Bezos' charity donates $3.4 million to New Jersey nonprofits fighting homelessness

The spirit of giving season has arrived early for four New Jersey nonprofits working to end homelessness in the Garden State.

Family Promise of Morris County and Cranford-based Monarch Housing Associates each received $1.25 million in grants from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, the charity founded by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.

The grants were announced last week. Two other New Jersey organizations, Montclair-based Family Promise of Essex County and Stafford-based Family Promise of the Jersey Shore, each received $425,000.

“This grant is transformative,” said Joann Bjornson, CEO of Family Promise of Morris County. “We were very lucky to be selected.”

Bjornson said that unlike many other grant programs, potential recipients cannot apply for the Day 1 Families Fund grants, which come from a $2 billion fund created seven years ago by Bezos, the billionaire founder of the online Shopping giant, was founded.

“A group of people from the National Alliance to End Homelessness and other organizations are nominating you,” she said. “As this was a nomination from our colleagues, we felt particularly honored.”

The grant is paid out over a period of five years and must be used directly to accommodate homeless people and families in homes.

Family Promise of Morris County, part of a 200-member national organization based in Summit, operates several support programs with an annual budget of $3 million. Björnson is hoping for the usual “generous donations” that typically come in during the holiday “season of giving.”

These donations, along with funding from county, state and federal agencies, are critical, she said.

More:In affluent North Jersey county, groups meet to combat homelessness and poverty

Bezos Families Fund Announces 2024 Awards

Bezos’ 2024 Families Fund Leadership Awards distributed a total of $110.5 million to 40 organizations from 23 states “to continue their compassionate, moving work helping families move from homelessness and shelters to permanent housing, and.” although with the services they need to achieve stability.” “

Since 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded 248 grants totaling nearly $750 million to organizations serving families in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, the fund said.

Grant administrators said family homelessness in the U.S. “increased dramatically” between 2022 and 2023. Families now make up more than 28% of the country’s unsheltered population, according to a 2024 report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

“With its one-time grant from the Day 1 Families Fund, Family Promise of Morris County will work to reverse this national trend,” the fund said in a statement.

Family Promise of Essex County plans to use its funds to “significantly expand” the organization’s existing Rapid Rehousing program to move families from emergency shelters into permanent housing. In addition, a portion of the funds will be used to support families through the Temporary Shelter program, which aims to keep families of all sizes together in one shelter.

“We are thrilled to receive this grant,” said Executive Director Tia Aery. “As homelessness, particularly family homelessness, increases in Essex County, this grant comes at a critical time. With these funds, we can help significantly more families move from homelessness into stable housing.”

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, Please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

E-mail: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com

Bezos’ charity donates $3.4 million to New Jersey nonprofits fighting homelessness

ByAmelia Journalton

By Amelia Journalton

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