The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation announces its inaugural Community Changemaker Night. This special event honors five exemplary community leaders. These leaders made significant contributions to the betterment of life in North Jersey. The celebration takes place on Thursday, June 5, 2025 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at a cocktail reception at Forte Ristorante, located at 160 Prospect Avenue in Hackensack, New Jersey.
Humorist and also Bergen Record columnist Bill Ervolino emcees and also performs in the festivities. In addition, Ryan Huban of Howdy Stranger presents a fun, interactive game-show awards ceremony. Attendees will also have an opportunity to network with more than 100 leaders and advocates dedicated to making North Jersey a better place to live, work and be, while enjoying artisanal bites and a selection of wines and beers in a vibrant atmosphere.
Leaders will gather to laud local heroes’ contributions at the first Community Changemaker Night.
Honor Community Leaders
During Community Changemaker Night, the NNJCF honors local heroes. These heroes made their communities better places to live, work and be. These 2025 award recipients exemplify excellence in the Foundation’s focus areas – green and healthy places, creative communities, and belonging and opportunity – as well as overall community leadership.
- South Orange Mayor (and Lt. Governor candidate) Sheena Collum – Visionary Leadership Award for significant contributions to the betterment of a North Jersey community.
- New Jersey Assemblyman (District 36) Clinton Calabrese – Creative Communities Award for helping communities through the arts, supporting artists, or enhancing cultural ecosystems.
- Fairleigh Dickinson University Professor and Biology Department Chair Marion McClary – Green and Healthy Places Leadership Award for protecting the environment or advancing public health.
- Fund Advisors for the Andrea Tilbian Halejian Memorial Fund, Gina Wilson and Lisa De Dominicis – Belonging and Opportunity Award for supporting inclusive communities or economic opportunity.
“The proceeds from this celebration will help the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation enhance North Jersey communities. By working together, we can build community partnerships that achieve more impact than any organization can do alone,” said Leonardo Vazquez, Executive Director of the Foundation.
Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities
The cost per ticket to attend the Community Changemaker Night is $130 per person. Special ticket rates are available for parties of three, five, and ten. Tickets can be purchased online.
Sponsorship levels, ranging from $125 to $5,000, provide opportunities for individuals and businesses to participate. Purchase ads to appear in the digital journal shown the night of the celebration and also on the event’s website. The ads range from $125 to $500. The funds raised support different efforts in the region. For example, they build alliances. They also develop programs to protect the environment, as well as produce public art. To date, sponsors for the event include Nishuane Group. For information about sponsorship opportunities and relevant marketing opportunities, visit the webpage.
A silent auction will also offer a range of products to bid upon. Available items to bid upon include tickets to the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown. Other items available to bid upon include tickets to a performance at the South Orange Performing Arts Center in South Orange. In addition, items include tickets to a performance at the Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee and a personalized one-hour consultation on landscape design by Teaneck-based Sprout Farms and Gardens.
For people unable to attend Community Changemaker Night, donations can be made online. In addition, send checks made out to The Northern NJ Community Foundation (NNJCF), 1 University Plaza Drive, Suite 128, Hackensack, NJ 07601.
What Can We Do Together?
The Foundation follows the motto, “What can we do together, that we can’t do alone?” The organization helps communities in North Jersey become better places to live, work, and enjoy. It accomplishes this by bringing people together to address pressing issues. These issues include public health, environmental protection, civil society and also education. Furthermore, the Foundation works to enhance quality of life in the eight northern counties of New Jersey. These counties include Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Warren and Union. Founded in 1998, the NNJCF awarded over $1 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and scholarships to local residents. Furthermore, the Foundation developed diverse alliances to tackle critical quality of life issues and connected people to valuable resources. The organization also produced catalytic public art and environmental projects to benefit all residents.
To get involved in the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s work, call 201-568-5608 or send an e-mail to nnjcf@nnjcf.org.
