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Young Audiences Arts for Learning Partners with the Community Foundation of South Jersey

By Andy Fraizer
November 12, 2021
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“I loved the photography workshop. I never knew a self-portrait could mean something more than just a face.” 4th grader

“Art means that I can be creative and express my feelings. It means that I can do anything” 5th grader

Founded in 1973, Young Audiences Arts for Learning New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania (YA) is a leading arts in education non-profit for children, providing teaching artist-led performances, workshops, residencies, as well as teacher professional learning programs to schools in every county in New Jersey and the seven easternmost counties in Pennsylvania. From 2017 to 2020 Young Audiences partnered with 118 schools in South Jersey alone.

Michele Russo, President and CEO of YA, and the 13 staff work to collaborate with area artists and schools to deliver impactful programs that offer joy, creativity, problem-solving skills, and more.

In 2020, Young Audiences began working to serve more children in South Jersey. One step was to partner with the Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) to invest a portion of its endowment fund, which was built during YA’s 40th Anniversary capital campaign, and further bolstered by a generous bequest. This partnership deepens Young Audiences’ connections and relationships in the South Jersey region. YA recognized the unique connections CFSJ has built in the community and values investment in the communities they serve. Together, YA and CFSJ hope to build a stronger, broader-reaching impact on students and schools in Southern NJ.

“YA excels at serving its mission of arts as a developmental asset for young people. CFSJ serves its mission to inspire generosity and use philanthropy as a tool to support nonprofit partners,” said Andy Fraizer, Director of CFSJ. “This partnership connected the best of both organizations to invest in YA’s impact and help foster a creative environment for children in schools all around Southern New Jersey.”

“In Spring 2020 when all of our programs were canceled, we were able to compensate all of our staff members and committed artists through the end of the school year and continue to work collaboratively with our artists as we transitioned to virtual events. This was possible for YA because of our financial investments, and the generosity of our partners and supporters,” Michele Russo shared. “Working virtually allowed children to expand their creativity and hone their skills and passions. We are looking forward to continuing fundraising together to reach even more children especially at a time that is so challenging for students”

“Working with the Community Foundation of South Jersey has been everything we hoped for. When we approached them after receiving a large bequest from a longtime donor, CFSJ laid out attractive options that aligned with our mission,” said Gil Blitz, YA Trustee. “Once we aligned our vision for this investment, we knew the Foundation would be the perfect partner to help us connect throughout Southern New Jersey.”

Based in Princeton, Young Audiences strives to create spaces that are diverse, equitable, and inclusive. YA is committed to providing students of all identities, backgrounds, and experiences with arts education in which their creativity, cultures, abilities, and identities are validated, included, and nurtured. Its programs are accessible to all socio-economic, ethnic, cultural, and geographic communities, and are designed to strengthen the arts in schools, meet local and state curriculum standards, and enrich cultural life.

Remembering Founding Board Member Rob Kugler On His Passing

By Andy Fraizer
July 21, 2021
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The Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) board and staff were saddened to learn of the death of Rob Kugler. Rob was a founding member of the CFSJ Board when it was established in 2007 and was named an Emeritus member of the Board in 2020.

“Rob had retired from the Board when I joined the Community Foundation; however, I had the opportunity to speak with him as we honored his leadership,” said CFSJ Executive Director Andy Fraizer. “He was always gracious and so appreciative of the Foundation’s success in becoming a catalyst for change in the region. He conveyed a heartfelt appreciation for being named an emeritus trustee. He shared his knowledge of the Foundation’s early history. He will be greatly missed by our board, staff, and all who knew him.”

According to Kyle Ruffin, another founding Board Member, “Rob guided the early Board through the steps of creating the Community Foundation of South Jersey and establishing the legalities of its affiliation with the Community Foundation of New Jersey. He was also the very first Legacy of Giving Honoree in 2013. The Legacy of Giving honors the contributions of South Jersey’s most generous philanthropists. CFSJ was only one of the many organizations to which Rob contributed his time, talent, and treasure–the currency of philanthropy. The Community Foundation exists because of Rob’s ability to help us navigate the challenges of being a start-up.”

