The Bunbury Fund supports non-profit organizations making significant impacts across central New Jersey, and most specifically Mercer County, to strengthen their capacity to effectively advance their missions toward sustainable, organizational maturity.

The Fund awards one-year capacity building grants of up to $50,000. It also accepts proposals for multi-year grants focused on developing organizational effectiveness over a period of up to three years and a total amount of up to $150,000. It will also consider awarding a planning grant of up to $10,000 to help an organization evaluate the resources required to undertake a more comprehensive capacity building project.

The Bunbury Fund is Accepting Grant Applications for the 2023 Bunbury Fund Cycle 1.

The deadline to apply is February 27 at 12:00pm.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page for the link to our online grants portal and the grant guidelines, which can help you determine if this grant might be a good fit for your organization.

Important Dates for 2023

Dates
Monday, January 23, 2023 2023 Bunbury Fund Cycle 1 Opens
Monday, February 6, 2023 Virtual Grant Info Session (Feb. 6 2:00pm – 3:00pm)
To register, please click here
Monday, February 27, 2023 Cycle 1 requests due by 12:00pm noon from applicants
4/27/23 – 5/1/23 Cycle 1 Site Visits
Thursday, May 18, 2023 Cycle 1 Decisions emailed
Friday, June 30, 2023 Cycle 2 Opens
Thursday, July 20, 2023 Virtual Grant Info Session (2:00pm – 3:00pm)
To register, please click here
Tuesday, September 5, 2023 Cycle 2 requests due by 12:00pm noon from applicants
10/12/23 to 10/17/23 Cycle 2 Site Visits
Thursday, November 2, 2023 Cycle 2 Decisions emailed

The Bunbury Fund recently awarded more than $1.4 million in grants to local nonprofits.
You can read more about the capacity building grants here.

Bunbury Fund Community Survey Response

In spring 2021, the Bunbury Fund sent a survey to its grantees and recent applicants seeking feedback on our processes and communication. Thank you to all who responded. Your comments were helpful and we have used them to make some specific adjustments to the process.

  • Extremely high response rate – 33% (43 out of 130 invited participants)
  • Appreciation of the Bunbury Fund’s distinct focus on capacity building grants
  • Keen desire for more networking, collaboration and information sharing among the Bunbury Fund grantees and including Bunbury Fund advisors
  • Interest in regular feedback from advisors on fund priorities, grantee progress and declines

  • Further streamlining the application
  • Reducing the number of attachments
  • Increasing the added Administrative Grant from 10% to 15% but continuing to not fund staff salaries
  • Committing to consistent grantee feedback through virtual grant updates and site visits
  • Finding new ways to strengthen our partnership with grantees by facilitating grantee learning opportunities through the Community Foundation and by staying abreast of the changing needs and demands being placed on the community we serve.

Thank you to our grantees for the important work you are doing. We are learning with you.

Bunbury Fund Advisors,
Nancy Kieling, Shannon Mason, Meredith Moore, Carolyn Sanderson, Jamie Kyte Sapoch, John Thurber and Jay Watson

Watch this video to learn more about the Rescue Mission, including how the nonprofit used a grant from The Bunbury Fund to help upgrade its medical information technology.

The Bunbury Fund sponsored a seminar for board and executive leaders on The Power Good Governance.

To learn more about that event, read 12 Takeaways from our Good Governance Seminar.

The Bunbury Legacy

In 1952, longtime Princeton resident Dean Mathey created The Bunbury Company as a private, grant-making foundation to further his charitable intentions. With a touch of humor, he named the foundation after Uncle Bunbury in Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance of Being Ernest. For years when an important project needed funding, and friends came seeking Dean’s support, he would routinely defer the decision until he could consult with his trusted advisor, Mr. Bunbury.

Mathey died in 1972, but his philanthropic legacy lived on through The Bunbury Company’s grantmaking. Over the next 40 years, the foundation awarded more than $75 million to central New Jersey non-profits working on important social, environmental and educational projects. In 2015, The Bunbury Company started a new chapter as a fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation. The Bunbury Fund at the Community Foundation continues original foundation’s legacy of dedication to supporting the nonprofit sector, now with a focus on capacity-building.

Photo on far right courtesy of Passage Theatre.

