One million dollars. Then two. Now seven.
When the LeFrak and Simon families announced this spring that they’d give a total of $1 million to 40 Jersey City nonprofits to mark Newport’s 40th anniversary, it drew 135 applications — a sign of how deep the need runs. On Thursday, at the event meant to hand out those awards, the families doubled the total to $2 million. Then they went further, pledging $1 million a year to Jersey City nonprofits for each of the next five years.
The list
The LeFrak and Simon families’ Newport Associates Development Company doubled its original $1 million pledge to $2 million Thursday, distributing grants across 40 Jersey City nonprofits selected from a pool of 135 applicants, with awards ranging from $25,000 to $200,000.
Here’s the list of recipients.
Some will call it the gift that keeps giving. The families call it something simpler: paying back a city that gave them 40 years of room to grow.
The announcement came during a 40th anniversary celebration at The Westin Jersey City Newport, four decades after the LeFrak and Simon families began transforming an abandoned parcel into what is now a 400-acre waterfront community.
“Forty years ago, the LeFrak and Simon families came together and transformed an abandoned railroad yard into a vibrant community,” Richard LeFrak, chairman of LeFrak, said. “We believed Newport’s success would be measured not only by what we built, but by whether it created lasting value for Jersey City.
“Expanding our existing giving to $7 million over the next few years reflects our responsibility to invest in the city’s future and ensure Newport’s next chapter continues to create opportunity for the people of Jersey City.”
Gov. Mikie Sherrill framed the gift as an extension of what Newport has already meant to the region.
“Newport’s transformation has had an impact far beyond the waterfront, by creating homes, opportunity, infrastructure and public spaces that serve Jersey City and the wider region,” she said. “LeFrak and Simon’s expanded philanthropic commitment extends that legacy by directing resources to organizations that improve lives every day.”
Eli Simon, chief executive officer of Simon Property Group and manager of SFG Holdco, LLC, said the families see the giving as inseparable from Newport’s future.
“Newport has grown alongside Jersey City for 40 years, and its future is inseparable from the people and institutions that make the city thrive,” he said. “Supporting local organizations means investing in residents, expanding opportunity and strengthening the foundation for the next generation. That work will help shape the future of both Jersey City and Newport.”
Jersey City Mayor James Solomon called the long-term structure of the pledge as significant as its size.
“Strong cities depend on nonprofits that understand their neighborhoods and can respond directly to residents’ needs,” he said. “This initiative puts resources into the hands of organizations that know our city and support families, young people and vulnerable residents every day. The LeFrak and Simon families’ long-term support demonstrates how private investment can be paired with a genuine commitment to the city and its people.”
The 40 total recipients were selected from a pool of 135 applicants. They represent a broad cross-section of Jersey City’s nonprofit landscape — organizations working in social services, health care, education, the arts, community development, environmental protection and athletics. Four organizations received the initiative’s largest, “cornerstone” awards of at least $100,000 each: Garden State Community Development Corporation, the Anti-Violence Coalition of Hudson County, Team Wilderness and Arts 14C.
Rep. Rob Menendez credited the families for pairing development with genuine community investment.
“Development should always go hand-in-hand with true investment in our communities,” he said. “Such investments are not possible without supporting the local organizations that provide assistance to those who need it most, and we are appreciative of Newport’s continuing philanthropic work in Jersey City to fulfill this important principle.”
Hudson County Executive Craig Guy called the multi-year structure of the commitment as notable as its size.
“Newport was the catalyst for Jersey City’s modern economic transformation, turning past industrial land into a powerhouse of regional growth and sustainable 21st-century infrastructure,” he said. “But what truly cements their legacy is that their sense of investment extends far beyond buildings and tax revenue. This groundbreaking multi-year philanthropic commitment guarantees that as our county continues to grow, the vital nonprofits supporting our residents will have a reliable, long-term partner in building a stronger future.”
Jersey City Council President Denise Ridley tied the announcement to Newport’s broader legacy of public investment along the waterfront.
“From creating beautiful public parks and waterfront spaces to showing up for our city’s nonprofits, Newport understands what it means to be a community partner,” she said. “Doubling their philanthropic commitment today and pledging a million dollars a year for the next five years is an extraordinary investment in our city’s future. This funding will directly empower the local groups and changemakers who work tirelessly every day to make all of Jersey City a better place to call home.”
The commitment marks the latest chapter in a transformation four decades in the making. What was once abandoned, underutilized industrial land along the Jersey City waterfront has grown, under LeFrak and Simon’s stewardship, into a 400-acre mixed-use community that today is home to 20,000 residents, supports 50,000 workers and draws millions of visitors a year. The past 40 years have brought 25 residential buildings, eight office towers, two hotels and the Newport Centre Mall, along with 25 acres of public parks and a mile of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway anchored by Jaume Plensa’s 80-foot Water’s Soul sculpture.
Six months ago, a $1 million gift for 40 nonprofits was itself considered a milestone. On Thursday, it became the opening chapter of a much longer commitment. More information on Newport’s 40th anniversary and the philanthropy initiative is available here.
