FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alanna Gonzalez
info@impact100gardenstate.org
Impact100 Garden State
Impact100 Garden State Announces Eight Finalists for 2026 $100,000 Grants
MAY 6, 2026 — Impact100 Garden State, an all-women, all-volunteer collective giving group, has chosen eight nonprofit finalists for its 2026 grant cycle. Of the eight, four organizations will each receive a $100,000 high-impact grant, and four will each receive a $10,000 Merit Award to advance their mission. Grant recipients will be awarded at Impact100 Garden State’s annual Big Give celebration on June 10.
“We’re excited to be able to support eight finalists this year, thanks to our growing membership and the commitment and generosity of our members,” said Celeste Campos of Warren, President of Impact100 Garden State. “Each of these organizations is doing important work in our communities. We are thrilled to help them carry out their missions with transformative grants.”
This year’s finalists are:
Proposal: Master Leasing to Improve Housing Access for Low-Income Families in Union County
Category: Health & Wellness- Housing
Great Swamp Watershed Association
Proposal: Loantaka Brook Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan
Category: Environment
Morris County Organization for Hispanic Affairs
Proposal: Community Wellness Center
Category: Health & Wellness- Mental Health
Northern NJ Safe Kids/Safe Communities
Proposal: Keep Kids Safe in Car Seats and Cribs!
Category: Children & Families- Family Support
Proposal: Seeds to Sustainability: Community Garden and Pedal Farmers Expansion in Dover
Category: Health & Wellness- Food Insecurity
Proposal: Strengthening the Reach Out and Read Program in Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties
Category: Education- Early Childhood
Proposal: Supporting New Jersey Youth Aging Out of Foster Care in Securing and Sustaining Career-Aligned Employment
Category: Education- Life Skills
Proposal: Pathways to Protection: Survivor-Centered Justice Access and Legal Advocacy Initiative
Category: Health & Wellness- Legal Support
The finalists were selected from 108 applications through a comprehensive review process by more than 100 Impact100 Garden State members. Grant recipients are determined through member voting, which begins May 29. All 432 members will have the opportunity to participate in selecting the four $100,000 grant recipients.
“The grants are just the beginning of our relationship with these organizations,” said Campos. “We continue to work with them through implementation, and our members can see the impact of their contributions in communities across our region.”
Impact100 Garden State is grounded in the power of collective giving, pooling members’ $1,000 annual contributions to create high-impact grants for nonprofits in five New Jersey counties: Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Union. This year, the organization achieved a record 432 members.
With the grant awards in June, Impact100 Garden State will have given close to $4.5 million to nonprofits in northern New Jersey since 2013.
To learn more about joining Impact100 Garden State, donating, or becoming a business sponsor, visit the website at www.impact100gardenstate.org or write to info@impact100gardenstate.org.