From The Maplewood Foundation:
Individual donors rise to the occasion with $115,000 in new donations, unlocking the match and ensuring at least $60,000 will be available for nonprofit grants in 2024
The Maplewood Foundation, a community foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life of all Maplewood residents, today announced the successful completion of a $100,000 matching gift challenge that will allow it to give away at least $60,000 in grants to Maplewood-focused nonprofits at years’ end. The organization encourages its supporters to continue giving throughout 2024 to meet the needs of the organizations currently applying for grants.
The Foundation, which last year received a net of $1 million in donations and awarded grants totaling $50,000 to seven local non-profit organizations, began its 2024 fundraising in May with an anonymous gift of up to $100,000 that would match donations through June. The town’s residents stepped up, topping the pledged amount to bring in a total of $215,000.
“This community continues to amaze us,” said Fred Profeta, president of The Maplewood Foundation board of trustees. “With these new donations secured, we’ve locked in a successful start to our 2024 fundraising efforts and ensured more support for the many nonprofits doing vital work in Maplewood. Every donation we collect from now until Dec. 31 adds to the guaranteed $60,000 in grants and strengthens our town even more. So let’s all keep at it.”
Launched in 2023, The Maplewood Foundation uses a grant-awarding process to disseminate approximately 5% of its assets each year in support of established Maplewood-focused organizations and aspiring nonprofits. Donations to the Foundation are invested in a fund for a longer-term and wider impact. The more the fund grows each year, the higher the amount that can be disseminated to nonprofits.
Maplewoodstock attendees recently saw the Foundation’s work in action, as Together We Bloom used its 2023 seed grant to make the event more accessible to people with disabilities by creating a sensory-friendly zone and introducing other inclusion features. Though all of the 2023 grants were put to similarly good use, the Foundation received grant requests totaling more than $200,000 – four times what it was able to give.
“Our work over the last year tells us there is great need for money to support the programs and services offered by the many nonprofits serving Maplewood – in fact much greater need than we can currently meet,” said Becky Scheer, the Foundation’s Grants Committee chair. “This successful challenge marks another step forward for those charitable organizations and our community.”
The Foundation is accepting 2024 grant applications through Sept. 1. Its areas of grantmaking focus include: diversity, equity and inclusion; environmental and climate-related initiatives; programs for individuals with disabilities; promotion of the arts; enhancement of public education; youth recreation; educational scholarships; support for senior citizens; and, emergency relief for residents.
Program grants are awarded to established non-profit organizations to launch innovative and high-impact programs, or to build their capacity to provide existing programs. Seed grants are awarded to organizations that demonstrate the ability to achieve their proposed program, but lack sufficient capital and/or resources to gain non-profit status or realize their vision.
To make a donation to The Maplewood Foundation, visit www.themaplewoodfoundation.org/donate. No gift is too large or too small. The Foundation also encourages its donors to continue giving directly to local nonprofits.
ABOUT THE MAPLEWOOD FOUNDATION
The Maplewood Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation dedicated to providing a continuously growing bedrock of financial support to nonprofit organizations benefiting the residents of Maplewood, New Jersey. The organization uses a grant-awarding process to disseminate approximately 5% of its assets each year in support of established and aspiring nonprofits in the following areas: climate and environmental stewardship; diversity, equity and inclusion; educational scholarships; emergency relief for residents; enhancement of public education; programs for individuals with disabilities; promotion of the arts; support for senior citizens; and, youth recreation.
