Victoria Foundation announced it expanded on its Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative, its place-focused approach to strengthen the power and self-determination of communities in Newark.
The Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative is Victoria Foundation’s long-term commitment to building well-being at the neighborhood level, focusing on the three neighborhoods of Fairmount Heights, Lower Broadway and Upper Clinton Hill.
“Newark has a rich cultural heritage and vibrant Black and brown communities,” Victoria Foundation Executive Officer Craig Drinkard said. “We are looking forward to working in partnership with residents and community organizations to put Victoria Foundation’s investments and voice to work with them, to see their visions for their families and communities into reality.”
Victoria Foundation’s commitment to these neighborhoods reflects its dedication to amplify community voices and address the historical consequences of disinvestment.
A longstanding Newark funder, and one of the oldest foundations in New Jersey, this place-focused approach builds on Victoria Foundation’s longstanding relationships in communities. The expanded Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative approach builds on the partnership with LISC-Greater Newark, which launched in 2016 and focused on Fairmount Heights and Upper Clinton Hill.
This announcement signals that the initiative has expanded to include Newark’s Lower Broadway neighborhood, which is home to a significant Latinx community, the fastest-growing ethnic group in the city, driving Newark’s population gains since 2010. By prioritizing this neighborhood, Victoria Foundation aims to leverage critical resources to support the priorities of the growing Latinx community in Newark.
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.
“The Victoria Foundation’s overarching goal is to empower the community, ensuring that systems and policies reflect and uphold the needs and visions of Newark residents,” Frank Alvarez, Victoria Foundation’s chair of the board. “We aim to foster an environment where stability, well-being and long-term community power are not just supported, but actively pursued through our actions and investments. By making larger, focused investments, we believe our support will go further toward these goals.”
The Victoria Foundation has made $3 million in investments in the Thriving Neighborhood Initiative in Fairmont Heights and Upper Clinton Hill since 2016, leveraging more than $18 million in investments from partners, including the Maher Charitable Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Regional Foundation. LISC has been a lead partner in this work, bringing its expertise in community engagement and community-led development to these investments. They will continue to have an essential role in this work.
This year, the Victoria Foundation is also marking its 100-year anniversary, celebrating deep-rooted relationships and partnerships with local leaders, organizations, and residents. In October, Victoria Foundation is hosting the “Newark Future Forum” to dive deeper into the themes of youth self-determination, economic justice and power building with local leaders, experts from communities and national field leaders.
