The John J & Rose Cali Family Foundation concentrates its giving in New Jersey with a strong emphasis on arts, music education, and youth development. It favors place-based investments that support cultural institutions (performing arts, jazz education, film) alongside education and youth mentoring programs, often funding organizations in Montclair and the greater Newark area. The foundation makes a mix of large, multi-grant commitments to a handful of local organizations and smaller one-off programmatic gifts that advance cultural access and youth opportunity.
Concentrated, place-based giving: several large grants and repeat funding to a small set of local grantees, complemented by modest gifts to cultural and youth programs. Mix of multi-year or multiple grants to core organizations and smaller program-level awards.
A defining feature of JOHN J & ROSE CALI FAMILY FOUNDATION co CALI FUTURES is its repeated support for Jazz House Kids, which received $50,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern sits alongside a steady stream of general support for New Jersey arts, education, and youth-serving organizations. The foundation’s recent giving includes Montclair State University Foundation, Newark Mentoring Movement, NJ Performing Arts Center, Montclair Film Festival, and The Trust for Public Land, showing an interest in both cultural access and community-based opportunity. Most of the foundation’s grants are flexible general-support awards rather than restricted project grants, and several recipients appear more than once across the recent record. The grants range from smaller $1,000 and $3,000 gifts to larger commitments of $40,000, $50,000, and $62,500, which suggests a blend of ongoing institutional support and targeted local investments. The recurring support for arts education, mentoring, and higher education programs points to a place-based funder focused on organizations with direct community presence in New Jersey, especially in Montclair and Newark.
Arts and music education are central to the foundation’s recent giving. Jazz House Kids received $50,000 in 2025, following $50,000 grants in both 2024 and 2023, all for general support. NJ Performing Arts Center also received multiple general-support grants, including $18,400 in 2023, $5,000 in 2024, and $10,000 in 2025. Youth mentoring is another clear theme. Newark Mentoring Movement received $40,000 in 2024 and $30,000 in 2023 for general support, indicating continued backing for youth development in Newark. The foundation also supported Write on Sports with $17,000 in 2024 for general support, extending that youth-enrichment pattern into writing and sports programming. Higher education and campus-based support appear as well. Montclair State University Foundation received $62,500 in 2023 and $32,750 in 2024 for general support. The foundation’s giving also includes local civic and cultural institutions such as Montclair Film Festival and Montclair Art Museum.
The foundation’s typical grant size sits at $3,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards show both smaller gifts around $1,000 to $5,000 and larger commitments up to $62,500. The record also shows repeat support to the same organizations over multiple years, including several annual general-support grants. Its giving is local in scope, and the foundation appears to use flexible support heavily rather than narrowly restricted project funding.
$298K
$548K
$6K
$307K
Most grants fall between $3K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Notable grantees: Jazz House Kids, Montclair State University Foundation, Newark Mentoring Movement, The Trust for Public Land, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
Grantmaking is concentrated in New Jersey, with 81% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state and New Jersey listed as the top state by grant count. Montclair and Newark appear often in the recent record, alongside Morristown, South Orange, Elizabeth, Tenafly, Toms River, and Millburn. Outside New Jersey, the recent list includes recipients in Bronxville, NY; NY, NY; and Eagan, MN, but the distribution is overwhelmingly U.S.-based.
Recent grants point to arts, music education, youth development, and local education. Examples include Jazz House Kids for music education, Newark Mentoring Movement for youth mentoring, Montclair State University Foundation for higher education support, and NJ Performing Arts Center for performing arts programming.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Jazz House Kids with $50,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Newark Mentoring Movement with $30,000 in 2023 and $40,000 in 2024; and Montclair State University Foundation with $62,500 in 2023 and $32,750 in 2024.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is $3,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards range from $1,000 and $3,000 gifts to larger grants of $40,000, $50,000, and $62,500.
New Jersey is the top state by grant count, and 81% of grants go to recipients in NJ. Recent recipient cities include Montclair, Newark, Morristown, South Orange, Elizabeth, Tenafly, Toms River, and Millburn.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANKHKASTA NATURAL HEALING | HOUSTON, TX | $80,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTCLAIR FILM FESTIVAL | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $65,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JAZZ HOUSE KIDS | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LINDSAY TREMULAK SPECIAL NEEDS TRUS | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NJ PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | NEWARK, NJ | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WRITE ON SPORTS | SOUTH ORANGE, NJ | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTCLAIR LOCAL | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JAZZ HOUSE KIDS | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ITALIAN AMERICAN FORUM | BRONXVILLE, NY | $11,300 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NJ PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | NEWARK, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JAZZ HOUSE KIDS | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEWARK MENTORING MOVEMENT | NEWARK, NJ | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $32,750 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WRITE ON SPORTS | SOUTH ORANGE, NJ | $17,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTCLAIR FILM FESTIVAL | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTCLAIR LOCAL | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHOT GUN PRODUCTIONS ACT TWO | NY, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTCLAIR ART MUSEUM | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TRINITAS FOUNDATION | ELIZABETH, NJ | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NJ PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | NEWARK, NJ | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTCLAIR NEIGHBORHOOD DEVEL | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ITALIAN AMERICAN FORUM | BRONXVILLE, NY | $3,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NJ SYMPHONY | NEWARK, NJ | $1,250 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE SPRINGBOARD SCHOOL | TENAFLY, NJ | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NJ THEATER ALLIANCE | TOMS RIVER, NJ | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NJ SPOTLIGHT | NY, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AARP FOUNDATION | LONG BEACH, CA | $250 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $62,500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JAZZ HOUSE KIDS | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEWARK MENTORING MOVEMENT | NEWARK, NJ | $30,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NJ PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | NEWARK, NJ | $18,400 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR JUSTICE | NEWARK, NJ | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTCLAIR FILM FESTIVAL | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LAMP FOR HAITI | MONTCLAIR, NJ | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OPPORTUNITY PROJECT | MILLBURN, NJ | $500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CARING BRIDGE | EAGAN, MN | $500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
ANKHKASTA NATURAL HEALING
$80,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LINDSAY TREMULAK SPECIAL NEEDS TRUS
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NJ PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
GENERAL SUPPORT
WRITE ON SPORTS
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MONTCLAIR LOCAL
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ITALIAN AMERICAN FORUM
$11,300GENERAL SUPPORT
NJ PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEWARK MENTORING MOVEMENT
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WRITE ON SPORTS
$17,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MONTCLAIR LOCAL
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SHOT GUN PRODUCTIONS ACT TWO
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NJ PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MONTCLAIR NEIGHBORHOOD DEVEL
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ITALIAN AMERICAN FORUM
$3,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE SPRINGBOARD SCHOOL
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NJ SPOTLIGHT
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AARP FOUNDATION
$250GENERAL SUPPORT
NEWARK MENTORING MOVEMENT
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NJ PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
$18,400GENERAL SUPPORT
LAMP FOR HAITI
$3,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OPPORTUNITY PROJECT
$500GENERAL SUPPORT
CARING BRIDGE
$500GENERAL SUPPORT