These Camden County Nonprofits Will See $7,500 In Grant Money

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — Four Camden County nonprofits will each receive a $7,500 grant from the New Jersey Arts and Cultural Recovery Fund (NJACRF) as part of $2.6 million the group is providing to organizations and individuals in the cultural sector hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

The following nonprofits are among the more than 100 nonprofits that are benefiting from the grants.

• Mainstage Center for the Arts, Blackwood
• Camden FireWorks, Camden
• Camden Repertory Theater Community Development, Camden
• Mighty Writers, Camden

As of December, New Jersey’s nonprofit arts industry reported losses of more than $100 million because of pandemic-related closures and cancellations, and more than half of the state’s creative workforce has been laid off or furloughed, according to NJACRF.

NJACRF was established last year, and it is hosted by the Princeton Area Community Foundation. Established with a gift from the Grunin Foundation, based in Toms River, NJACRF quickly gained support from a coalition of funders who came together to ensure the strength and survival of the nonprofit arts, cultural and historical sector statewide.

Most recently, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Amazon have made leadership gifts to NJACRF, and PNC Bank and TD Charitable Foundation became major supporters of the fund, which is working to help save the nonprofit industry that employs thousands of people, provides educational programming in schools and communities, and serves as an essential component of local and state economies.

“NJARCF is doing extraordinary work ensuring the arts and culture sectors of New Jersey not only endure the pandemic, but, also, afterward, rebound in an equitable manner,” Amazon New Jersey Public Policy Manager Jillian Irvin said. “The grants being announced today will ensure these vital community touchstones remain after COVID-19 is gone, and continue contributing to New Jersey’s rich cultural tapestry and local economy.”

NJACRF has raised more than $3.7 million and fundraising continues to meet the growing financial need. The fund is chaired by representatives of the Grunin and Geraldine R. Dodge Foundations, and members include Prudential Foundation, Stone Foundation of NJ, E. J. Grassmann Trust, NJ State Council on the Arts, and the NJ Historical Commission. Other major donors include the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Applications and program guidelines for the next round of grants are now available. To learn more or apply, visit www.NJArtsCulture.org. Grant decisions are made through a multi-step, equity-centered process to ensure funds support underserved communities in New Jersey.

For more information visit www.NJArtsCulture.org. To make a contribution to the fund, click here.