Eastern Bergen County, NJ -- The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County awarded 24 grants, totaling $124,950, to nonprofit agencies responding to increased need in the community. Founded in 1933 during the Great Depression, The Community Chest, a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, supports local nonprofit organizations serving people in need in eastern Bergen County, New Jersey.

Grant Recipients

The 2023-2024 grant recipients are:
                •Bergen Family Center
                •Bergen Performing Arts Center
                •Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative
                •Bloom Empowerment
                •Center for Food Action
                •The Center for Hope and Safety
                •Encounters in Black Traditions
                •Englewood Health
                •Englewood Neighborhood Pantry
                •Family Promise of Bergen County
                •Flat Rock Brook Nature Center
                •JCC Thurnauer School of Music
                •Jewish Family and Children's Services of Northern NJ
                •Metropolitan Community Center
                •Office of Concern Food Pantry
                •POP Program
                •Rotary Club of Englewood
                •Spectrum for Living
                •Tenafly Nature Center
                •Vantage Health System
                •Volunteer Center of Bergen County
                •West Side Infant and Teen Parent Program
                •Women's Rights Information Center
                •YWCA of Northern NJ

The nonprofit agencies will use their grant awards to provide services that meet The Chest's 2023-2024 priorities in these areas:
                • Mental Health services,
                • Food Insecurity and Healthy Eating,
                • Home Care (Health Care Staffing and Services),            
                • Educational Enhancement/College and Career Prep, and
                • Racial Justice Education.

The grant recipients will provide services to residents in need from these communities: Alpine, Bergenfield, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Harrington Park, Haworth, Northvale, Norwood, Old Tappan, Rockleigh and Tenafly.

Requests Exceed Funds Available

With a mission to strengthen the community through partnership, leadership and philanthropy, The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County awarded the grants to local nonprofits through a competitive process managed by the organization's Allocations Committee and approved by the Board of Managers. During the organization's 90th year, funds were raised through an annual campaign and fundraisers to address increasing needs in the areas of food insecurity and mental health in eastern Bergen County. This year, the nonprofit agencies' requests reached $267,900, exceeding the budget for grant awards.

"This year, The Chest's Allocation Committee focused specifically on maximizing our finite resources to support the increased demand for services in the priority areas of mental health, food insecurity, educational enhancement and racial justice education. Agencies that provide services to people in need in our region, especially in the areas of mental health and food insecurity, were prioritized," said Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer, Executive Director, The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Since the organization's founding 90 years ago, The Chest has raised over $12 million and served over 100 nonprofit organizations. The Chest supports area nonprofits addressing a range of issues, including health and mental health, hunger, arts programming, the environment, and volunteerism for approximately 50,000 people annually.

For further information about The Chest or to make a contribution, visit www.communitychestofenglewood.org or contact (201) 568-7474.