Impact100 South Jersey Announces Fall Membership Drive and the first wave of virtual fall Info Sessions.

Impact100 South Jersey, a women’s collective giving group, is holding virtual information sessions now through November to build its membership and grant-making pool for 2021.  The group is made up of volunteers who contribute equally to a fund that is used to make transformative grants to small and mid-sized nonprofits that serve Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Cumberland Counties.  The goal is to recruit 200 members which would allow for $200,000 in grant awards in the spring.

Since launching in 2017, Impact100 South Jersey has awarded more than $424,000 in grants to nine nonprofits.  The grants support the growth of organizations that are addressing various needs throughout our community.  Each member is required to make a $1,000 contribution – 100% of which is used to fund grants.  (An additional $150 is required to help cover the operating expenses.)

Previous Impact100 South Jersey grantees include LUCY Outreach in Camden, which empowers low-income young people (ages 7-25) to form healthy relationships, make good choices and develop into compassionate, socially responsible adults.  LUCY will use the $100,000 grant they were awarded in June to become a trauma-informed agency through extensive training that will integrate trauma-informed principles and practices into the entire organizational culture.  

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland and Salem Counties, which received a $100,000 grant in June of 2019 has used it to purchase new technology that makes it possible for “Bigs” to mentor “Littles” virtually – cutting down on travel time and increasing opportunities for meaningful engagement.  Their new Mentor 2.0 program became even more critical this year when the pandemic made it impossible for “Bigs” and “Littles” to meet in person.   

In addition, Alice Paul Institute in Mt. Laurel and Family Promise of Southwestern NJ in Glassboro were each awarded $43,000 general operating grants in 2020.  Impact100 SJ also awarded $7,500 to Cathedral Kitchen and $1,860 to the South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund this year.  Other 2019 grantees include Hispanic Family Center of Southern NJ and Ronald McDonald House in Camden.  Each received $27,500 general operating grants.  The very first Impact100 SJ grant for $74,000 was awarded in 2018 to Hopeworks ‘N Camden to support the organization’s transition to a new, larger office space where they now help more young people gain marketable tech skills.

Impact100 South Jersey is proof that you don’t have to be extremely wealthy to engage in meaningful philanthropy.  Theirs is a very empowering initiative that generates new funding for South Jersey-focused nonprofits and allows their members to give back beyond what they could do by themselves.

Impact100 will hold virtual membership information sessions throughout November.  The schedule for sessions is available at impact100sj.org. The deadline for 2021 membership is December 1^st. 

For more information, email info@impact100sj.org or call membership co-chair Angela Venti at 856-685-6728.  

Nonprofits seeking information about funding should visit Impact100sj.org.

Bancroft, one of the region’s largest providers of specialized services and supports for children and adults with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities and brain injury, was awarded a $5,000 grant from the COVID-19 Response Fund, managed by Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ). The money has helped offset unexpected expenses related to the COVID-19 crisis, enabling the organization to continue delivering vital programs and services virtually, and purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure the health and safety of individuals served and Bancroft’s essential employees.

Like so many other organizations across the country, COVID-19 has forced the continued closure of Bancroft’s in-person educational services and adult day program and employment services since March – prompting the organization to reimagine the way those services are delivered, including classroom instruction and related therapies. It has also severely limited opportunities for community integration and recreation that are critical to the well-being of the hundreds of individuals served by Bancroft residential programs.

“COVID-19 has caused a seismic shift in every aspect of our lives and forced nonprofit organizations like Bancroft to rethink the way we deliver our critical, life-sustaining services while protecting the health of this vulnerable population and the essential staff who support them,” said Toni Pergolin, Bancroft President and Chief Executive Officer. “The grant from the Community Foundation of South Jersey will support us in our commitment to our mission of helping people living with disabilities to live their best life.”

