(Englewood, New Jersey; November 16, 2016) -- From November 12-18, 2016, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) joins more than 780 community foundations across the United States celebrating Community Foundation Week. For more than 25 years, the effort created in 1989 by former president George H.W. Bush has raised awareness about the important role these philanthropic organizations are involved with fostering local collaboration and innovation to address persistent civic and economic challenges.

During the year, the NNJCF, the only community foundation based in Bergen County focusing on this region, identified key issues such as hunger and homeless veterans in Bergen County that the public could be involved with through its community engagement program. For Community Foundation Week, the NNJCF addressed the concern of increasing homelessness among families in the county. Over the past weeks, the NNJCF undertook a collection of laundry detergent, a necessity for families that is not covered by food stamps.

Statistics about homeless families reveal a critical situation. According to Family Promise of Bergen County, families make up 40% of the total homeless population, with 42% of children in homeless families under six years of age. The families are often hidden from view, living in overcrowded housing or in cars and shelters. Finding affordable housing in the county is problematic. The average cost of a two-bedroom apartment is $1,500 monthly. For a consumer to afford this rent, a household must earn $60,000 annually or $30 per hour.

The NNJCF collected the laundry detergent at its ArtsBergen initiative's quarterly Connect the Dots networking event held at Fairleigh Dickinson University and partnered with the Bergen Volunteer Center's newly launched Mini LEADS program at Berkeley College. Artists, arts administrators, writers, business owners, nonprofit representatives, and community and municipal leaders brought their donations of laundry detergent to these events to help homeless families.

The collection was part of the NNJCF's mission to promote cooperation and civic engagement in the community to address pressing issues and concerns.

"The NNJCF continually asks, 'What can we accomplish together that we cannot do alone?' The contribution helps homeless families in Bergen County and demonstrates the Foundation's collaborative purpose to bring together residents and local community based organizations to meet the needs in the area," said Michael Shannon, President, NNJCF.

During Community Foundation Week, the NNJCF presented the collection to Family Promise of Bergen County, a nonprofit organization in Ridgewood that services exclusively homeless families.

“As a community foundation, NNJCF impacts lives, solves problems, and enhances peoples' futures," said Shannon.

“Many residents grapple with limited resources and a growing need for services. We are resolute to bring community partners together to find innovative and effective solutions for some of our most challenging social problems.”

Community Foundation Facts

Community Foundation Week recognizes the work of community foundations throughout the United States and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to address community problems. According to the Council on Foundations, community foundations are independent, public entities that steward philanthropic resources from institutional and individual donors to local nonprofits that are the heart of strong, vibrant communities. As one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy, they range in size and are identifying and addressing solutions to social issues.

Making a Difference

This year, the NNJCF's ArtsBergen initiative continued to worked with the City of Hackensack to develop a creative placemaking program that is using arts and culture to help the city enhance its quality of life, grow civic and business revenues, and make the community a more exciting, attractive place to visit, live, and work. ArtsBergen worked with the Hackensack Main Street Business Alliance to establish Creative Hackensack to use arts and culture for revitalizing downtown business.

"From this joint effort, several projects were developed, such as the Main Gateway Mural on Main Street and the CAT Walk Art Exhibition held this past summer at Demarest Place. The Arts Village on Banta Place, featuring music, art exhibitions, and public art at the 11th Annual Hackensack Street Festival, attracted several hundred visitors, who contributed their art and messages on a community wall using the façade of a local business," said NNJCF Associate Director Danielle De Laurentis.

For further information about the NNJCF, upcoming Connect the Dots events, volunteer opportunities or other community engagement projects, call 201-568-5608 or send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About NNJCF

The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF), a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization based in Englewood, New Jersey, focuses primarily on the arts, civic engagement, education, and public health. NNJCF works with local governments, school districts, businesses, non-profit organizations, and citizen groups in Northern New Jersey to improve community life. Foundation partners identify and resolve regional problems and opportunities by talking and learning from each other, by sharing ideas, best practices, services, and resources.

For more information, visit http://www.nnjcf.org, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call (201) 568-5608. Follow the NNJCF on Facebook at Northern NJ Community Foundation/ArtsBergen and Twitter @NNJCF.

About ArtsBergen

ArtsBergen, an initiative of the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, is an emerging arts alliance in Bergen County, New Jersey that supports and encourages creative placemaking, the practice of integrating arts and culture into a neighborhood, town, or region to build community and livability and boost local economy. The initiative's mission is to energize and unify artists and arts organizations and connect the Bergen County community to the arts.

For more information, visit www.nnjcf.org, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 201-568-5608.