North Jersey National Heritage Area online information session
2025-04-29 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | online
A National Heritage Area (NHA) is a federally-designated region that has made a special contribution to American history and culture. The designation is more than symbolic. It can generate over $100 million in economic impact, support hundreds of jobs, and bring up to $1 million in federal funds a year to the NHA, and much more in economic activity. NNJCF and its partners believe that North Jersey deserves that recognition, and we are working to make it happen.
Join us to learn more about this effort and how you can be involved. To get background information on the North Jersey National Heritage Area, please visit this link.
This session is led by NNJCF Executive Director Leo Vazquez, who is organizing the effort to make the North Jersey National Heritage Area. You will have plenty of time to ask questions.
Getting the NHA designation will take time and resources. We need your support to make it happen. Please consider donating at least $20 to this great cause when you RSVP.

May Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance Meeting
2025-05-12 18:30 - 19:45 | Second Reformed Church, 436 Union, Hackensack, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ, 07601, United States
The May HEJA meeting will focus on ways to get more trees planted and maintained in Hackensack. Guest speaker: Josh Cohen, Chair, Hackensack Shade Tree Advisory Committee. He will talk about the city’s recent tree inventory. Then we’ll get into our work groups to strategize how HEJA can increase the tree canopy. Key questions to explore:
*What areas of the city need more trees?*How do we convince skeptical residents about the value of trees in their communities?*What policies or incentives should the city adopt or strengthen to get more trees planted or maintained?

Questions about this meeting? Please contact HEJA Co-Chairs Amrisa Niranjan or Pedra O’Reilly Del Vechio at contactheja@gmail.com

What is Your Theory of Change?
2025-05-20 14:00 - 15:00 | online
What tangible changes do nonprofit programs create in the lives of the communities they serve? Too often, nonprofit reporting focuses on what we have done (or outputs) without mentioning the outcomes and impact of our program services. This 45-minute presentation will demystify the Theory of Change, a strategic tool vital for service providers and often required by funders. We’ll define it, compare it to “logic models”, identify its core components, and explain contribution analysis, empowering you to attribute outcomes to your work. You’ll leave with actionable steps to create your own Theory of Change and/or support your grantees and stakeholders in using it to represent and manage their programs.
What you learn in this webinar will not only help you with evaluation, it will help you with writing grants, building allies, and similar situations.
This webinar is free, but please make a donation to the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation to support programs that benefit North Jersey communities. Please consider a $20 donation; anything you can give will be appreciated.
About the speaker: Dr. Lisa Gale, Principal, LVG Strategy Group
Dr. Lisa V. Gale is a highly experienced social impact consultant, educator, and leader with over 30 years of experience driving positive change across the nonprofit, government, and philanthropic sectors. As the founder and principal of LVG Strategy Group, she empowers organizations to achieve meaningful outcomes through strategic research, program development, and capacity building.
Dr. Gale is a recognized expert in evaluation and monitoring, specializing in helping organizations measure and communicate their impact. Her career highlights include serving as Chief Program Officer at StoryCorps, where she oversaw research documenting the impact of storytelling, and as Deputy Vice President at Seedco, directing initiatives to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations. She also served as Manager of Workforce Development for the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone and as Deputy Commissioner at the NYC Human Resources Administration, demonstrating her ability to lead complex projects and drive positive change.
Dr. Gale holds a PhD in Social Welfare from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, an MSW from the Hunter College School of Social Work, and a BBA from Baruch College. She is an adjunct faculty member at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, where she shares her expertise with the next generation of social impact leaders. Based in Teaneck, NJ, Dr. Gale is deeply connected to her community and passionate about creating a more just and equitable world.

Community Changemaker Night 2025
2025-06-05 18:00 - 20:30
Join us for an evening of laughter, networking, hors-d’oeuvres and drinks, feathering the “North Jersey Changemaker Awards.” The awards honor champions of community, creativity and change.
Hosted by Bill Ervolino, humorist and Bergen Record columnist
2025 Changemaker Awardees:

Visionary Leadership Award: South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum
Green and Healthy Places Leadership Award: Dr. Marion McClary, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Creative Communities Leadership Award: State Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (District 36)
Belonging and Opportunity Leadership Award: Gina Wilson and Lisa De Dominicis, Fund Advisors for the Andrea Tilbian Halejian Memorial Fund

June Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance Meeting
2025-06-09 18:30 - 20:00 | Second Reformed Church, 436 Union, Hackensack, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ, 07601, United States
Join us for the next meeting of the Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance. HEJA is a resident-led group working to address environmental issues in Hackensack, such as flooding, and make Hackensack greener, cleaner and healthier for everyone. Everyone is welcome to join.
Agenda:
With a new city administration starting in July, what would you like the new Mayor and Council to do to support environmental justice, green infrastructure, or environmental protection in Hackensack. Share your ideas at the meeting, and we’ll share them with the new City leadership.
You can join us in person at the Hackensack Second Reformed Church or online via Zoom. (The link will be in the receipt email.)
If you are joining in person, please bring a non-perishable food item for the church’s social services program.
Questions? Please reach out to the co-chairs at Contactheja@gmail.com

Dedication of Hackensack Community Rain Garden
2025-06-10 13:00 - 14:00 | Hackensack High School, 135 First Street, Hackensack, NJ, 07601, United States
In June 2024, more than 50 people came together to install a rain garden at Hackensack High School. The garden is meant to help reduce flooding, bring more beauty to the neighborhood, and help students learn more about sustainability. Please join us June 10 at 1 pm for the dedication of the Hackensack Community Rain Garden at Hackensack High School, 135 First Street, Hackensack. No RSVP is necessary for this free event.
Hackensack Community Rain Garden at Hackensack High School.

Making Life Better through Creative Placemaking
2025-06-12 14:00 - 15:00 | online
According to psychiatrists, all people have a similar set of needs to make their lives happy. In this webinar, learn how creative placemaking can help directly address most human needs, and indirectly support others.
Don’t know much about creative placemaking? No problem. This webinar will introduce you to this concept, which is about leveraging the power of arts and culture to address social issues in communities.
About the speaker: Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP, is the Executive Director of the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2023, he helped build the emerging field of creative placemaking through conferences, educational programs, thought leadership, and community planning. His work has engaged and inspired thousands of artists, urban planners, community development professionals and more.
The event is free, but we request a $20 donation. This will to help support scholarships for artists to participate in the New Jersey Creative Communities Conference

September Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance meeting
2025-09-08 18:30 - 20:00 | Second Reformed Church, 436 Union, Hackensack, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ, 07601, United States
Join us for the next meeting of the Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance. HEJA is a resident-led group working to address environmental issues in Hackensack, such as flooding, and make Hackensack greener, cleaner and healthier for everyone. Everyone is welcome to join.
​You can join in person at Second Reformed Church or online through a zoom link provided after you RSVP.
If you are joining in person, please bring a non-perishable food item for the church’s social services program.
If you haven’t been to a HEJA meeting in a while, this is a good meeting to go to.
Agenda:

Welcome and introductions
Summer updates (reports from Pedra and Leo)
Pathways to the River project – introduction and discussion
Ideas for use of seed funding – discussion and selection
(If time allows) HEJA as an environmental hub for Hackensack – discussion
(If time allows) Call for HEJA co-chairs

Questions? Please reach out to the co-chairs at Contactheja@gmail.com

Making Life Better Through Creative Placemaking
2025-09-10 14:00 - 15:00 | online
According to psychologists, all people have a similar set of needs to make their lives happy. In this webinar, learn how creative placemaking can help directly address most human needs, and indirectly support others.
Don’t know much about creative placemaking? No problem. This webinar will introduce you to this concept, which is about leveraging the power of arts and culture to address social issues in communities.
About the speaker: Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP, is the Executive Director of the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2023, he helped build the emerging field of creative placemaking through conferences, educational programs, thought leadership, and community planning. His work has engaged and inspired thousands of artists, urban planners, community development professionals and more.
The event is free, but we request a $20 donation. This will to help support scholarships for artists to participate in the New Jersey Creative Communities Conference
You can find the link to the webinar in your thank you email.
Image: Community members working to beautify an area of Bogota, NJ by placing art in a chain link fence.

Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance October meeting
2025-10-20 18:30 - 20:00 | Second Reformed Church, 436 Union, Hackensack, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ, 07601, United States
Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance logo
Join us for the next meeting of the Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance. HEJA is a resident-led group working to address environmental issues in Hackensack, such as flooding, and make Hackensack greener, cleaner and healthier for everyone. Everyone is welcome to join.
You can join in person at Second Reformed Church or online through a zoom link provided after you RSVP.
If you are joining in person, please bring a non-perishable food item for the church’s social services program.
Agenda:

Welcome and introductions
Tactical Team update
Pathways to the River project – introduction and discussion
Green infrastructure plan update
Planning for Tree and Environmental Fair, Spring, 2026
Call for HEJA co-chairs

Questions? Please reach out to the co-chairs at Contactheja@gmail.com

Pathways to the River Community Meeting
2025-10-29 18:00 - 20:00
Learn more and share your ideas about how to create paths that encourage more people in Hackensack to walk, bike or otherwise travel to the Hackensack River. Also share your ideas about how to enhance the experience of people when they are at the river.
The session will be led by the New York – New Jersey Trail Conference, one of the leading organizations in building trails around the area. It is produced by the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation and the Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance.
Note: Only the October session is at the Johnson Public Library. The November session will be in a location in Hackensack to be determined.
There will be Spanish translation at this event.

