The Newport Associates Development Company, a partnership of the LeFrak and Simon families, has received 135 applications for their 40th anniversary philanthropy initiative where they will distribute $1 million to 40 local nonprofit organizations.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Jersey City’s nonprofits are the backbone of how we deliver for residents, and 135 applications for this funding shows just how much they are carrying,” Mayor James Solomon said in a statement.
“The LeFrak and Simon families have built their business in this city for 40 years, and they are using this anniversary to give back at a scale that matters. I’m grateful for their commitment, and I hope it is the start of a broader conversation with the corporate community about sustaining the organizations doing the hardest work in our city.”
The pool of applicants represents a broad and diverse cross-section of the city’s impact sectors, including social services, health care, performing arts, education, community development, environmental protection, and athletics, according to Newport.
“Four decades ago, my late father, Samuel LeFrak, and I joined the Simon family and stood on an abandoned railroad yard with nothing else on the Jersey City waterfront. 40 years later, I am immensely proud that we didn’t just create an outstanding community at Newport — we served as the catalyst for a transformation that benefited the whole of Jersey City,” added LeFrak Chair Richard S. LeFrak.
“We continue to invest in Newport and the Jersey City community with more housing, additional community amenities like parks and playgrounds open to the entire city, and our annual planned giving. Our forty-year stewardship of Newport, paired with this philanthropy initiative, allows us to continue to fulfill the promise of a complete community.”
Newport’s community relations team is currently in the process of reviewing each submission.
Grants will range from a minimum of $10,000 to cornerstone awards of $100,000 or more, reflecting each organization’s successful track record and community impact.
The 40 selected organizations will be notified in early July and invited to the Newport 40th Celebration Gala on September 24th at the Westin Hotel in Jersey City, where award amounts will be announced and checks presented.
“As Newport celebrates forty years, this philanthropy initiative is our way of saying thank you—by investing in those who make Jersey City vibrant and resilient,” noted Simon Property Group CEO, President, and COO Eli Simon.
“The response from 135 organizations is a testament to the strength of this community and makes us even more excited for the chapter ahead. The future is bright for Jersey City, and we are honored to contribute to its continued success.”
Originally derelict industrial land, Newport has been transformed over the last 40 years into a 600-acre, mixed-use community that is home to 20,000 residents and 50,000 workers.
For more information on the initiative and Newport’s 40th Anniversary, click here.
