Newark’s nonprofit organizations are responsible for an extraordinary range of work, from youth development and education to housing, the arts, and neighborhood revitalization. Sustaining that work requires more than funding individual programs. It also depends on the leadership, governance, and institutional capacity of the organizations delivering them. A collaboration of Newark’s philanthropic institutions and nonprofit executives is directing resources toward those organizational foundations. Established in 2025, the Newark Nonprofit Leadership Resilience Fund (NNLRF) has secured commitments exceeding $1.7 million and launched its first initiative involving 12 Newark nonprofits.
Its approach combines coordinated philanthropic investment with shared governance, giving nonprofit leaders a direct role in determining how resources are allocated.
Building a Collaborative Response
The Newark Nonprofit Leadership Resilience Fund grew from conversations beginning in 2023, when Prudential Foundation and other philanthropic partners began examining leadership transitions and organizational sustainability across Newark’s nonprofit sector.
René Deida of Prudential Foundation said the institution had observed significant executive turnover following the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting discussions about governance and succession planning.
“Through that work, we saw significant turnover among nonprofit CEOs in the wake of the pandemic, with many organizations navigating governance and succession challenges,” Deida explained.
Those conversations expanded to include nonprofit executives, whose perspectives helped identify common priorities.
“The nonprofit leaders shared that greater coordination was necessary to address these challenges holistically,” Deida said.
Sharnita Johnson of Victoria Foundation and Nicole Butler, now NNLRF’s Fund Lead, were among those involved in developing the collaborative approach.
Their discussions informed six areas for potential investment: board governance, executive leadership, succession planning, financial sustainability, fundraising and resource development, and organizational capacity.
Sharing Decisions and Resources
In November 2025, NNLRF established a nine-member Governance Committee comprising five nonprofit executives and four philanthropic representatives.
The nonprofit members are Nayibe Capellan of Program for Parents, Mark Comesañas of Newark Opportunity Youth Network, Vesta Godwin Clark of St. James Social Service Corporation, Peter Rosario of La Casa de Don Pedro, and Khaatim Sherrer El of Clinton Hill Community Action.
They serve alongside Jared Boone of Schumann Fund for New Jersey, René Deida of Prudential Foundation, Sharnita Johnson of Victoria Foundation, and Aaron Turner of Community Foundation of New Jersey.
Unlike an advisory committee, the group has authority over the Fund’s strategy, organizational selection, and investment priorities.
“Making nonprofit leaders the majority player in the governance committee builds on that approach and reflects our view that those closest to the challenges should help shape the solutions,” Deida said.
Boone has emphasized the importance of philanthropic stewardship and relationships grounded in mutual respect, while Johnson has highlighted the value of nonprofit leaders participating candidly in funding decisions.
The structure establishes shared decision-making authority, although its effectiveness will ultimately be judged by the investments and outcomes it produces.
From Governance to Practice
The Fund’s first initiative focuses on board governance, a priority reinforced by six BoardSource listening sessions involving 46 Newark nonprofit leaders in March 2026.
Participants identified opportunities to strengthen communication, clarify responsibilities, and improve consistency in carrying out board decisions.
On June 9, NNLRF launched its Board Transformation Community of Practice at Equal Space.
Twelve organizations are participating, including Greater Newark Conservancy, Ironbound Community Corporation, La Casa de Don Pedro, Newark Symphony Hall, St. James Social Service Corporation, South Ward Environmental Alliance, and The Gem Project.
Each organization participates through its executive director or CEO and board chair, with access to governance assessments, peer learning, individualized consulting, and up to $10,000 in catalytic capital. The Fund has committed $120,000 across the cohort.
BoardSource provides the governance framework, while the Nonprofit Professionals of Color Collective (NPPOC) leads learning sessions and individualized consulting. Leadership Newark supports board recruitment, and Willow Bees Group coordinates the Fund’s administration.
Tyneisha Gibbs, executive director of NPPOC, has emphasized the importance of sustained support that helps organizations apply governance principles rather than simply learn about them.
At The Gem Project, executive director Amanda Ebokosia and governance consultant Ryan Williams are examining board orientation, committee practices, financial communication, and long-term planning.
Their work illustrates how participating organizations can adapt the initiative’s resources to their individual circumstances without implying that those organizations entered the program because of governance failures.
What Comes Next
NNLRF’s first year established its governing structure, implementation partnerships, and inaugural cohort. Its longer-term impact has yet to be measured.
The Fund’s Year One Report identifies January 2027 as the next major evaluation point, when participating organizations will review governance assessments, document action plans, and examine changes in organizational practices.
Butler and Gibbs have described adjustments to the program’s timeline to accommodate participating executives and volunteer board members. Johnson has characterized the initiative as an opportunity to test approaches, learn from experience, and refine future investments.
Additional work involving leadership development and succession planning is under consideration.
For now, NNLRF has moved from conversations about shared challenges to an operating collaboration with committed resources and participating organizations.
The next measure of its progress will be whether that investment produces improvements that Newark’s nonprofit institutions can sustain beyond the inaugural program.
