Hackensack, NJ -- The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) joined more than 1,000 community foundations nationwide to celebrate National Community Foundation Week. During the week, the NNJCF, a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey, announced $53,803 in grant and scholarship awards were made in 2023. These grants and scholarships were recommended by a Grants Committee and reviewed and approved by the NNJCF’s Board of Trustees.

The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation's The Jannie Smith Legacy Fund awarded scholarships for $1,000 each to to Amber Holmes-Edgar and Sherleen Yunes of the Teaneck High School Class of 2023. The fund specifically supports annual scholarships for students of color graduating from Teaneck High School, who have been impacted by a family member's battle with cancer.

Jannie Smith Remembered

The fund honors the memory of its namesake Jannie Smith, who passed away on August 3, 2020. Smith, who lived in Teaneck and grew up in Newark, New Jersey, was passionate about education. For 37 years, she worked with the Newark Public Schools, as a teacher and substance abuse coordinator. Smith, who graduated from West Side High School in Newark, received a bachelor of arts in elementary education and a master of arts in urban education from William Paterson University. She also earned two certifications, as an educational supervisor and a student awareness coordinator. In college, she was a charter and founding member of Alpha Rho Zeta, the first African American Sorority at the university.

Remember Jannie Smith

The public may continue Jannie Smith's legacy with a donation in her memory. Donations are tax-deductible, as permitted by law, and may be made online at https://www.nnjcf.org/cause-posts/jannie-smith-legacy-fund/. Contributions may also be sent by check made out to 'The Northern N.J. Community Foundation' with 'The Jannie Smith Legacy Fund' entered in the memo line. Send checks to the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, 1 University Plaza, Suite 128, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601.

“During our 25th anniversary, we are delighted to support several organizations responding to the needs in their communities and making an impact,” said NNJCF Executive Director Leonardo Vazquez. “We thank the Foundation’s donors and supporters for making these grant and scholarship awards possible.”

The NNJCF also awarded grants and scholarships to the following:

-- CancerCare. Paramus, New Jersey. Grant of $10,000 to benefit Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp. The DeAnna Stark Pasciuto Memorial Fund.

-- CivicStory. Summit, New Jersey. Grant of $1,000 to support journalism related to green infrastructure and environmental justice.

-- Creative Placemaking Communities. South Orange, New Jersey. Grant of $5,000 to support the 2023 Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit.

-- Leonia High School to Harry Skountzos of the Class of 2023. Leonia, New Jersey. $2,000 scholarship. The Class of 1964 Ralph Gregg Memorial Scholarship Fund.

-- New Milford High School to Ryan Hugerich of the Class of 2023. New Milford, New Jersey. $2,000 scholarship. The Darren Drake Memorial Fund.

-- Stockton University Foundation. Galloway, New Jersey. Grant of $3,000 to support a scholarship for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and to benefit the Women’s Soccer Team. The DeAnna Stark Pasciuto Memorial Fund.

-- Therapists for Armenia, Inc. Great Neck, New York. Grant of $5,000 to develop a strong international network of therapists, enhance clinical skills, create educational resources, and help Armenian communities to thrive. The Andrea Tilbian Halejian Memorial Fund.

Become a Philanthropist

The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation invites people, who want to support a cause or community, to establish their own Donor Advised Fund. The NNJCF partners with the donor to identify and select vetted nonprofit organizations to award funding and manages the fund’s accounts, enabling the donor to provide support over many years. Anyone interested in creating a Donor Advised Fund should visit the NNJCF’s Philanthropic Giving webpage at https://www.nnjcf.org/donor-services/philanthropic-giving/ or contact Danielle De Laurentis, NNJCF Associate Director, at [email protected] or 201-568-5608, x1. For more information about the NNJCF’s donor advised funds, visit https://www.nnjcf.org/donor-services/philanthropic-giving/.

National Community Foundation Week

National Community Foundation Week was created in 1989 by former president George H.W. Bush to raise awareness about the important role philanthropic organizations like the NNJCF play in fostering local collaboration and innovating solutions to address persistent civic and economic challenges. Community foundations are independent, public entities that steward philanthropic resources from institutional and individual donors to local nonprofits, representing one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy. As community foundations find solutions for communities, their collective work has a profound impact.

The NNJCF collaborates with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and individuals on a range of projects and asks: What can we do together that we can't do alone? The Foundation’s work focuses primarily on arts/culture, civic engagement, education, the environment, public health, and philanthropy.

Support the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation

Individuals and businesses may support the NNJCF's work with a tax-deductible donation, as permitted by law. Donations may be made online at http://www.nnjcf.org/donation/. Contributions may also be sent by check made out to 'The Northern N.J. Community Foundation' entered in the memo line. Send checks to the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, 1 University Plaza, Suite 128, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601. For further information about the NNJCF, call 201-568-5608 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

About Northern New Jersey Community Foundation

Founded in 1998, The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization based in Hackensack, New Jersey, celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023. The NNJCF works with local governments, school districts, businesses, non-profit organizations, and citizen groups to improve community life. Through collaborative partnerships, regional problems are identified and resolved. Opportunities are discovered and explored by talking and learning from each other and sharing ideas, best practices, services, and resources. The Foundation's primary areas of work are the environment, arts and culture, public health, education, civic engagement, and philanthropy. For more information, visit www.nnjcf.org, send an email to [email protected], or call 201-568-5608.