern New Jersey through our fund at the Community Foundation of New Jersey. We support organizations that are already fulfilling their mission but are in need of additional operating funds to continue and grow their work. ​​​​
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Following a trust-based philanthropy model, SparkNJ does not accept applications from nonprofit organizations. Recipients are selected from nominations, which are made by individuals rooted in and knowledgeable about local communities.​​
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Grant Process & Timeline
The Details
​​Each year SparkNJ invites a team of nominators to bring to their attention charitable, civic, and community organizations whose leadership identifies as Black. These organizations will already be fulfilling their mission but in need of additional operating funds to continue and grow their work. [COULD REMOVE THE LAST SENTENCE, AS IT IS ALREADY ABOVE]. Nominated organizations can fill a wide variety of the community's needs – from family support, health care, and education to theater and the arts.
Nominators, who include persons of color, are selected because of their connections to the nonprofit world and to local communities. They receive guidelines and criteria for their nominations from SparkNJ. SparkNJ does not publicly reveal the names of nominators to preserve their independence until the end of each year's process.
All nominations, due each year by April 30, are reviewed by a Selection Committee composed of donors and other members of diverse communities. Selectors then assess each nomination, assuring that the nominee meets the SparkNJ criteria, and make their final recommendations to the donors by May 31. Final selections are made in June. The Community Foundation of New Jersey, where SparkNJ funds reside, issues checks to recipients by June 30.