The Princeton Area Community Foundation’s Greater Mercer Grants address two priorities: support for vulnerable people within our community today, and building a strong and interconnected community for the future.

To that end, the community foundation today announced its 2014 Greater Mercer Grants – supporting local non-profit organizations that are actively changing lives.

The Community Foundation is granting $575,000 as part of its biannual program. Greater Mercer Grants are a robust partnership among individuals, donor-advised funds, private foundations and corporations who trust the Community Foundation to support excellent work.

“Greater Mercer Grants have been at the core of the Princeton Area Community Foundation’s mission almost since our founding,” explained Michelle Cash, the Community Foundation’s Vice President, Grants and Programs. “These grants work to meet immediate needs, feeding the hungry, protecting the homeless and helping children and families live healthier and more successful lives while also strengthening the community for the future.”

Fall 2014 grants support 21 local organizations that address the immediate needs of residents:

  • CASA for Children of Mercer & Burlington County – $25,000 for the CASA of Mercer County Child Advocacy Program, county-wide
  • Catholic Charities – $24,998 for the  Diocese of Trenton, El Centro Immigration Services program in Trenton
  • Children’s Literacy Initiative – $20,000 for the Trenton Early Literacy Campaign in Trenton
  • Community Justice Center    Legal Services – $15,000 to serve low-income people with disabilities, county-wide
  • Intersect Fund – $25,000 for the Microenterprise Development Program in Trenton and county-wide
  • Junior Achievement of New Jersey – $5,000 for a financial literacy program, county-wide
  • Literacy New Jersey, Inc. – $15,000 for adult literacy programs, county-wide
  • Mercer County Community College Foundation – $10,000 for a Math ‘Brush-Up’ (MBA) for students testing low on college admission tests in Trenton
  • Mount Carmel Guild of Trenton – $25,000 for a food pantry, Trenton and county-wide
  • National Junior Tennis & Learning of Trenton – $15,000 for the Ashe Elite Student Athlete Program in Trenton/Ewing/Hamilton
  • Planned Parenthood Association of the Mercer Area – $15,000 for outreach to people of color
  • Trenton Rescue Mission – $25,000 for emergency services
  • Trenton Area Soup Kitchen    – $25,000 for the “Send Hunger Packing” program in Trenton, Ewing, Lawrenceville and Hamilton
  • UrbanPromise Trenton, LLC – $25,000 for an after school program and summer camp in Trenton
  • YMCA of Princeton – $25,000 for Princeton Young Achievers after school program in Princeton
  • HomeFront – $25,000, unrestricted support for county-wide work
  • Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County –  $25,000, unrestricted support for work county-wide
  • NAMI Mercer NJ – $20,000, unrestricted support for work county-wide
  • PEI Kids – $25,000, unrestricted support for work county-wide
  • Trenton Children’s Chorus – $25,000, unrestricted support for work in Trenton
  • YMCA of Trenton – $25,000, unrestricted support for work in Trenton/Ewing/Lawrence

An additional five grants support projects aimed at building strong networks needed to encourage economic development, civic engagement, volunteerism, the environment, the arts and other opportunities to improve life in Mercer County.

  • Artworks – $40,000 for building community through arts & culture, county-wide
  • Better Community Housing of Trenton, Inc. – $5,000 for the Wilbur Neighborhood Empowerment Project in Trenton
  • Millhill Child & Family Development Corporation – $25,000 for the Trenton Area Stakeholders, county-wide
  • Sustainable Jersey – $40,000 for the Mercer County Sustainability Coalition, county-wide
  • VolunteerConnect – $25,000 for a program that enhances the capacity of community organizations, county-wide.

“Given Mercer County’s diversity, there are many substantial problems that we must address together,” Cash said. “Through our Greater Mercer Grants, and in partnership with many others in the community, we are helping to fill the gaps. It is our hope that we can encourage good communications, strengthen neighborhoods, and foster relationships that create opportunities.”

Greater Mercer Grants is a robust collaborative partnership among the Community Foundation, many of its donor-advised funds, individual donors, private foundations (including our long-time partner, the Harbourton Foundation), and corporate grantmakers. The list of donors grows every year, and we welcome the participation of anyone who cares about supporting the nonprofit organizations that work for Mercer County residents.