The Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) wants our neighbors to know board members for their leadership and generosity. We asked board members a few questions to get to know them and learn about the values that drive their work.

Dr. Atkins has spent his adulthood trying to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable children and families living in distressed, urban neighborhoods through service, scholarship, and education. Through his scholarly work and practice, Dr. Atkins has become a leader in shaping the policy and practice that influences the health and well-being of vulnerable populations living in high poverty neighborhoods. He has authored and co-authored in journals ranging from Research in Nursing and Health to Psychological Science, to the Journal of Public Health Dentistry. He has discussed his practice and research locally and nationally, and since 2006 has been honored more than a dozen times for his teaching and community service work.

Dr. Atkins lives in Collingswood, New Jersey and serves as Executive Vice Dean for the School of Nursing at Johns Hopkins University-Baltimore, and ongoing Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University-Camden. He grew up in Cherry Hill and moved to Camden in his early 20s where he worked as a school nurse. He appreciates the diversity of people and places in the South Jersey area and enjoys being involved with local philanthropy through CFSJ.

What brings you joy or makes you experience gratitude?
My family brings me joy. I am one of six and I have the privilege of being close to my siblings and my many nephews and nieces.

What characteristics do you want to instill in children?
I want them to experience the joy of connecting to others and making meaningful contributions locally and globally. It’s hard to be sad when you are doing for others.

What is your aspiration for your philanthropy?
Philanthropy should lean into its obligations to serve communities of greatest disinvestment. When philanthropic organizations are willing to take risks and share what they learn from their successes and failures, they can help transform lives for the better.

The team at the Community Foundation has been working hard to implement a new fundholder portal system, which will improve a user’s experience advising funds at the Community Foundation. The new portal will provide up-to-the-minute fund information. Our secure fundholder portal lets you view the fund balance, submit grant recommendations, and view past grants.

How to Get Started

You will receive an email from the Community Foundation of New Jersey, CFSJ’s affiliate partner. Follow the instructions in the email to create a password for your account. Take note of your username (which is your email address in all lower case) and password as you complete this process.

To access the portal at any time, simply go to www.communityfoundationsj.org and click “My Fund” in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage. Enter your username and password, and then select the fund you’d like to review.

The main screen provides an at-a-glance list of recent contributions received into the account and recent grants paid out of the account. You will also see the current balance, updated in real-time, and the current fund advisors will be indicated just below the balance. Note that each person listed will have similar access to the fundholder portal.

Explanatory Video

Watch this video explaining how to use the fundholder portal. This video explains that whether a fund is associated with our work at the Community Foundation of South Jersey or a fund at our affiliate partner the Community Foundation of New Jersey, the operation of the portal is exactly the same.

Portal Features

The fundholder portal allows fund advisors to see the most recent transactions from their fund. The portal is available 24 hours a day and can be accessed through our website. If you have questions please contact Stefanie Guevara at the Community Foundation of New Jersey.

• Monthly Statements will post directly to the fundholder portal under the Statements Tab.
• Most recent transactions will post on the account’s main page when you log in.
• Accounts will be able to review all pending and completed grants paid from the account using the “Grants” option in the menu bar.
• You will be able to give to your fund through the portal.

Troubleshooting

I haven’t receive the auto-generated email yet. What should I do?
Check your Spam or Junk folder for an email from Community Foundation of New Jersey. Please email Stefanie Guevara to re-send the information you will need to establish login credentials.

I don’t understand how to navigate the portal. Where can I get help?
You can reach out to Stefanie Guevara at 973-267-5533.

The URL only worked the first time. How do I return to the portal?
The custom URL inside the auto-generated email should only be used to establish your password. Take note of your username and the password you select and then visit the fundholder portal to access the system at any time.

I’ve lost my password. What should I do?
For security reasons, the Community Foundation does not have the ability to access your password. You can reset your password on the portal login page. If you still need assistance, please email Stefanie Guevara or call 973-267-5533 for assistance.

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc., which provides community-based services as an alternative to youth incarceration and congregate residential care, received a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation of South Jersey’s (CFSJ) South Jersey Covid-19 Response Fund. 

The CFSJ funding went to Cumberland/Cape May County YAP, one of nearly 150 programs in 33 states where the nonprofit partners with youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and other systems to provide safe community-based youth and family services. Cumberland/Cape May County YAP partners with the Cumberland County Juvenile Center.

“As a community-based youth program, we felt the effects of the COVID-19 shut down almost immediately. Canceling in-person community interaction required a huge shift in how the staff connected with and served the families in need. Our Advocates filled holes left during the pandemic,” said New Jersey YAP Regional Director Stephanie Moore. “More funds are needed to sustain and grow the program, but thanks to CFSJ, we are able to keep our feet on the ground where we are needed most.”

The CFSJ COVID-19 Relief Fund grant helped YAP offset pandemic-related state funding cuts, in essence helping YAP stay alive in South Jersey. The funding helped compensate staff and covered costs of transitioning to virtual services and gas expenses for traveling to meet program participants. YAP also used the grant for bonuses for staff members who went above and beyond to provide services while ensuring that program participants’ basic needs were met during the pandemic. 

YAP’s neighborhood-based Advocates and mobile behavioral health professionals are trained to empower program participants to see their strengths and connect them with tools to achieve positive goals. The Advocates also work with parents and guardians, connecting them with tools to firm the family foundation. The program has already proven successful. About 86% of program participants in the program don’t re-offend and remain arrest free, according John Jay College of Criminal Justice research. Additionally, nearly 90 percent of the youth still lived in their communities with less than 5 percent of participants in secure placement.

Now that social restrictions have been lifted, students have struggled to adapt back into the school routine. Library hours are still restricted, after school sports are limited. Families have had to reacclimate to at-work schedules, and youth are simply choosing not to go to school. Youth are also battling new social anxieties and depression. YAP Advocates are working to overcome this new set of challenges, often helping to pay families’ bills out of their own pockets. 

“Being able to assist an organization like YAP and help them continue to be in the community, in the homes, and making a difference was important to us,” said Andy Fraizer, Executive Director of CFSJ. “Funding is key to helping the youth and the families YAP serves. Hearing their success stories and knowing we can make a difference is all CFSJ needed to hear.” 

Youth Advocate Programs, Inc.

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc. is a national nonprofit advocating for and delivering evidence-based services in homes and communities as a more effective and racially equitable alternative to youth incarceration, congregate child welfare, behavioral health, and intellectual disabilities placements, and neighborhood violence. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., Youth Advocate Programs has been in an existence for 47 years. YAP’s work is built on a foundation of research demonstrating that people do better throughout life when they have support where they live, work, learn and play. To learn more about YAP, visit yapinc.org.