The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to support the Garden State Initiative, a Morristown-based independent research and educational think tank dedicated to making New Jersey a place where families and businesses can thrive. Since its founding in 2017, GSI has provided rigorous, fact-based policy analysis and practical solutions to some of New Jersey’s most pressing fiscal and economic challenges,…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to celebrate more than a decade of partnership with EDGE New Jersey, a Morris County–based organization dedicated to advancing healthy and authentic living for the HIV+ and LGBTQ+ communities. Rooted in the region for more than 30 years, EDGE New Jersey serves youth, adults, and families throughout the state by providing public health…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to celebrate more than 30 years of partnership with Adirondack Experience, one of the nation’s finest regional museums dedicated to preserving and sharing the history and culture of New York’s Adirondack Park. Nestled on 121 acres overlooking Blue Mountain Lake, the open-air campus features more than 20 historic and contemporary buildings showcasing the…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to support Book Harvest, a Durham, North Carolina-based nonprofit that is transforming children’s literacy by ensuring that every child grows up with an abundant home library from birth. Since 2011, Book Harvest has provided more than 2.9 million books to children and families, grounded in the belief that literacy starts at birth, in…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to support Summit Speech School, a half-a-century-old institution based in New Providence empowering children with hearing loss to become more confident, effective communicators through listening and spoken language. Founded in the 1960s as one of the country’s first auditory/oral speech schools, Summit Speech combines cutting-edge methodologies, technology, and expert teaching to help every…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation is honored to celebrate 20 years of partnership with the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving land in ways that build resilient communities across North Carolina. Since its founding in 1991, CTNC has protected over 35,000 acres along the Blue Ridge Parkway, working with landowners, public agencies, and land trusts to…
By David Cucchiara Communications & Program Associate When Mark Hoebee joined Paper Mill Playhouse in 2000 as a choreographer and director, the historic Millburn theater was already a regional institution. Twenty-five years later, as Producing Artistic Director, he has transformed it into something more: a creative incubator where 27 new musicals have premiered since 2010, with shows like Newsies and…
By David Cucchiara Communications & Program Associate When Brian Crowe arrived at what was then the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival in the summer of 1996, he intended to stay for just eleven weeks. Three decades later, he leads one of America’s most respected classical theaters as Artistic Director — a testament to the enduring value of institutions that grow their…
By Dave Cucchiara Communications & Program Associate David Tamaki’s relationship with New Jersey Ballet began in 1987 when he was just five years old, auditioning for a role in The Nutcracker at what was then called the John Harms Theater in Englewood, NJ. Nearly four decades later, he leads the organization as Executive Director — a remarkable journey that exemplifies…
The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to celebrate more than 30 years of partnership with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a New Jersey–based nonprofit dedicated to curing spinal cord injuries through groundbreaking research, while enhancing the quality of life for individuals and families affected by paralysis. Founded in 1982 and later renamed to honor Christopher and Dana Reeve,…