The program supports community-based projects that foster neighborhood stability and growth by providing grants to residents and organizations in Newark.
On May 21, Prudential Financial announced the recipients of the second annual Prudential Community Grants Program during a ceremony at Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey.
The program, launched in 2023, was created to support neighborhood-based solutions that foster community vitality through grants to residents and organizations in Newark. Among this year’s recipients are a variety of inspiring projects supporting community health and wellness, arts, education, beautification and development.
“Through the Community Grants program, Prudential is proud to continue our support of the residents and projects that are driving growth and quality of life in our hometown city,” said Lata Reddy, senior vice president of Inclusive Solutions at Prudential Financial and chair of The Prudential Foundation. “Thriving neighborhoods are the heartbeat of a strong city, and we designed this program to directly support residents as they work to solve challenges in their community. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this next group of grantees has across all five wards of Newark.”
With a $300,000 grant to the Community Foundation of New Jersey, Prudential will support neighborhood-based solutions that increase community vitality. The program received 400 applications this year, up from 225 applications in 2023 (a 78% increase), from a combination of individuals, 501(c)(3) organizations, and small business owners. Of the 66 community-based projects chosen, 19 are repeat recipients.
Projects were selected for addressing local issues and fostering stability and growth across each of the five wards of Newark. They include:
- The Nork! Project: The Nork! Photo Walk is a one-day event where photographers of all levels from Newark and the tri-state area can take a guided tour of a neighborhood in Newark. The Photo Walk introduces them to different small businesses, local parks and the city streets at large. The event also raffles off cameras, 35-millimeter camera film, and gift cards to local businesses and camera stores.
- Steam 4 Urbn Youth: This project will launch “Let’s Dance,” a multidiscipline dance program for Newark youth ages 5 to 10 years old. “Let’s Dance” is a six- week introductory program, free to parents and their children, that will remove two barriers to dance instruction that prohibit children within the neighborhoods of Newark from taking dance classes: access and cost.
- SHE Wins Inc.: The SHE Wins Emerging Leaders Fellowship (#SELF) is a college and career readiness pipeline and training program for high school girls in the Newark and greater Newark area. The #SELF Program centers on youth organizing, leadership and expression through focus on sisterhood, service and self-actualization. Students will participate in a two-tiered mentorship program where they both give and receive mentorship as youth leaders.
- Unidas En Una Sola Voz: This organization will establish and implement a Women Violence Prevention and Advocacy Program to prevent occurrences of family violence, domestic violence and dating violence.
- Mentor U Connect: This organization seeks to empower students with both the academic and social-emotional skills necessary to succeed in college and beyond. The grant will support the Youth Latino Family Council, which provides a platform for youth and families to express their ideas, promote civic engagement, develop a sustainable garden, and host workshops on mental wellness, education and well-being. The individual programs address the social/cultural needs of the community, and the council offers bilingual (English/Spanish) social support.
“I would like to thank Prudential for its long-standing commitment to our city, and congratulations to the 66 community organizations in receipt of community grants,” said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “It is refreshing to see that our partners at Prudential see that great work is happening every day in the Newark community and want to support and reward it. The often-unheralded work of making sure our youth have neighborhood enrichment opportunities, or backpacks for school, or that our families have fresh food, and our seniors have more chances for engagement, is critical to our collective success. This is the work that drives community change. I view Prudential’s Community Grants Program as a ‘social impact incubator,’ and encourage its continuation and expansion.”
A unique and critical aspect of the program was enabling Newark residents and organizations to help choose the grant recipients. The program leveraged the collective wisdom and insights from the community by having residents serve on the selection committee. Each ward had a five-member review committee, of which four members were Ward residents.
Prudential partnered with the Community Foundation of New Jersey to administer and distribute the microgrants toward the projects and programs that will support neighborhood beautification, increase resident access to opportunity, and enhance quality of life.
Intermediary organizations identified in each of the five wards received $15,000 to support the program and provide technical assistance. The intermediaries provided application assistance and marketing support to applicants, and then collaborated with Prudential to reach and support residents and organizations in each neighborhood.
“With Prudential Financial’s long history of philanthropy in Newark, it is the Community Foundation of New Jersey’s privilege to steward this unique giving model for a second year, empowering residents to lead change efforts in their own communities,” said Aaron Turner, chief philanthropic officer at the Community Foundation of New Jersey.
The full list of the recipients of the Prudential Community Grants Program can be found here.
For photos from the event, please reach out to harold.banks@prudential.com.
Media Contact(s)
Harold Banks
973-216-4833
harold.banks@prudential.com
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