“Thank you to Bancroft for its services creating hope, home, and community for individuals with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and persons in need of neurological rehabilitation. Their work allows each individual to reach their full potential for a happy and fulfilling life,” said CFSJ Executive Director Andy Fraizer. “The COVID-19 Response Fund is a resource that supports, the organization’s such as Bancroft to deliver services in these uncertain times.”

The South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund continues to assist local nonprofits that need support in order to serve communities impacted by the pandemic. To date, the Fund has raised more than one million dollars, but this is not enough to meet the overwhelming need.   If you would like to support the only such Fund where donations stay in our South Jersey region, please visit www.southjerseyresponsefund.org.

About Bancroft

Bancroft is a leading regional nonprofit provider of specialized services for individuals with autism, other intellectual or developmental disabilities and those in need of neurological rehabilitation. Through its innovative programs supporting people throughout different stages in life, Bancroft offers a comprehensive range of services aimed at unlocking the full potential in each person and meeting his or her changing needs. Programming includes special education, vocational training and supported employment, structured day programs, residential treatment programs, community living programs, and behavioral supports. In 2018, Bancroft opened the Raymond & Joanne Welsh Campus in Mt. Laurel, N.J., for children’s services, featuring the flagship Bancroft School and Lindens Center for Autism. The campus is the most progressive and expansive campus for children with special needs in the region.

Bancroft NeuroRehab focuses on the therapeutic, day program and residential needs of people in rehabilitation from brain injury or other neurological disorders with four locations throughout New Jersey.

Established in 1883 and now headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., Bancroft boasts 30+ programs in 17 locations serving 2,200 people annually throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, including more than 275 community-based group homes and supervised apartments. For more information, visit bancroft.org.

Cathedral Kitchen, the largest emergency food provider in Camden, NJ, has worked tirelessly to shift from on-site dining to take out and meal delivery in an effort to provide emergency food aid to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The $15,000 grant from the SJ COVID-19 Response Fund, which is managed by Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ), helped the Cathedral Kitchen team keep up with the rise in food insecurity in the area. The grant also went to providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and hiring additional staff such as chefs and sous chefs.

The grant supported the organization’s ability to manage unexpected extra food costs and their need to purchase take-out boxes, hand wipes, and bottled water for to-go meals. They also increased food delivery to other organizations and housing communities, and revamped programs such as dental care and job placement. 

“Yearly, we give out 300 meals to roughly 5,000 people, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a large increase in need,” said Carrie Kitchen-Santiago, Executive Director of Cathedral Kitchen. “The grant from the Response Fund allowed us to serve the larger number of people in need of meals. We are very grateful for the help and are glad to keep serving those in our community.”

“We are so gratified that our Response Fund grant has helped Cathedral Kitchen feed those who are hungry in our South Jersey community,” said CFSJ Executive Director Andy Fraizer. “Thanks to contributions from businesses, foundations and local individuals, we’re able to help Cathedral Kitchen and other organizations transition programs and purchase PPE to stay safe during these trying times.”

The South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund continues to respond to local nonprofits that need support to serve communities impacted by the pandemic. To date, the Fund has raised more than one million dollars while the requests from nonprofits is at least five times more. To support the only fund where donations stay in our South Jersey region, visit southjerseyresponsefund.org. 

About Cathedral Kitchen

Founded in 1976, Cathedral Kitchen currently serves more than 100,000 meals per year utilizing food to nourish, train, and employ people in order to help them improve their lives and energize a healthy community.  In addition to serving dinner Monday thru Friday and lunch on Saturday on-site, Cathedral Kitchen provides meals for local after school programs, groceries for low-income senior citizens, and donations for local food pantries, churches, and soup kitchens in the Camden area.  They also operate a 17-week Culinary Arts Training Program and a Baking Arts Training Program held concurrently, twice per year, the CK Cafe and catering service, as well as, ongoing dental care and general health screening services.  Individuals from across South Jersey of different faiths and backgrounds volunteer their time and talents each year, filling more than 9,000 volunteer slots to help keep overhead costs down.