Download FAQ as a pdf

Why does the Victoria Foundation think it needs to reassess its grantmaking at this time?

As Victoria Foundation approaches the end of a century of giving, we feel the time is right to take a step back and consider how to have the greatest possible impact in light of the needs, challenges, and opportunities Newark faces today. 

Most families in Newark struggle daily to make ends meet as they confront the debilitatingly narrow range of choices their economic situation offers. The persistence of poverty and inequality in Newark, despite decades of dedicated efforts by nonprofits, community leaders, and local funders, is causing Victoria Foundation to reassess how best to use our resources. Like many of you, we are asking ourselves what we can do differently to attack the root causes of intergenerational poverty and community disinvestment. What can be done to shift the dynamics that reproduce them, year after year? History teaches us that these dynamics stem from structural and institutional racism and segregation, and that shifting them will not be easy. Trustees and staff feel the need to take stock of the possibilities for ending entrenched economic scarcity and find the strategies needed to make Newark a place of broadly-shared prosperity and opportunity for all its residents.

Download original letter as a pdf

June 4, 2019

Dear Victoria Foundation Grantee:

As Victoria Foundation approaches the end of a century of giving, we feel the time is right to take a step back and consider how to have the greatest possible impact in light of the needs, challenges, and opportunities Newark faces today.

Much has changed since Victoria trustees decided, in the aftermath of the 1967 rebellion, to direct most of the Foundation’s giving to assist children and families in Newark. In many ways, today’s Newark is a thriving city. Crime and unemployment have declined, and downtown enjoys a real estate boom. But progress is, to say the least, uneven. Most families in Newark struggle daily to make ends meet as they confront the debilitatingly narrow range of choices their economic situation offers.