CFNJ: Great Companions Fund Grant

The Great Companions Fund, managed by the Community Foundation of New Jersey, supports non-profit organizations that assist companion animals in New Jersey, including dogs, cats, and horses. The fund emphasizes community-driven initiatives that address inequities and serve historically underserved populations. With grant awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, priority is given to smaller organizations with annual budgets under $1 million, fostering innovative solutions in animal welfare.

Grantmaking Philosophy
The Community Foundation of New Jersey considers regularly how we as an organization and civic community leader can effect lasting change that leads to greater equity. To that end, our discretionary grantmaking is informed by many of the below criteria and grounded in the associated values.
Criteria
We seek to support initiatives that:

• Pilot a good idea and have a realistic path toward broader uptake
• Have an achievable public policy objective
• Promote a public systems fix that CFNJ and partners have the tools/standing to influence
• Reach a New Jersey community or group of people who are not being served or have historically been underserved.
• Leverage other private or public resources
• Values
• The work we support is:
• Community-driven, with input that comes from the community and take into account the expressed needs and plans of the community.
• Equity-informed, directly addressing racial, economic and/or social inequity in New Jersey.

Diversely-led, drawing from a greater diversity of organizations that people of color, different ages and perspectives lead and/or serve, and that may or may not have proven track records but show promise in future work
Broad-based, serving more than one community.
This application is open to non-profit organizations that support companion animals in New Jersey. This primarily includes dogs, cats and horses, but we will consider grant applications for other animals on a case-by-case basis.
Funding
Grant awards range from $1,000-$5,000.

Eligibility

Great Companions Fund typically provides grants to organizations that have an annual budget of less than $1 million.While all animal-related organizations are welcome to apply, the grant review committee tends to prioritize smaller “mom and pop” projects.