How’s this for creating placemaking: Let the people in the places decide what is needed
most?
This unique philosophy is the impetus for the Neighbors Helping Neighborhoods grant
program.
In this unique approach to community investment, the program puts decision-making in
the hands of a community review board made up of Newark residents, underscoring the
expertise of community members to know what their neighborhoods need to thrive.
Launched in 2018 as part of the Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative, the Neighbors
Helping Neighborhoods program has awarded more than 50 projects totaling over
$300,000 across eight years.
Last week, the Victoria Foundation and LISC New Jersey announced the latest round of
Neighbors Helping Neighborhoods grants, awarding $45,000 to five resident-led
projects in Upper Clinton Hill, Fairmount Heights and Lower Broadway in Newark.
“This is a model for how philanthropy can move away from top-down approaches and
toward real investment in resident leaders and supporting the vision a community has
for their own successes,” Craig Drinkard, Executive Officer of Victoria Foundation, said.
Rather than following a traditional approach to philanthropy, core to this grantmaking is
a community-led process where residents design and submit solutions for their own
neighborhoods and people from the community choose which projects fund.
The resident review process is central to the Neighbors Helping Neighborhoods
program. Applications were grouped by neighborhood and evaluated by community
reviewers using a shared rubric, ensuring that the people closest to each
neighborhood’s realities, who understand the context of daily life, held the power to
shape its future.
This round drew 55 applications from residents across all three neighborhoods, with
funded projects including:
- Clinton Hill
- Fairmount Heights: Essentially Yours From The Heart, description
- Fairmount Heights: SHEWins!
- Lower Broadway: Newark Global Studies
- Lower Broadway: Keys 2 Success
The portfolio of projects reflects the creativity, care, and leadership already alive on
Newark’s neighborhoods. Individual grants range from $2,500 to $5,000, distributed
through longstanding partners to Victoria Foundation and LISC New Jersey: The Urban
League of Essex County, La Casa De Don Pedro, and Clinton Hill Community Action.
Past grants have seeded lasting neighborhood fixtures like the West Side High School
Baby Pantry in Fairmount Heights and Rabbit Hole Farm in Clinton Hill.
Programs such as these illustrate what LISC does.
Since 1986, LISC New Jersey has collaborated with community-based organizations to
improve the quality of life for residents and shopkeepers. LISC New Jersey brings
expertise in community engagement and community-led development to partnerships
that advance opportunity and well-being across Newark’s neighborhoods.
LISC New Jersey is the New Jersey office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a
national organization dedicated to building resilient and inclusive communities. With
support from our affiliates, we have invested more than $478 million dollars in New
Jersey and have contributed to the production of more than 5,684 affordable homes and
apartments and more than 946,695 square feet of commercial space.
About Victoria Foundation: Founded in 1924, Victoria Foundation is dedicated to
strengthening community power, fostering economic justice, and promoting youth self-
determination in Newark, New Jersey. By aligning resources and building deep
relationships, we aim to address the systemic causes of inequity and support a future
where all Newark residents can shape their own destinies. In 2025, Victoria Foundation
made $14.3M in grants to organizations on the frontlines, supporting their rapid
response to pressing issues while advancing long-term, resident-led solutions. Learn
more at victoriafoundation.org.
