Long-time Maplewood residents Susan and Fred Profeta have announced that they are donating a final significant gift of $250,000 to The Maplewood Foundation, bringing their total contributions to over $1 million.
The dynamic duo, who are among the town’s most prominent citizens — Fred is a former Mayor of Maplewood — are hoping to pay it forward, seeking to incentivize other Maplewood residents to “live to give” and help grow the foundation, which was formed in 2023 to create an endowment to fund local causes.
“I believe that the most rewarding kind of philanthropy is local philanthropy,” said Fred in a recent interview. He explained that “live to give” is a motto at Morrow Church, where he is a congregant, “but you can flip the script and say “give to live.’ It’s true! If you give, chances are that you will have a longer and happier life.”
Fred may be on to something. He’ll be 86 this year; Susan, a retired physician who practices internal medicine, will be turning 81. The two appear as active and engaged in the community as ever.
Fred grew up in Maplewood and has only lived elsewhere to attend college and law school, then practice law in New York City for three years.
The Profetas moved back to Fred’s home town when their daughter was born. “We found a house we love in Maplewood. I feel so lucky in retrospect,” said Susan, who was initially tentative about the move. “It turns out that it was wonderful.”
Susan embraced Maplewood, raising two children, and earning a medical degree and opening a practice that ultimately landed her with Summit Medical Group at Winchester Gardens before retiring. Decades ago, she and other residents organized to convince the township to start recycling.
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Fred and Susan Profeta
Meanwhile, Fred’s local civic and charitable activities are legendary. Besides serving on the Township Committee and as Mayor, Fred made large donations for renovations at the Lynn V. Profeta Field at the Underhill Sports Complex and the Columbia High School stage, a $70,000 gift to place solar panels on the roof of Morrow Church (he’s a founder of Sustainable Jersey) and a $30,000 gift to the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race (which he co-founded and served as the first chair of its board), as well a large reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer of CHS student Moussa Fofana. Fred also founded the Maplewood Village Alliance and YouthNet, and led an effort that was instrumental in blocking the Army Corps of Engineers from constructing an 800-foot dam in the South Mountain
Reservation.
But in recent years, the Profetas sought to replicate the efforts of communities like Summit, Princeton and a growing number or towns and cities nationwide, by forming and seeding a community foundation.
“The creation of The Maplewood Foundation resulted from Fred and I wanting to make a meaningful and lasting impact in the community that’s given so much to our family over the many decades we’ve lived here,” said Susan in a press release shared by the Foundation (read it in full below). “It gives me immeasurable joy to know the gift we’ve completed with this last significant donation will generate grants to our local nonprofits for years and years to come.”
“Fred and Susan’s generosity can already be seen and felt throughout Maplewood, and their million-dollar investment in the work of the Foundation ensures that impact will endure,” said Veda Truesdale, first vice president of The Maplewood Foundation. “They have set an incredible example of what it means to give locally, one we look forward to building upon in the years to come.”
Already other members of the community have contributed $800,000 in addition to the Profetas’ gifts. The funds have allowed the Foundation to give out $120,000 through 16 grants in two funding cycles of $50,000 and $70,000, respectively. The Foundation plans to increase the award of grants to $90,000 in its next cycle, and $100,000 the following year.
To grow this trend, the Profetas are hoping that others in the community with the ability to contribute will continue to step forward.
“It’s the belief in something bigger than yourself,” said Fred, “and the ability to see the good you can do. It’s close to you. You can feel it.”
Additionally, said Fred, “The Federal government is so messed up. There’s no more bipartisanship. Municipal foundations are the way to go. It gives you more control in your community.”
The Profetas also want to assure the community that this gift isn’t a swan song. Fred and Susan will remain active, involved and living in Maplewood. “I’m not going anywhere,” said Fred.
From the Maplewood Foundation:
MAPLEWOOD, N.J., Jan. 29, 2025 – The Maplewood Foundation, a community foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life of all Maplewood residents, today announced it received a $250,000 donation from Fred and Susan Profeta, bringing the family’s total significant giving to more than $1 million. The Profetas, who serve as president and recording secretary of the Foundation respectively, provided $500,000 in seed funding for the Foundation in 2023 and additional gifts in 2024.
Led by a diverse board of 16 trustees representing the community, the Foundation has awarded $120,000 in grants to 16 nonprofits serving Maplewood’s residents. At the organization’s annual fundraiser, Celebrate Maplewood, held earlier in January, Fred Profeta announced its goal of giving $90,000 in grants at the end of this year and $100,000 at the end of 2026.
“We achieved ambitious goals of giving away $50,000 and $70,000 in grants in our first two years and now we’re setting our sights on hitting a critical milestone of raising enough in donations to support $100,000 in grants by the end of 2026,” said Fred Profeta. “Susan and I increasing our gift to $1 million gets us much closer to that target. The community has already stepped up with an additional $800,000 and now we ask our friends and neighbors to join us in creating a sustainable and growing source of funding for our nonprofits.”
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 as Program and Seed grants through an annual grant cycle.
“The creation of The Maplewood Foundation resulted from Fred and I wanting to make a meaningful and lasting impact in the community that’s given so much to our family over the many decades we’ve lived here,” said Susan Profeta. “It gives me immeasurable joy to know the gift we’ve completed with this last significant donation will generate grants to our local nonprofits for years and years to come.”
The Foundation’s areas of grant-giving focus include 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.
CHS Ultimate, the organization that runs competitive ultimate frisbee teams in Maplewood and South Orange, received a $5,000 grant in 2024. At Celebrate Maplewood, one of its board members, Catherine Martinez, spoke about the significance of the funding.
“Invented right here in Maplewood over 50 years ago, Ultimate embodies the values of creativity, teamwork, and inclusivity that define this community,” said Martinez. “With support from The Maplewood Foundation’s grant, we will ensure equitable participation and expand our middle school program so that everyone who wants to play is able to.”
“From brand new nonprofits with nascent budgets to established organizations with decades-long histories, the organizations that received funding from the Foundation collectively touch the lives of every Maplewood resident,” said Fred Profeta. “Going forward, if we achieve our vision, they will always be able to count on The Maplewood Foundation to support their critical services and programs.”
Learn more about the organization and its grantees via www.themaplewoodfoudnation.org. To make a donation to The Maplewood Foundation, visit www.themaplewoodfoundation.org/donate. 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. Visit www.themaplewoodfoundation.org for more information,