Happy holidays! We’ve had a great year of learning, reflection, and action as we reframed our strategy and how we do our work. Here’s what we’ve been up to during the last quarter of the year in each of our three strategic priorities.
Funding - Fund and support organizations, partnerships, coalitions, and other structures whose work aligns with the Foundation’s prioritized outcomes and who have a strong connection to the community.
The last quarter of the year continues to be busy with creating deeper relationships by reaching more into community. We have met with many wonderful nonprofit organizations, learning about their missions and how they are working towards an equitable, just and vibrant Central Jersey Shore.
You can search our grants directory on our website by keyword and year, showing grants we’ve made from 2020 to the present. This will be updated quarterly. https://gruninfoundation.org/grants-directory
Please visit our website for thorough information on our funding and funding process.
Funding 2025
We will continue to create meaningful change by investing in the Central Jersey Shore, understanding its unique dynamics, reaching deeper into community, and working collaboratively to address its most pressing challenges.
Capacity Building - Invest in the capacity building of organizations and individuals to enhance their impact, effectiveness, and sustainability.
Fundraising Day Plenary Recap
On November 12, we hosted a Fundraising Day Plenary full of tips, tricks, and tactics for successful fundraising, facilitated by Floyd Jones. Floyd brought the ENERGY! There were two sessions that covered the full day - Session 1: “Community as a Catalyst: How to Unlock the Power of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising," in the morning and Session 2: "Building Strategic Alliances: How to Secure Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships,” after lunch. Floyd was a fantastic, engaging speaker who provided valuable takeaways for nonprofit fundraisers. You can read the full recap of the event here: https://blog.gruninfoundation.org/fundraising-day-with-floyd-jones
Virtual Holiday Tea Party
On December 17, we are hosting our last Virtual Lunch Hour of the year which is a Virtual Holiday Tea Party. We had a great year of topics (as chosen by the nonprofit community!) including Care & Wellness, Growth, Joy & Belonging, Courage, Creativity, Gratitude and we are ending the year by coming together virtually and connecting over a cup of tea. Pre-registered attendees will get a little tea package compliments of your friends at the Grunin Foundation!
Capacity Building 2025
We have lots of exciting plans for next year! Here’s a little sneak peek at what’s to come…
- New Way Forward: Virtual Equity in Action Series
- Virtual Lunch Hours (with a new, collaborative twist)
- Nonprofit Board Retreat (save the date for April 3 and 4, 2025 – details to come!)
- Fundraising Plenary
- Moments of Joy…
…and much more! Keep a look out for emails with invitations and more details coming soon.
Coalition Building – Engaging in coalition building and advocacy at the regional and state levels to impact systemic issues.
Pragmatic Activism Cohort
We wrapped up the 4th Pragmatic Activism Cohort facilitated by Orville Morales of Morales and Associates, with the final session of the series on December 9. Pragmatic Activism is a strategic approach to social change that allows for intentional and reasonable action that is sustainable over time. This program, offered to nonprofit and business professionals who live, work, worship, or serve in Ocean and Monmouth Counties, teaches the importance of advocacy and how to get involved.
In addition to the cohort, Orville facilitates quarterly legislative updates during the year via Zoom for cohort members and cohort alumni.
MORF
The Monmouth & Ocean Roundtable of Funders (MORF), led by the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers in partnership with the Grunin Foundation, meets regularly to share information, learn together, and increase collective impact. Since our last update, MORF has held more roundtables with funders in Monmouth and Ocean County, to discuss what can be done together to create greater impact in our communities. The meetings follow the framework of Sharing, Learning & Action.
MORF hosted a Funder Briefing in November: United for ALICE: Empowering Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed Families. The session explored New Jersey’s ALICE data and the latest national reporting on ALICE in the nonprofit sector. It was crucial for Foundation staff and trustees as it provided opportunities for learning, engaging with key stakeholders, exploring innovative solutions, and contributing to a more equitable future for all.
Coalition Building 2025
We look forward to continuing Pragmatic Activism opportunities and are currently working on logistics and ideas for next year. We are also eager to continue the conversation with the Monmouth & Ocean Roundtable of Funders around what we can do together to take action and create greater impact in our communities.
As we close the year….
We wish you warmth, unity, and joy this holiday season and beyond. Thank you for all you do to create an equitable, just, and vibrant Central Jersey Shore. We are hopeful for the future and are excited to continue working in community with you.