The Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) announced today that a sixth community has been selected to receive a $100,000 Transform South Jersey grant. The City of Woodbury in Gloucester County, through their local convening partner the FAF Coalition, now joins previously announced locations including the Town of Hammonton (Atlantic County), Willingboro Township (Burlington County), Winslow Township (Camden County), Downe Township (Cumberland County), and Salem City (Salem County).
Transform South Jersey is a collaboration between the Community Foundation of South Jersey, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, New Jersey Health Initiatives (the statewide grantmaking program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), the OceanFirst Foundation, the Orton Family Foundation, the PSEG Foundation, and the Wells Fargo Regional Community Development Corporation. Using the Orton Family Foundation’s national Community Heart & Soul model, which has been implemented in almost 100 communities across the United States, the Transform South Jersey grants will support initiatives in the six recipient locations that bring people together to build stronger, healthier, and more economically vibrant communities. For most locations, completing the four phases of Community Heart & Soul takes about two years.
“We are thrilled that additional funds from our partner organizations have allowed us to provide this Transform South Jersey grant to the FAF Coalition in the City of Woodbury,” said Andy Fraizer, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of South Jersey. “Community Heart & Soul is a proven process that empowers people to shape the future of their communities by creating a shared sense of belonging that improves local decision-making, and ultimately strengthens social, cultural, and economic vitality.”
More than 190 South Jersey communities with populations of 50,000 or less spanning the eight counties CFSJ serves,including Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem, were eligible to apply for Transform South Jersey grants. From this group, 32 municipalities were ultimately nominated for consideration and of those invited, 21 municipalities submitted final applications.
“The key component of the Heart & Soul process is learning what matters most to the community by engaging as many residents as possible, including those who do not normally participate in public discourse,” Fraizer continued. “With full engagement as an integral part of the planning and development process, these often-unheard voices and their ideals become the foundation for building communities that are united, innovative, competitive and resilient.”
“We are incredibly grateful to be selected as a Transform South Jersey grant recipient,” said Jared Hunter, FAF Coalition Program Director. “It has been a rigorous process getting to this point, but I believe it has given us the opportunity to create a positive environment in the community. We also developed connections among various groups throughout the city that are excited to work alongside us in the near future. We want to thank the Community Foundation and all of the funding partners for showing confidence in our city.”
As a Transform South Jersey grant recipient, the FAF Coalition will have access to up to $100,000 in funding to support ongoing staffing, marketing, and communications needs associated with a full-scale implementation of the Community Heart & Soul model in their town. They will also receive exclusive coaching, training, and technical assistance. Each community has also committed to working with CFSJ to raise at least $25,000 to serve as an endowed portion of their own individual community fund. The proceeds from these investments will be used to support additional projects identified by the communities for many years to come.
To learn more about the selected communities and their progress as they embark on Community Heart & Soul, visit transformsouthjersey.org.