Crossroads NJ 2025 Policy Report

We are pleased to announce the release of Crossroads NJ 2025: Reviewing Needs and Reimagining Opportunities, The Fund for New Jersey’s latest policy report informed by our statewide Crossroads NJ Conversations series.

This new report includes a scorecard evaluating the state’s progress on the recommendations we issued in 2017. It also addresses emerging issues and outlines top priorities that can move New Jersey toward a more equitable, affordable, and opportunity-rich future for all. Read more here… 

What public policy issues are coming up this month? 

• Census POGO fact sheet: In FY 2023 New Jersey received $65,656,831,427 in census-guided federal spending. The census is a decennial count of all United States residents that determines the number of Congress members each state can send to the U.S. House of Representatives and how much resources states receive from the federal government. Without an accurate count, New Jersey residents will lose congressional representation and funding for important programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, Infrastructure and Education. Although the 2020 Census permitted a majority of residents to respond online for the first time, participation in New Jersey’s largest cities remained low: 51% in Newark, 49% in Trenton, 55% in Paterson, and 50% in Camden. To see a breakdown of federal funding that came to NJ in past years, download the Project of Government Oversight’s NJ Fact Sheet. Read more here…
  

What are the Staff at FFNJ Reading and Watching?

• Corporate Home Ownership: Trends in Investor Acquisition of Residential Properties in New Jersey (New Jersey State Policy Lab) 
• Democratic Reform: Paving the Path for a Third Reconstruction (Non-Profit Quarterly) 
• From Corruption to Ballot Reform: Fighting for Government Accountability in New Jersey (EJB Talks) 
• Media Funding: N.J.’s public media lifeline is about to snap — will Murphy and Sherrill let it? | Opinion (NJ.com) 
• Political Succession: What Long Incumbencies Mean for Civic Life (Pulse Check) 
• Resistance and Resilience: The New Political Attacks on Black Philanthropy and How Communities are Fighting Back (ESSENCE) 
• Shared Equity Homeownership: Meeting Demand and Preserving Supply (New America) 

Grantee News

Policy Updates

• Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders of New Jersey (AAPI-NJ): As the lame duck period for this legislative session comes to a close, AAPI-NJ alongside more than 100 educators, signed a letter urging lawmakers to prioritize protections for immigrant communities in New Jersey. Read more here… 
• Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ): Following pushbacks from organizations like ACNJ, the state reversed its August decision to close enrollment for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which had been paused due to funding shortfalls. The program pays most daycare expenses for 70,000 children whose parents earn twice the federal poverty rate. Read more here… 
• Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (HCDNNJ): Through the advocacy of organizations such as the Fair Share Housing Center and HCDNNJ, the state enacted legislation allowing municipal governments to establish a local homelessness trust fund dedicated to providing supportive services for unhoused residents and rental assistance for individuals at risk of homelessness. Read more here… 

Grantee Reports

• Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ): The Camden Kids Count 2025 report, which analyzes nearly a decade of data, examined trends in child poverty and overall well-being in Camden City compared to that of Camden County and all of New Jersey. Released by ACNJ, the report found that despite measurable progress, Camden’s household median income of $37,045 lagged behind the statewide average of $126,827. Similarly, 73% of children in Camden City live in low-income households, compared to statewide rate of 29%. Read more here… 
• Education Law Center (ELC): ELC released its annual Making the Grade 2025 report. Using 2022-2023 data, the report examined the effort made by states to fund and distribute money to public schools. New Jersey was among several well-funded states whose resources were not properly distributed to meet the needs of high poverty districts. Read more here… 

Events

• January 8 – New Jersey Higher Education Mental Health Summit 2026 (New Jersey Center for Nonprofits) 
• January 7 – Lunch & Learn: Navigating NJ Financial Aid (Latino Action Network Foundation) 
• January 21 – Lunch and Learn Start Strong NJ (Advocates for Children of New Jersey) 

Job Announcements

• Education Law Center – Staff Attorney Position
• Latino Action Network Foundation – Operations Coordinator 
• New Jersey Policy Perspective – Senior Policy Analyst, Health 
• Ironbound Community Corporation – Multiple Positions  
• AAPI-NJ – Multilingual Community Organizer