To view lists of Bunbury Fund grantees from prior years, please use the dropdown menu below:

ORGANIZATION
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
FUNDING
CYCLE
CONSULTANTS/Professional Services*
Arts Council of Princeton Planning grant to engage a consultant to assist the Arts Council in a deeper examination of organizational effectiveness and stability specifically focused on Board governance, the organization’s executive structure, and improved processes and procedures. This Deep-level work will lead to the development of a comprehensive
plan.		 $11,000 SPRING Blake Partnerships
—
Boys & Girls Club of Trenton & Mercer County Implementation of an organizational strategy to improve student outcomes for Social Emotional Learning and enhance the infrastructure needs of the organization. $42,900 SPRING Apenture Education
—
Community Loan Fund of New Jersey (d/b/a New Jersey Community Capital) Maximize the capacity for staff and resident leaders of the East Trenton Collaborative (ETC) to fully on-board organizational infrastructure and continue creating impact and sustainability. $48,400 SPRING 3rd Edge
—
HiTops Funding for Capacity Building Initiative, an intentional synthesis of strategies that will result in a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable organization. $165,000 SPRING Jane Silverman and Assoc. Match Nonprofit Consulting Zstreet Marketing
Carisma Managed IT Solutions
—
Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. Finalize strategic planning process and implement priorities to strengthen board governance, incorporate leadership and staff training, improve communications and branding, strengthen service delivery and organizational expertise in order to address growing needs and increased demand in Mercer County. $165,000 SPRING None
—
Mercer Street Friends Reorganize the development office, finance office, improve operations and measure organizational impact. $110,000 FALL Espenshade Nonprofit Consulting
—
Millhill Child & Family Development Develop board ownership and expertise around the issue of succession planning. $66,825 FALL Wallace Leadership Consulting Volunteer Connect
—
Old Barracks Association Accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums to increase the credibility and value of the Museum to funders, policy makers, and peers. $5,665 SPRING None
—
Prevention Education Inc. Conduct a comprehensive organizational risk assessment to analyze current and potential risks. $32,469 FALL Nonprofit Risk Management Center
—
Princeton Nursery School Perform a comprehensive self-assessment and planning period to create a multi-year capacity building plan that is contextual, collective and
continuous.		 $11,000 SPRING None
—
Princeton Senior Resource Center Build and strengthen capacity through executive and board coaching, strategic and technological improvement in communications. $165,000 FALL Joan Garry Consulting Crescendo Marketing Creative Capacity, LLC Kolodner.com
Imbue Creative
—
Roebling Museum Implementation of technology to manage collections, donors and visitor relations in a more efficient and effective manner. $8,580 FALL March 4th Technical Services Past Perfect Software
Miles Technology
—
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum Planning grant to evaluate current resources and determine strengths, weaknesses and needs including board development, fundraising, volunteer management, marketing/communications, new programs/service development, strategic relationships, succession planning and other areas critical to the long-term growth and sustainability of the organization. $11,000 FALL Bohse & Associates, Inc.
—
The Paul Robeson House of Princeton Preparation of a strategic plan to develop a social justice program and a fund-raising campaign. $11,000 FALL Creative Capacity, LLC Bohse & Associates, Inc.
Trenton Area Soup Kitchen A planning grant to identify the resources required for the development of a leadership development and succession plan for the organization. $10,120 FALL Princeton HR Insight, LLC.
—
Trenton Children’s Chorus Developing a partnership between TCC and BGC will improve its overall program offerings, expand TCC’s influence, and align with TCC’s goals to improve children’s lives through artistry in music. $33,000 SPRING None
—
Trenton Circus Squad Support for training and professional development for African American or Hispanic employees from Trenton to facilitate their transition into leadership roles. $13,200 SPRING Rigger
Human Connection Project Renewing the Mind
—
Trenton Music Makers Board development in the creation of an organizational Strategic Revenue Development Plan. $9,460 SPRING Cause Effective
—
UIH Family Partners Implementation of the UIH Family Partners re- branding plan by developing marketing tools and strengthening the organization’s social media presence. $55,000 FALL Taft Communications
—
VolunteerConnect Conduct an assessment of the organization’s mission and strategic direction to inform the development of a new strategic plan that provides
a roadmap for the future.		 $16,500 SPRING Creative Capacity, LLC
—
West Windsor Arts Center An organizational assessment that will provide a strategic plan, capital campaign plan and board development. $28,623 FALL Creative Capacity, LLC The Blake Partnership
The Capital Campaign Toolkit
—
* use of consultants is not required by the Bunbury Fund but may serve as effective, external professional resources in support of an organization’s infrastructure, governance and overall organizational capacity-building needs.  The Bunbury Fund Advisors and the Princeton Area Community Foundation do not endorse the consultants listed.  These names are provided as resource examples.  For additional information about the outcomes achieved and experiences with particular consultants, please contact the organization utilizing their services.

