News From The Fund

Summer is officially in full swing, the Knicks have won the championship, Governor Mikie Sherill’s first budget has been enacted, and New Jersey continues to host the world for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in East Rutherford. All we need now is a summer without NJ Transit disruptions 

Ronald Chen, one of The Fund’s Trustees and Distinguished Professor of Law and University Professor at Rutgers Law School, was interviewed on State of Affairs with Steve Adubato. In this conversation, Ronald Chen clarified the federal immigration enforcement’s authority and explained the distinction between civil and criminal violations for undocumented residents throughout the country. Watch the full interview below.

In a new blog post, Program Associate and Leonard Lieberman Philanthropy Fellow Beauty Ademola reflects on her experience attending Foundations on the Hill 2026, where foundation leaders from across the country gathered in Washington, DC, to discuss the role of philanthropy in advancing public policy and strengthening communities.

Click here to read Beauty’s reflections on the lessons, conversations, and insights she is bringing back to her work at The Fund for New Jersey.

Save The Date

Please save the date for the 2026 Crossroads NJ Democracy Forum on October 13, 2026, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. Presented by The Fund for New Jersey, this day-long annual convening will bring together community leaders, policy experts, and residents to discuss key issues facing our state, including affordability, democracy, and immigration. Building on the success of the 2025 Crossroads Conversation series, participants will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, explore solutions, and learn how to get involved in advocating for the New Jersey we all deserve. More information will be shared soon.

Staff Reads

• Data Center Tax Exemptions: Data Center Subsidies Surge as States Lose Billions (Good Jobs First) 

• Entertainment: Disney just changed everything about this Animal Kingdom opening-day attraction, and fans are not happy (NJ.com) 

• Environment:  As government privatization efforts grow, lawsuits against federal contractors get more difficult (The Conversation) 

• Safety: New Jersey’s E-Bike Law Is Drawing Protests — And It’s Easy to See Why (Yahoo!) 

• Senior Professionals: Older Americans are often compelled to keep working – and then criticized for not stepping aside (The Conversation) 

Grantee News

Policy Updates  

• American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ): Following a hunger strike led by detainees at Delaney Hall, Governor Mikie Sherrill announced a $20.2 million allocation for the Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative (DDDI) last month. The fund is expected to provide free legal representation to income-eligible New Jersey residents who are detained or facing deportation without access to counsel. The ACLU of New Jersey issued a press statement, describing the development as a meaningful step towards strengthening legal representation in immigration proceedings. Click here to read more.
  
• New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA): Last month, NJEJA submitted an amicus letter as a friend of the court opposing the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission’s proposed plan to construct a fourth natural gas power plant in Newark’s Ironbound community. NJEJA warned that children in the community already suffer, and in some cases, die from asthma-related complications, so adding another gas plant facility would further intensify long-term air pollution and public health burdens in the community. Click here to read more.

Grantee Reports

• New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP): NJPP released a report analyzing proposed changes made by Governor Mikie Sherrill to the Stay NJ Program. The report, A Smarter Stay NJ: The Governor’s Changes Are a Good Start, commends the governor for capping the program’s benefits at $4,000 from $6,500 and reducing the program’s income limit from $500,000 to $250,000. It also highlights that although Stay NJ was created to provide property tax relief to seniors, the program fails to provide any benefit to senior renters. Click here to read more.
  
• Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ): Last month, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 2026 Kids Count Data Book, which highlights trends in child well-being across all 50 states. ACNJ participates in the KIDS COUNT Network, coordinating and compiling NJ’s state data for inclusion in the report. Using data from 2019 – 2024, the report evaluates children’s outcomes across four key areas: health, education, economic well-being, and family and community. New Jersey ranked sixth nationally, behind New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Utah, Vermont, and Minnesota. While the state saw modest improvements in other areas, educational outcomes for children continued to decline, despite New Jersey maintaining a top national ranking in education compared to other states. Click here to read more.

Leadership and Organizational Announcements 

• Lead Free-NJ: Lead-Free NJ Community Hub Leaders Shereyl Snider and Shanikwa Lemon were appointed to the NJ DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Council (EJAC). Lead-Free NJ Water Advocacy Committee Chair Rachel Dawn Davis is also a member of the council. EJAC is appointed by and serves as an advisory body to the Commissioner of the DEP. Additionally, EJAC members provides guidance, builds DEP’s capacity and support the state’s Environmental Justice constituents and stakeholders.  Read more here.  

• New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (NJISJ): Ryan Haygood, President and CEO, announced that after eleven years of leading NJISJ he will depart the organization on July 31 to become the President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Henal Patel, who has served as the Institute’s Law & Policy Director, has been named Interim President & CEO of the Institute. Laura Sullivan, who has served as Director of the Economic Justice Program, is now Interim Law & Policy Director. Read more here. 

Garden State Gems

In June, New Jersey became more legendary with the grand opening of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University’s campus in Long Branch, NJ. (The Bruce Springsteen Center) 

Events

• July 6 – Camp Craftsman (Paterson Alliance) 

• July 8 – Policy World Wednesdays (NJ Center for Nonprofits) 

• July 17 – Asian American Leadership Summit (AAPI-NJ) 

• August 6 – 2026 Summer Joint Policy Forum (CNJG and NJ Center for Nonprofits) 

Job Announcements

• Ironbound Community Corporation – Multiple Positions 

• Pinelands Preservation Alliance – Multiple Positions 

• NJ Center for Nonprofits – Government Affairs Specialist 

• NJ Center for Nonprofits – Office Manager  

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Keep up to date on the issues.

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We welcome your policy updates, job announcements, and staff news. Please send submissions to Naeema Campbell, ncampbell@fundfornj.org or Beauty ademola, bademola@fundfornj.org for inclusion in our newsletter.