The Maplewood Foundation, a community foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life of all Maplewood residents, hosted a celebratory gathering this past Friday evening to honor its 2024 grant recipients and begin its fundraising campaign for 2025.
The sold-out “Celebrate Maplewood” event on January 10, which drew 200 attendees, raised $47,000 through individual donations and sponsorships as well as live and silent auctions. Fred Profeta, president of The Maplewood Foundation, announced the organization’s goal of giving $90,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations serving Maplewood residents in 2025 and challenged the community to surpass $100,000 in 2026.
The Maplewood Foundation is led by an all-volunteer board of trustees who work throughout the year to support the nonprofits serving the community (Photo by Joy Yagid Photography)
“The turnout for our second annual ‘Celebrate Maplewood’ event was exceptional both in the number of people and the palpable energy they brought to the room,” said Profeta. “Making a donation to a community foundation like ours rewards local nonprofits and their volunteers who work so hard for us, and it enables you to see your giving in action. With all the uncertainty in the world, one thing we know for sure is we live in a community that takes care of its people, which was on full display Friday night.”
Ten non-profit organizations received grants totaling $70,000 in 2024 to develop new programs or expand their services. This represents a 40% increase over the Foundation’s awards in 2023. It has given a total of $120,000 to 16 nonprofits over its first two years.
The Maplewood Foundation 2024 grant recipients:
- YouthNet received a Program Grant for $14,800 to launch a mental health initiative, incorporating support into its existing after school club infrastructure and using an evidence-based prevention program with trained South Orange-Maplewood School District staff member facilitators.
- South Orange-Maplewood Adult School received a Program Grant for $10,000 to host a series of talks presented by authors who have written books that concern a historic event that happened in Essex County or a beloved Essex County figure, or who are themselves an Essex County resident, with the goal to sharing our community’s rich history and influence on society.
- South Orange Rescue Squad received a Program Grant for $10,000 to upgrade its 911 response capacity by deploying a Computer Aided Dispatch system, significantly improving the ability to manage concurrent dispatch requests and respond to a greater number of calls.
- Maplewood Community Music received a Program Grant for $6,324 to support its ability to bring live music to the community and advance residents’ love of performing by investing in instrument maintenance and acquisition, educational outreach and events, guest musicians and storage and complementary equipment.
- The Arc of Essex County received a Program Grant for $5,876 to purchase and operate an Obie sensory interactive system and table, which enables the 150 children and adults who use the organization’s Opportunity Zone each to play games that are socially engaging and cognitively stimulating.
- CHS Ultimate Frisbee, Inc. received a Program Grant for $5,000 to ensure equitable participation, sustained competitive excellence and growth of its middle school girls’ program, fostering inclusivity and the “spirit of the game” across all levels for a global sport that was founded in Maplewood.
- New Jersey Fencing Alliance received a Program Grant for $5,000 to give students a chance to take extra lessons they would otherwise be unable to afford, ensuring Maplewood and South Orange remain competitive on local, district, state and national fencing strips.
- Rent Party Pantry, Inc. received a Program Grant for $5,000 to expand by 15% its critical BackPack Pals program, which currently provides 150 children facing food insecurity with a weekend’s worth of nutritious food each week.
- Springfield Avenue Partnership received a Program Grant for $5,000 to translate its support materials for new and existing merchants into additional languages, such as Spanish and Haitian Creole, allowing its outreach to be inclusive and equitable and ensuring the Avenue remains diverse.
- Lydia Johnson Dance, Inc. received a Program Grant for $3,000 to bring in guest artists to introduce new techniques and multicultural genres to young dancers in grades six through 12, promoting a more inclusive understanding and appreciation of the art of dance.
Eileen Lynch, managing director of the South Orange-Maplewood Adult School, explains how her organization will make the most of the $10,000 grant from The Maplewood Foundation (Photo by Joy Yagid Photography)
During the grantee speeches, Eileen Lynch, managing director of the South Orange-Maplewood Adult School said, “This series of author talks began as an idea while I was realizing how many authors live in this area and what a forward-thinking community this is. This award means more than the financial ability to produce this series; it’s a vote of confidence from a foundation that wears its heart on its sleeve while setting high standards for community service and engagement.”
Held at Maplewood Country Club, the night began with a cocktail hour and the wonderful sounds of Maplewood Community Music’s Jackson Square ensemble. The main event featured performances by Columbia High School (CHS) a cappella groups Unaccompanied Minors and Noteworthy, who delighted the crowd with songs ranging from “Build Me Up Buttercup” to “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” which earned CHS alum, Lauryn Hill (and the Fugees), a Grammy Award in 1997. Rent Party Pantry’s Chris Dickson led a live auction of an exciting lineup of prizes and a paddle raise that gave the Foundation a solid start to its 2025 fundraising push.
Some 200 people attended the second annual Celebrate Maplewood, honoring The Maplewood Foundation’s grantees and donors (Photo by Joy Yagid Photography)
Donations to The Maplewood Foundation are invested in a fund for a longer-term and wider impact within the community. The Foundation gives approximately 5% of its holdings each year as Program and Seed grants through an annual grant cycle. To learn more about the grants given in 2023 and how seven nonprofits made an impact through their initiatives, check out The Maplewood Foundation’s 2023 annual report.
To make a donation to The Maplewood Foundation, visit the Foundation website the Foundation also encourages 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. Visit the Foundation’s website for more information.