ORGANIZATION
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
FUNDING
CYCLE
CONSULTANTS/Professional Services*
Anchor House Inc. Planning and execution of partnerships, collaborations, and/or mergers $6,875.00 October 2020  Frank Crawford, Jr. and Paul Risk
—
Community Action Service Center d/b/a/ Rise Reassessment of financial policies, internal controls, and financial forecasting for long-term sustainability. $29,700.00 December 2020 Dennis Kilfeather CPA, Lear & Pannepacker, LLP
Allison Trimarco of Creative Capacity LLC
Jean DesRavines
—
Community Loan Fund of New Jersey, Inc. Sustain and expand the East Trenton food security program. $50,000.00 September 2020 None
—
Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Crossroads of the American Revolution Association, Inc. Board Development & Succession Planning Proposal $17,847.50 September 2020 Betsy Wallace, Wallace Consulting
Allison Howe, Executive Director, Non-Profit Connect
—
Isles, Inc. Strengthening Governance $34,100.00 December 2020 Dr. Shannon Mason
—
LifeTies, Inc Organizational assessment $70,675.00 November 2020 Laura Line, Principal, Bowling Business Strategies
Ana Lisa Yoder, Principal, Yoder Consultancy
—
Millhill Child and Family Development Succession Planning $41,250.00 December 2020 Betsy Wallace, Wallace Leadership Consulting
—
People & Stories / Gente y Cuentos Financial and Scenario Planning $7,920.00 December 2020 Danielle DeLisle, Research Analyst, Mathematica
Jon Shure, Senior Communications Specialist
—
Princeton Nursery School Using existing financial and operational data to create scenario based models $8,690.00 November 2020 Gary Romano, President and CEO of Civitas Strategies
—
The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey To develop and build a clear and efficient pathway for automated HIPPA compliant Medicaid billing $23,144.00 November 2020 Jason Lieberman, MA Applied Math and BA, Math and Computer Science
—
The Father Center (Formerly UIH Family Partners Succession Planning while simultaneously growing their board’s capacity to guide and assist the agency in critical areas such as fund development and financial planning $38,500.00 November 2020 Brenda Ross-Dulan
—
Trenton Circus Squad Financial and Scenario Planning $11,000.00 December 2020 Allison Trimarco, Principal of Creative Capacity
—
Trenton Music Makers Using the Adaptive Planning model to create a new strategic plan $16,500.00 December 2020 Allison Trimarco, Principal of Creative Capacity
—
We MAKE Autism at Work Strengthening Governance $33,000.00 December 2020 Grace Anne Alfiero, MFA & President of Arts In Action
Jayne O’Connor, Vice President of TAFT Communications
Dave Parker, President & CEO of Rootstrike Labs
—
YMCA Princeton Strengthening Governance $53,900.00 December 2020  Via Evaluation
—
* use of consultants is not required by the Bunbury Fund but may serve as effective, external professional resources in support of an organization’s infrastructure, governance and overall organizational capacity-building needs.  The Bunbury Fund Advisors and the Princeton Area Community Foundation do not endorse the consultants listed.  These names are provided as resource examples.  For additional information about the outcomes achieved and experiences with particular consultants, please contact the organization utilizing their services.

The Bunbury Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation awarded more than $1.4 million in grants in 2021 to local nonprofits to help build their internal capacity. Read more

