Following a recent meeting of the Board of Directors, the F. M. Kirby Foundation announced that 88 grants totaling $8,481,600 were approved in the first four months of 2023 to nonprofit organizations working to foster self-reliance and create strong, healthy communities throughout Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, as well as national nonprofits largely based in Washington, D.C. and New York City.
Early 2023 grantmaking included contributions to long-term partner organizations in the fields of arts and humanities, education, environment, health and medicine, human services, public policy, and religion. The Foundation also welcomed several new grantees and initiatives, including the New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children, Foodshed Alliance, and Monarch Housing Associates. Additionally, early 2023 allocations included a combined $500,000 to the Foundation’s three United Way partners: United Way of the Greater Triangle, United Way of Wyoming Valley, and United Way of Northern New Jersey.
Over $2.5 million of the grants approved come in the form of general operating support, giving these organizations the flexibility to decide where funds are needed to best support their missions. Included in this figure was the Foundation’s renewal of funds for the F. M. Kirby Prize for Scaling Social Impact, in partnership with the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Justin Kiczek, Executive Director, stated, “We are proud to celebrate three years of the F. M. Kirby Prize for Scaling Social Impact. We have been amazed by the impact and scope of the winners and finalists of the Kirby Prize, an unrestricted grant to help amplify and accelerate an enterprise’s influence on social or environmental problems around the world. As such, we are excited to not only extend and increase the Kirby Prize, but also to partner with CASE to implement a for-credit course that will allow Fuqua students to gain valuable perspectives into the processes behind effectively scaling social impact organizations.”
Of the 88 grants awarded in 2023 thus far, 51 were for organizations or programs working in New Jersey and North Carolina, two of the Foundation’s primary geographic areas of interest. Laura Virkler, Chair of the Board, stated, “Community-focused grantmaking has been a hallmark of the Foundation since its earliest days. From those striving to preserve valuable ecosystems, like Triangle Land Conservancy, to those ensuring equitable access to the arts, like New Jersey Theatre Alliance, deep investments into all aspects of a region allow us to contribute to the continued cultural vibrance and overall health of the communities we hold most dear.”