New Jersey Creative Communities Conference: The Art of Community Well-Being
2025-11-06 08:45 - 17:00 | Hudson County Community College Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street, Jersey City, NJ, 07306, United States
A gathering of leaders, doers, thinkers, and artists throughout New Jersey. Together, we will explore innovative ways to make places better for everyone through art and creative placemaking. You can make connections; get inspired for new and better projects; meet prospective partners, and more.
The conference will explore four themes:

Art and Community Health – How art and artful environments benefit mental and physical health and well-being.
Community Economic Development – How arts and placemaking boost local economies, create jobs and support cultural entrepreneurship.
Empowering and Supporting Public and Social Practice Artists – Training and supporting artists and emerging artists wanting to help communities.
Inclusive and Accessible Communities – How the arts can help make places more welcoming and comfortable for everyone.

Learn more and register at https://www.nnjcf.org/njcc25/

Pathways to the River Community Meeting
2025-11-22 10:30 - 12:30
Learn more and share your ideas about how to create paths that encourage more people in Hackensack to walk, bike or otherwise travel to the Hackensack River. Also share your ideas about how to enhance the experience of people when they are at the river.
The session will be led by the New York – New Jersey Trail Conference, one of the leading organizations in building trails around the area. It is produced by the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation and the Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance.
Note: The November session will be in a location in Hackensack to be determined.
There will be Spanish translation at this event.

Hackensack River Nation Council
2026-01-14 15:00 - 16:30 | Farliegh Dickinson University – Dickinson Hall, 140 University Plaza Drive, Hackensack, NJ, 07601, United States
If you want to help protect the Hackensack River watershed or connect more people to the river, please join the Hackensack River Nation Council and join us for our next meeting. Hackensack River Nation (HRN) is a cross-sector alliance of public agencies, nonprofit organizations, environmental groups, schools, businesses and others engaged in the watershed in Bergen and Hudson counties. (The watershed covers the eastern half of both counties. See if your community is in the watershed.) The meetings are highly interactive; we welcome your questions, insights and ideas.
Beginning with this meeting, Hackensack River Nation offers peer coaching at Council meetings. The peer coaching will enhance your ability to address challenging issues as your pursue your environmental goals.
Agenda:

Welcome and introductions
Update and discussion: HRN Summit 2026
Discussion: Collaborating with Veolia and Mondelez
Project update: Pathways to the River (Hackensack)
Peer coaching

Questions? Please contact Leo Vazquez at leo@nnjcf.org

Illumination 250 Community Info Gathering Session
2026-03-11 18:00 - 19:30 | Bergen Makerspace, 284 Hackensack Avenue, Hackensack, 07601, United States
RSVP Here!

Hackensack River Nation Summit 2026
2026-04-28 08:30 - 15:30 | Farleigh Dickinson University -Metro Campus -Student Union Building, 1000 River Road, Teaneck, NJ, 07666, United States
Hackensack River Nation Summit
Join us for a day dedicated to the heart of our community and its natural environment. The Hackensack River Nation Summit, held by the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, brings together leaders and local voices to protect our cherished ecosystems and promote community health.
Engage with passionate individuals, learn from expert-led workshops, and collaborate on sustainable initiatives. Together, we can nurture a future where our families and rivers thrive. Your presence makes a difference. Be part of the conversation; be part of the solution.

Community Conversation - North Jersey National Heritage Area
2026-06-03 18:15 - 19:45 | South Orange Performing Arts Center, 1 Sopac Way, South Orange, NJ, 07079, United States
Join a community conversation on the proposed North Jersey National Heritage Area.
Share what matters most to you about our local rivers, neighborhoods, and cultural landmarks.
Learn about an initiative that has the potential to:

Highlight our region’s heritage and distinct contributions to the American story.
Bring thousands of dollars in grants and support jobs throughout our community.
Protect and support our natural, cultural and historic resources.
Support local businesses, nonprofit organizations, artists and more.

Share your thoughts on what makes your community special, and how we can share that knowledge.
Learn how you and your community can benefit from the North Jersey National Heritage Area project at https://www.nnjcf.org/njnha/