ORGANIZATION PROJECT DESCRIPTION FUNDING CYCLE CONSULTANTS / Professional Services*
Camp Fire NJ Inc Improving Camp Fire NJ’s Workforce Management $3,000 One Lauren Sgro, Deputy
Every Child Valued Every Child Valued: Creating a Roadmap for Our Future $30,000 One Allison Trimarco, Creative Capacity
Deborah Watson, Watson Consulting
Mrittika Sen, Ph.D, Writematters
Kelly Edelstein, Kelly Edelstein Media Marketing
Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space FoHVOS Strategic Planning to Strengthen Governance and Incorporate Equity $20,000 One Adriana Abizadeh, Catalyst Consulting Group
Housing Initiatives of Princeton Strategic and Communications Planning for the Housing Initiatives of Princeton $19,130 One Adriana Abizadeh, Catalyst Consulting Group
James R Halsey Foundation of the Arts Strengthening Board Governance $20,000 One Claudia DeFranco Kelly, Fieldston Associates LLC
Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County JFCS Strategic Planning Process $20,000 One Allison Trimarco, Creative Capacity
Lawrenceville Job-Training Partnership Building Capacity During a Time of Growth $10,000 One Barry Johnson, Uplift Workforce Solutions
Tarry Truitt, United Way of Greater Mercer County
William Burrell, NJ Courts
Lani Hollander, ImpactCurve Global Consulting
Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness Developing a capacity building project for the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness (MAEH) $10,000 One Allison Badgett, The Civil Inquiry Project
NonProfitConnect Strategic Planning with DEI Focus $50,000 One Allison Trimarco, Creative Capacity LLC
Yvette Murry, YRM Consulting Group LLC
Passage Theatre Company Community-centric Fundraising for Passage Theatre $150,000 One Melissa Sosa-Longo, 360 Philanthropy Group
Womanspace, Inc. Organizational Development in Support of Equity in Service Delivery $100,000 One Patrick Williams Sr., M. Div, MSW, LSW
Taft Communications
Teach for Liberation
Harding Resources LLC
NonProfit Connect
ActorsNET Moving to Cloud Based Financial Systems $7,200 Two Rachel Bissonnette Consulting Inc
Anchor House Inc. Feasibility Study of Expanding Mental Health Services and Creation of Communications Plan $33,000 Two Purposeful Pathway Consultants (PPC)
Positive Solutions
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County Strengthening Capacity to Better Embrace Under-Resourced Communities $10,000 Two Jane Silverman Associates
Capital City Community Foundation dba/ I Am Trenton Community Foundation A Lasting Resource for Trenton $63,500 Two Yo Soy Trenton (Latinx community engagement): Adriana Abizadeh, Catalyst Consulting Group
Iana Dikidjieva, Consultant
Isles, Inc. Equity-Centered Strategic Planning and Management Training $30,000 Two Dana Hughes Moorhead
Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness Developing a systems change model to reduce homelessness grounded in lived experience $35,000 Two Alison Badgett (Charity to Change, LLC)
Millhill Child & Family Development Millhill Systems Upgrade: Student Information System Database Deployment $42,000 Two David Schuchman (Princeton Technology Advisors)
NAMI Mercer NJ NAMI Mercer Strategic Planning Process $18,500 Two Allison Trimarco
Sonia Stamm
Prevention Education Inc. Agency-wide Program Automation $8,200 Two nFocus Solutions
Princeton Nursery School Old School, New SchoolCues $20,000 Two Kara Shapiro (Corvid Studio)
The Paul Robeson House of Princeton Building capacity through leadership development, a transferable communications plan, and technology $100,000 Two NonProfit Connect
The Compass Group
Mod Farm Digital LLC
Boys & Girls Club of Mercer County (formerly Boys & Girls Club of Trenton) Boys & Girls Club of Mercer County –  Advisors Discretionary Year End Grant 50,000 Year End N/A
Capital City Community Foundation dba/ I Am Trenton Community Foundation I am Trenton – Advisors Discretionary Impact Grant 50,000 Year End N/A
Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space Outdoor Equity Alliance – Advisors Discretionary Impact Grant 50,000 Year End N/A
Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. LALDEF – Advisors Discretionary Year End Grant 50,000 Year End N/A
Nonprofit Connect (formerly VolunteerConnect) Nonprofit Connect – Advisors Discretionary Impact Grant 50,000 Year End N/A

* Use of consultants is not required by the Bunbury Fund but may serve as effective, external professional resources in support of an organization’s infrastructure, governance and overall organizational capacity-building needs.  The Bunbury Fund Advisors and the Princeton Area Community Foundation do not endorse the consultants listed.  These names are provided as resource examples.  For additional information about the outcomes achieved and experiences with particular consultants, please contact the organization utilizing their services.

For more information or support, please contact:

Danny Freund
Grants Manager
Email Danny Freund

Nelida Valentin
Vice President, Grants & Programs
Email Nelida Valentin