About South Ward Alliance
Support families from pre-cradle-to-career through holistic support, excellent schools, and clear pathways to college and career.
Focus Areas
K-12 educationEarly childhood servicesHigher education accessCareer and workforce developmentHealth and wellnessHousing supportFamily social servicesFood access
Who They Fund
students (K-12)underserved or at-risk studentslow-income students / students from economically disadvantaged backgroundshistorically marginalized student populations
Funding Style
About South Ward Alliance
South Ward Alliance’s recent grantmaking is built around a pre-cradle-to-career model for South Ward families, with funding tied to holistic support, excellent schools, and pathways to college and career. The largest grant in the recent list goes to Newark Community Street Team, which received $587,898 in 2025 to support students in their academic success and close the achievement gap. That same purpose appears across the portfolio, showing a sustained education-centered approach rather than isolated program bets. The foundation also returns to several grantees across multiple years, including Leaders for Life, Clinton Hill Community Early Childhood Center, Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, and Achieve Community Charter. Those repeat awards suggest ongoing partnerships with organizations already working inside Newark’s school and support ecosystem. Alongside school-focused grants, the recent list includes community and youth-serving organizations such as Family Connections, Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition, Youthbuild Newark, and The Knowledge House. South Ward Alliance’s grantmaking is tightly connected to Newark’s South Ward Promise Neighborhood and BRICK initiatives, with a mix of education, family support, health, and workforce-linked funding. The pattern points to a place-based funder working through local organizations that serve children, youth, and families in Newark.
What South Ward Alliance Funds
Education is the clearest throughline in the recent grants. South Ward Alliance awarded $458,197 in 2024 to Clinton Hill Community Early Childhood Center, $425,775 in 2024 to Leaders for Life, and $318,612 in 2023 to Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, each with the same stated purpose of helping students succeed academically and close the achievement gap. The foundation also supports postsecondary and career pathways. It gave $334,980 in 2025 to Gateway University and $249,535 in 2024 to Propel America, both tied to student success and achievement-gap work. In a separate but connected track, Newark Youth Career Pathways received $251,325 in 2024, reflecting attention to employment-linked supports. Health and family supports appear in the portfolio as well. Family Connections received $232,829 in 2024, and Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition received $226,805 in 2024, both under the same academic-success framing. That shows how the foundation links education goals with broader family and wellness services.
How South Ward Alliance Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.2M
Total Assets
$4.8M
Total Revenue
$10.8M
Total Expenses
$9.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $50K and $210K, with a median of $111K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$111K
75th Percentile
$210K
Geographic Reach
Local6 states funded
About 82% of grants go to recipients in NJ.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
DOMINIQUE D LEE
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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