Our neighborhood-focused approach means making larger, bolder investments, in deep relationships with community partners, cultivating change that has long-lasting impact and ripples across the city.
In 2024 Victoria Foundation was excited to announce that we are focusing our efforts in three Newark neighborhoods, expanding a longstanding effort called the Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative. All of our work funnels through this core initiative.
We are focused on the neighborhoods of Fairmount Heights, Lower Broadway, and Upper Clinton Hill – communities with immense cultural pride and powerful work already underway; where we have trusting, longstanding relationships.
We kicked off the renewed effort with nearly $2.5 million in grants to core partners with deep neighborhood presence, supporting systemic change through our strategic priority areas: Strengthening Community Power, Fostering Economic Justice, and Promoting Youth Self-Determination.
Since 2025, we’ve gathered with community members, nonprofit organizations, and partners for a series of sessions focused on deep listening and learning across the Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative neighborhoods, with learning grants to support these activities and the expertise of the people and organizations we are tapping.
Learn More About Newark’s Thriving Neighborhoods
Fairmont
Fairmount in Newark’s West Ward is a vibrant community celebrated for its cultural richness and strong community bonds. With support from key organizations like the Urban League of Essex County, the neighborhood is committed to fostering economic justice, supporting youth self-determination, and ultimately expanding opportunities for families.
Lower Broadway
Lower Broadway is a dynamic neighborhood celebrated for its rich cultural diversity and significant Latinx community. With support from key organizations like FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development Inc. and La Casa de Don Pedro, the neighborhood is committed to fostering a connected, powerful community.
Upper Clinton Hill
Upper Clinton Hill in Newark’s South Ward is a vibrant community where culture thrives through its artists, murals, and legendary music and comedy scenes. The neighborhood boasts local control of its school district, indicative of a community invested in the future of its youth. Key partners are building strong communities and bringing resident visions to life, including BRICK Education Network and Clinton Hill Community Action.
The Foundation sees this neighborhood-focused approach as a way to make larger, bolder investments in deep relationship with community partners, to cultivate change that has long-lasting impact and ripples across the city.
We operate in a proud majority Black and Brown city dealing with the legacy and ongoing impact of structural racism. Our efforts are focused on neighborhoods where we can forge partnerships and investments to address the historical consequences of disinvestment.
What Sets the Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative Apart
The power and promise of this initiative lie in its collaborative approach.
Community-Informed Action
The initiative is anchored in Victoria Foundation’s three funding priorities: strengthening community power, fostering economic justice, and promoting youth self-determination. These priority areas are further informed by Newark residents, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders ensuring our investments align with their needs and aspirations
Focused Resources for Deep Investment
With the majority of our grantmaking committed to these neighborhoods, and a goal to leverage funding from other partners, we’re ensuring significant resources flow back this vision. We leverage Victoria Foundation’s investments to partner with foundations, as well as public and private sectors, to align for the city’s future.
Expert Collaboration with Longstanding Partners
Working closely with trusted community organizations like La Casa de Don Pedro, Clinton Hill Community Action, Urban League of Essex County, South Ward Children’s Alliance, and LISC-New Jersey, we bring together the local expertise necessary for sustainable change. Victoria Foundation has worked in partnership with organizations in the three focus neighborhoods for decades and launched the Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative with LISC-New Jersey in 2016.