About New Jersey Children'S Foundation
Our mission is to invest in people, programs, and partnerships that will improve public education systems by putting the interests of children first. Our vision is that each and every child will break down the walls of inequity through the creation of high-quality public education systems.
Focus Areas
K-12 educationPublic charter and district school supportSpecial educationMultilingual learners / English acquisitionTutoring and learning recoverySchool enrollment and accessEducation policy, research and pollingCommunity grants to Newark nonprofits
Who They Fund
public school students (K–12) in Newark, Paterson, Trenton and elsewhereparents of public school studentsopportunity youth / out-of-school youth
About New Jersey Children'S Foundation
New Jersey Children's Foundation centers its grantmaking on improving public education systems by putting children first, with especially visible support for Newark schools and organizations. In the recent grants list, its largest awards went to Project Ready: $2,992,501 in 2024 for programmatic support and $1,590,000 in 2025 for general operations. That pattern shows a funder willing to make large, recurring commitments to a core intermediary while also backing school-level and community-based work. The foundation’s grants also point to a strong interest in school improvement for specific student groups. Great Oaks Legacy Charter School received $446,653 in 2025 for school-based operations, career and technical education, and special education programming. Other awards in Newark support charter school growth, instructional support, parent engagement, tutoring, and public education communications. Its active grant programs show a direct role in special education, multilingual learner support, FAFSA completion, and community grants, with some programs open to unsolicited proposals. Across the portfolio, the foundation funds both systems-level advocacy and direct service tied to public school outcomes.
What New Jersey Children'S Foundation Funds
A clear theme in the foundation’s grantmaking is support for students with disabilities and multilingual learners. Newark public schools can compete for up to $100,000 through the $1 million Accelerating Outcomes for Exceptional Learners program, and Newark charter schools have also participated in the IGNITE Network implementation grants for research-to-impact practices. Postsecondary access is another active area. New Jersey Children's Foundation joined Camden Education Fund and city partners in the 2024 FAFSA Challenge, a $70,000 prize competition aimed at increasing FAFSA completion rates in Newark and Camden. The foundation also backs parent engagement and public education communications. Parents Engaging Parents received $100,000 to engage public school parents in Paterson, Trenton, and elsewhere, while Skyway Publishing LLC received $40,000 to enhance coverage of public education issues. Community grants add a Newark-based civic layer to the portfolio.
How New Jersey Children'S Foundation Gives
Typical grant size sits at $10,000 at the 25th percentile, a median of $39,056, and $125,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list shows a mix of large operating commitments, mid-sized program awards, and smaller grants for marketing, outreach, and community work. Some recipients appear across multiple years, including Project Ready, 50can Inc, New Jersey Public Charter School Association, Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, and Uncommon Schools Inc, which suggests recurring relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation is not described as funding individuals or program-related investments. Several active opportunities accept unsolicited proposals, especially in Newark-focused education and community grant programs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.5M
Total Assets
$9.6M
Total Revenue
$13.4M
Total Expenses
$6.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $125K, with a median of $39K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$39K
75th Percentile
$125K
Geographic Reach
Local4 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
BARBARA MARTINEZ
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