Summit Foundation Issues Grants to Nonprofit Organizations
Submitted by Julie Adams
The Summit Foundation has released more than $400,000 in grants to 21 local area nonprofit organizations providing vital food, shelter, education, arts, culture, and health programs. In April, the board of trustees issued seven emergency grants totaling $100,000 in response to the COVID-19 crisis. In June, The Summit Foundation approved $309,000 in grants as part of its biannual grant cycle.
The Summit Foundation’s emergency grants, which were an increased commitment to assist local groups confronting emerging pandemic-related crises, supported:
- Bridges, Outreach Inc, to replace volunteer time and food donations for the homeless
- The Connection, for ongoing expenses and essential programming
- GRACE’s Refrigerator, for food pantry items for Summit families facing food insecurity
- SAGE Eldercare, for increased demand for Meals on Wheels
- The Summit Area YMCA, for ongoing expenses and essential programming
- Summit Board of Education, for hotspot devices for families in need of internet access for online education
- Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad, for a decontamination UV light machine for its vehicles
Through its first funding cycle of 2020, The Summit Foundation supported 17 organizations with a total of $309,000. Some of the organizations include:
- CASA of Union County, for its Fostering Futures program pairing youth ages 14 to 21 with adults who help them transition to independence
- Caring Contact, the area’s primary responder for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, to meet increased volume and adapt its technology to a three-digit crisis line
- Union County College Foundation, for Operation Graduation, which supports students with emergency grants, leadership training, campus employment, and mentors
- The Summit Conservancy, for construction of the permanent home of the Summit Free Market, a student-run, recycling initiative
Other organizations receiving grants include Our House Foundation, Trinitas Health Foundation, Pillar Care Continuum, the Winston School, Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Reeves-Reed Arboretum, SAGE Eldercare, The Connection, Literacy NJ, Paper Mill Playhouse, Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad, Boy Scouts of America Troop 67, and the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless (Bernice’s Place).
The Summit Foundation (formerly Summit Area Public Foundation) fosters philanthropy by identifying local needs and offering donors flexible ways to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors. Since 2010, it has awarded nearly $5.7 million through more than 400 competitive grants to tax-exempt organizations that serve our area.
Visit summitforever.org for more information.
