Founded in 1996, the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey has been fervently dedicated to reducing the disparities found in access to quality healthcare for vulnerable populations in the greater Newark and Jewish community of the Greater MetroWest (this includes Newark, Millburn, South Orange, East Orange, West Orange, Elizabeth, Bloomfield, Maplewood, Irvington, Belleville, Union, Livingston, Morristown, Hillside and Montclair). Their work also aims to infuse a more compassionate and humanistic approach to our healthcare system through their pledge for action which includes: Investing in Knowledge, Community-Led Guidance, Equity-Centric Grantmaking and Collaborative Innovation.
Under the umbrella of their Pledge for Action, the Healthcare Foundation of NJ has six main focuses for their work. These include supporting hospitals, general medical care, behavioral health, workforce training, public health and several other areas. Amongst numerous other achievements, their hospital work includes an incredible accomplishment in 2022 which involved HFNJ’s trustees approving a $1 Million grant to the Overlook Medical Center to support the renovation of the hospital’s Frank & Mimi Walsh Maternity Center. The work, completed in 2023, included a new welcome area, triage suite as well as two new operating rooms for C-Section and 13 state of the art recovery rooms in the Mother-Baby postpartum unit. This work supports a 24/7 maternity department that delivers about seven babies every day of the year!
Within these pillars, the HFNJ’s work has also made strides to make healthcare truly accessible to all by meeting people where they need. This work includes efforts at public parks and fitness opportunities to provide life saving health education. Some of their recent work includes providing two grants to the Branchbrook Park Alliance in 2022 and 2023, which both support wellness activities at the park. The response to this work was immediate with the community showing up in droves. In the first year, 1,100 individuals participated in various programs including yoga, park walks as well as Zumba and Soul Line Dancing classes. These grants have also empowered the Alliance to have the ability to sponsor community health fairs which provide various health screenings for things like A1C, blood pressure and BMI.
Overall, the organization's accomplishment highlights include 2,745 total grants awarded, 545 of which totaled over $30 million. $30 million was also given to strengthen Newark’s Beth Israel Medical Center across 185 grant projects. As a result of all of their incredible work, The Healthcare Foundation of NJ has received 326 ‘Humanism in Medicine’ awards which acknowledge local health providers who exemplify empathy and compassion. The HFNJ continues to grow and make incredible strides with bridging the gap for accessibility with the organization providing $9,582,981 in total awards as indicated in their 2024 Impact Report.
Most recently, JESPY, a nonprofit which serves adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities was a recipient of a $281,040 grant from the HFNJ which has allowed them to establish a dedicated health and wellness suite inside the JESPY Center on its Cooperman Family Campus. The organization also awarded $1,070,865 in grants to ten New Jersey nonprofits including the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy and Greater MetroWest Day School Initiative Mental Health Partnership amongst others. Looking ahead, we’re excited to see how the HFNJ continues to make positive impacts on the community.
It’s clear that the Healthcare Foundation of NJ is making a measurable and life changing difference for many residents within New Jersey through its consistent philanthropic efforts over the years. It’s incredibly empowering to see how much our local community benefits when we take a moment and support those in need. To find out how you can support the foundation and keep up with their latest efforts, you can visit hfnj.org.