Chris Rollins, CFSJ Secretary, and longtime Board Member agreed, “As a member of the exploratory steering committee to consider, evaluate, and launch CFSJ, it was a pleasure to work with Rob, who was also instrumental in our original incorporation and bylaws and was appropriately our first Legacy of Giving honoree.

Former CFSJ Board Chairman John C. Connell, Esq. said, “I knew Rob for many years as a law partner and then as a friend. His life was a paragon of professional excellence and servant leadership. He never lost sight of his responsibilities to the larger community and inspired others to do the same. All that he touched he made better. He was quiet but enormously effective. He will be dearly missed. May his memory be a blessing.”

“I am deeply saddened by the news of Rob’s passing,” said Sidney Hargro, President of the Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia and former CFSJ Executive Director. “As a founding board member of CFSJ, Rob was highly engaged and committed to a bold vision of what philanthropy in South Jersey could achieve. He was what the moniker “Live. Give. Love. South Jersey” was all about. I will be forever grateful for his guidance and support both during my tenure at CFSJ and afterward.”

In addition to the CFSJ and his legal work at Archer & Greiner, P.C., Rob was a member of many professional organizations including the American Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Camden County Bar Association, the National Association of Bond Lawyers, the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, the Risk Management Associates South Jersey Chapter, the Community Associations Institute, and the Dartmouth Lawyers’ Association. He also served the community as a member of the American Cancer Society Board, Symphony In C Society Board, Dartmouth Alumni Council, Haddonfield United Methodist Church Board, the Historical Society of Haddonfield Board, and Partnership for Haddonfield.

Rob Kugler is survived by his wife, Sandy; children, Justin, Lindsay, and Kelley; their partners, June, Holali, and Ryan; grandchildren, Imanie and Josiah; and brother, John. Our condolences to all.

Please visit www.robertrkugler.com for details, donations, and to reflect on the memories he leaves behind.

Impact100 South Jersey Women’s Collective Giving Group Awards $200,000

By CFSJ
June 25, 2021
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Impact100 South Jersey, a local women’s collective giving initiative, awarded $200,000 in grants to three South Jersey nonprofits at the group’s Annual Meeting held virtually on June 23, 2021. Impact100 South Jersey is a Special Interest Fund at the Community Foundation of South Jersey, a member of Philanos, a resource for women’s giving circles, and an active participant in Impact100 Global.

A $100,000 core mission grant was awarded to Family Promise of Southwest NJ to provide homeless families with an opportunity to achieve stability by providing shelter, food, case management, and hospitality while simultaneously utilizing resources within local congregations and the community. Over the next two years, Glassboro-based Family Promise of Southwest NJ will use the grant for their Promising Futures Program which supports families through financial literacy training, job search assistance, connections to resources within our community, and assistance finding permanent affordable housing.

“This is a wonderful opportunity,” explained Rosemarie Parker, Family Promise Chief Executive Officer. “This grant will help families stay where they are and prevent them from becoming homeless.”

Victoria Osborne, Family Promise Executive Director of Programming & Services,
Rosemarie Parker CEO, and Kristy Kazelskis COO

New Jersey Agricultural Society/Farmers Against Hunger, which is based in Bordentown, and Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford will each receive a $50k general operating grants.

“Each and every one of our 200 members is helping our region through their membership, which allows us to award grants to nonprofits and empower women in our region,” said Judy C. Greenberg, President, Impact100 South Jersey. “We are all changemakers, moving our community forward, working in partnership to raise up our local nonprofits for even greater success.”

The Impact100 model is simple. Around the world, individual members contribute $1,000 toward large, transformative grants for nonprofits in their communities. Impact100 South Jersey, which launched in 2017, has now awarded more than $624,000 to South Jersey nonprofits. It is one of more than 50 chapters worldwide that, combined, have awarded over $80 million in grants to nonprofits in their local communities since launching in 2001.