For the last five years, the Lakeland Bank Grant Program has been funding specific community-focused initiatives and investing in eligible high-performing nonprofit organizations that make a strong and lasting impact on the communities they serve.
Supporting these initiatives has been at the core of Lakeland Bank’s mission for over 50 years. To that end, the Oak Ridge-based bank on Wednesday announced that in 2022 it provided $205,000 in Housing and Community Impact Grants.
Some of those grants included the following:
- Boys and Girls Club of Lower Bergen County: $15,000 to support an out-of-school time program serving students with special needs;
- Family Promise of Morris County: $15,000 to support its Rapid Rehousing Program for families facing homelessness;
- The GEM Project: $10,000 to support programming that enforces leadership and community service among school-age youth, adolescents and young adults in the greater Newark area;
- Morris Habitat for Humanity: $20,000 to build two new homes for low- or moderate-income families in Perth Amboy; and
- The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children: $15,000 to support scholarships for inner-city children in New Jersey pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) areas of study.
“I am very lucky to have the opportunity to learn firsthand the tremendous impact these organizations have on their community,” Debra Zimmerly, vice president, CRA and fair banking officer, said. “In my role, I manage the Lakeland Grant Program and help identify, select and present grants to organizations that have been nominated by our associates. It’s an honor to serve in this role and be a part of helping these neighborhoods throughout the communities we serve.”
The grant program is noncompetitive, with no public solicitations for applications. Prospective recipients and their programs are nominated for consideration for a grant based upon an internal nomination process designed specifically for this program. Eligible organizations that provide the following services within the bank’s assessment areas are considered:
- Financial independence;
- Homelessness solutions and affordable housing programs;
- Education programs offering financial skill sets;
- Youth programs and services including child care and afterschool programs;
- Emergency services including food, shelter and clothing;
- Health and well-being services.
