New Jersey Health Initiatives Announces 10 Recipients for $500,000 Small Communities Support Initiative

The grantees and their community partners will focus on improving health and health equity over the next two years

Camden, NJ (November 11, 2020) – New Jersey Health Initiatives (NJHI) announced today 10 grantees as part of a new funding program to help small communities in southern New Jersey address challenges to health and health equity through cross-sector collaboration and making better use of data resources.

The NJHI: Small Communities Forging Hyperlocal Data Collaboratives initiative is designed to improve equity in South Jersey communities with populations of fewer than 50,000 residents, by focusing on resources to which these communities are less likely to have access when making decisions that can improve the health of residents.

The grantees have identified gaps and challenges in their communities – such as education and employment, food access, obesity and children in poverty – and will work to close those gaps by collaborating with partners across sectors such as: education, arts, public safety, libraries, public health, faith-based organizations, behavioral health and health care, elected officials and municipal agencies.

In addition to the two-year, $50,000 grants awarded through this initiative, each grantee will receive tools that include a customized local data dashboard from City Health Dashboard — a leading national health data resource that reports on 37 key measures and drivers of health, access to easily understandable geographic data with mapping and analytic tools, examples of local data that can illustrate the factors that make up a healthy community, processes to identify local gaps and challenges, and opportunities to develop common goals for community health improvement.

“As we continue moving forward in making New Jersey the healthiest state, we’re learning just how important having access to data is for making fact-based decisions – no matter how big or small your community is.”

Bob Atkins, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, director of NJHI

“As we continue moving forward in making New Jersey the healthiest state, we’re learning just how important having access to data is for making fact-based decisions – no matter how big or small your community is,” said Bob Atkins, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, director of NJHI. “We know that, by providing our grantees access to these tools and supporting cross-sector collaboration, we can make important strides to address the deep-rooted issues that our communities face.”

The following organizations have been awarded grants under the NJHI: Small Communities Forging Hyperlocal Data Collaboratives to serve the communities listed:

• The Opportunity League, Burlington City
  • Project Title: Burlington City Food Access Network
• Clayton Public School District, Clayton
  • Project Title: Clayton in Motion
• Stop the Violence in Atlantic County, Egg Harbor City
  • Project Title: Heart of the Community
• Rowan University Foundation, Glassboro
  • Project Title: Glassboro Food and Health Equity Project
• Allies in Caring, Inc., Hammonton
  • Project Title: Connecting the Dots for Better Health
• Borough of Lawnside, Lawnside
  • Project Title: Young at Heart Intergenerational Program
• Holly City Development Corporation, Millville
  • Project Title: Addressing Community Food Insecurity
• Salem Community College, Penns Grove
  • Project Title: Penns Grove CARES
• AVANZAR, Pleasantville
  • Project Title: Pleasantville ‘All In!’
• Salem Community College, Salem City
  • Project Title: Salem City CARES

Throughout the grant period, coalitions will participate in an on-going, structured learning collaborative to build a network among the 10 communities, while also receiving coaching, resources related to their initiatives’ focus areas and evaluation and communications assistance to promote and share their successes, challenges and lessons learned.

To learn more about the NJHI: Small Communities Forging Hyperlocal Data Collaboratives and access periodic updates about each coalition’s progress, visit njhi.org.

About New Jersey Health Initiatives

New Jersey Health Initiatives is a statewide grantmaking program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Established in 1987 to honor the New Jersey philanthropic legacy of RWJF’s founder, Robert Wood Johnson II, NJHI supports innovations and drives conversations to build healthier communities through grantmaking across the Foundation’s home state of New Jersey. To meet the many health needs of our state’s diverse populations, regions and communities, the NJHI national program encourages collaboration across sectors to foster deep relationships committed to long-term change affording all New Jerseyans the opportunity to live the healthiest life possible. Learn more about NJHI at njhi.org, and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/NJHI_ or on Facebook at facebook.com/newjerseyhealthinitiatives.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

For more than 45 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are working alongside others to build a national Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. RWJF has invested more than $1.2 billion in New Jersey since 1972. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.