Grant Investment Strategy
Research indicates that the stability of a family unit affects the child’s health behaviors and health outcomes, academic achievement, social development, and emotional functioning and even the health of a community as a whole. Based on this research an assessment of the current South Jersey philanthropic landscape, the Community Foundation of South Jersey will focus our initial grantmaking efforts on the area of Family Stability and Social Equity.  For clarity, we offer the following working definition of “family stability” and “social equity”:

• Family Stability – Defined as a cohesive, supportive, and flexible family system; and a nurturing and stimulating home environment.
• Social Equity–The fair, just, and equitable access to opportunity for families to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency.

Our grant investment strategy affirms the belief that children are more likely to become healthy and productive adults when their families are stable and access to opportunity in their community is equitable.  Poverty, unemployment, lack of access to healthy food, lack of access to transportation for work, under-educated or minimal vocational skills, for example, can diminish parental capacity to provide consistent and involved parenting. When families experience these life stresses, stable and nurturing relationships necessary for a child’s healthy development can be disrupted.

Emphasis on Learning

This grant investment strategy and the subsequent grantmaking process is not intended to produce a significant, immediate, measurable impact on the issue of family stability, but rather it is intended to offer the Foundation the opportunity to support, monitor, and learn from various programs that contribute to developing and strengthening strong, stable families and addressing social equity issues. Over the next few years, we hope to learn “what works”, “what does not”, and what concepts and programming could be scaled to serve additional areas in South Jersey.

Request for Proposals

The Foundation is currently requesting proposals for programs that are aligned with our grant investment strategy.  Interested nonprofits should review the Grantmaking Process Snapshot to determine eligibility and fit and then carefully read the Grant Proposal Guidelines before submitting an application.  Applications must be received electronically at the Foundation office on or before July 2, 2010 at 5 p.m. EST.  Applications can be submitted by email at info@communityfoundationsj.org or on USB Flash Drive or CD-ROM.