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New Jersey Health Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$12.5M
Grant Range
$35K - $0.1M
Decision Time
4mo
Success Rate
17%

New Jersey Health Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $12.5 million (FY 2024 expenses)
  • Success Rate: ~17% (based on 2018 data: 29 awards from 175 applications)
  • Decision Time: Announcements typically in March (4 months after November deadline)
  • Grant Range: $35,000 - $50,000
  • Geographic Focus: New Jersey only (affiliated institutions)
  • Total Assets: $227 million
  • Registered Charity Number: 030430873

Contact Details

Address: 155 Village Blvd Suite 130, Princeton, NJ 08540

Phone: (908) 731-6610

Email:

Website: www.njhealthfoundation.org

Overview

The New Jersey Health Foundation Inc (NJHF) was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2002 with a mission to advance innovations in health for the benefit of society. With total assets of $227 million as of June 2024, NJHF has awarded more than $70 million in research grants since its inception. The foundation operates as part of a family of companies that includes the Foundation for Health Advancement and Foundation Venture Capital Group, providing comprehensive support for health-related research from early-stage grants through venture capital funding. NJHF is distinctive in that it only funds researchers and clinicians employed by specific New Jersey institutions with which it has formal affiliation agreements. In its most recent funding cycle, NJHF distributed grants totaling over $1.5 million. The foundation manages more than 300 endowments that provide annual distributions to support donor-directed health research, education programs, and scholarships. Under the leadership of President & CEO James M. Golubieski, NJHF focuses on supporting very early-stage health-related research ideas that show exciting potential for future development and larger grant acquisition.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Research Grants: Up to $50,000 each

  • Supports innovative early-stage health-related research projects
  • Designed to help researchers qualify for larger grants from other organizations
  • Funds biomedical research in very early stages of development
  • Applications reviewed using specific research-focused criteria

Community Health, Behavioral and Social Science, Social Service & Education Grants: Up to $35,000 each

  • Addresses important health-related community, social, and education issues
  • Supports behavioral and social science projects impacting society
  • Reviewed using separate criteria from research grants
  • Includes projects focused on health education and social determinants of health

Innovation Grants: Variable amounts (through Foundation for Health Advancement)

  • Supports researchers developing ideas into viable solutions
  • Part of the broader ecosystem supporting commercialization
  • Works in conjunction with Foundation Venture Capital Group

Priority Areas

Based on recent awards, NJHF prioritizes:

  • Cancer research and treatment innovations
  • Infectious disease research
  • Community health interventions
  • Diabetes research and management
  • Rheumatology research
  • Traumatic brain injury treatments
  • Breast cancer therapeutics
  • Developmental health in children
  • Social determinants of health education
  • Health equity and access initiatives
  • Novel therapeutic agents and treatments

What They Don't Fund

Strict Eligibility Limitation: NJHF ONLY funds full-time clinicians, faculty members, and personnel employed at organizations with formal affiliation agreements. Organizations outside this network cannot apply.

Current Affiliated Organizations:

  • Cooper University Health Care
  • Hackensack Meridian Health
  • Kessler Foundation
  • New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
  • Princeton University
  • Rowan University
  • Rutgers University
  • Stevens Institute of Technology
  • University Hospital

Governance and Leadership

President & CEO: James M. Golubieski

  • Also serves as President & CEO of Foundation for Health Advancement and Foundation Venture Capital Group
  • Stated at Research Efficiency Conference: "The fact that we are independent not-for-profit organizations allows us to invest in research at an early stage, providing start-up companies with the financial and strategic support they need to move their research to the next level."

Board of Trustees includes:

  • Marc Heinrich, Esq.
  • Paul J. Hirsch, MD
  • Robert W. Pierce, II, Sr.
  • Joseph L. Muscarelle, Jr.

The foundation maintains dedicated leadership and management/staff teams, with executive compensation totaling $1.21 million (9.6% of total expenses) and other salaries and wages of $637,463 (5.1% of expenses) as reported in FY 2024.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Eligibility Verification: Before applying, verify your employment status at one of NJHF's affiliated institutions. Only full-time clinicians, faculty members, and personnel at these organizations are eligible.

Application Period: Applications open annually on September 12th at 9:00 AM and close on November 19th.

Separate Applications: Research Grants and Community Health/Social Service/Education Grants have separate application processes with distinct evaluation criteria. Review the specific guidelines for your grant type carefully.

Application Method: Online application system accessible through www.njhealthfoundation.org

Institutional Support: Many affiliated institutions have research offices that provide support for NJHF applications (NJIT Research Office, Princeton Technology Licensing & New Ventures, Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, etc.)

Decision Timeline

Review Period: Applications submitted in November are typically reviewed over a 3-4 month period.

Announcement: Award decisions are typically announced in March of the following year.

Notification Method: Awardees are notified directly and awards are publicly announced through press releases and institutional communications.

Success Rates

NJHF grants are highly competitive. In a 2018 funding cycle, NJHF received 175 submissions and funded 29 applications, representing approximately a 17% success rate.

Recent award statistics show:

  • 2024: 22 grants to Hackensack Meridian Health totaling $915,202
  • 2024: 20 grants to Rowan University totaling over $800,000 (largest number in a single year for Rowan)
  • 2024: 6 grants to NJIT totaling $265,000
  • 2025: 34 grants to Rowan University totaling over $1.5 million (record high)

The foundation has significantly increased its annual giving in recent years, with the $4 million funding round in 2024 bringing total historical giving to $70 million.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants are not publicly documented in available materials. Contact NJHF directly at info@njhf.org for clarification on reapplication eligibility and requirements.

Application Success Factors

Focus on Early-Stage Innovation: NJHF explicitly seeks "exciting potential" and "innovative ideas" in very early stages. Successful proposals demonstrate:

  • Novel approaches to health challenges
  • Clear potential for future development
  • Pathways to securing larger grants from other funders (Research Grants explicitly aim to help researchers qualify for larger grants)

Recent Winning Project Examples:

  • "While You Wait Workshops to Improve Parental Knowledge, Well-Being, and Preparedness for Developmental Adversities in Children" (Hackensack Meridian Health, $16,472)
  • "Teaching the Teachers: Incorporating Social Determinants of Health in HS and College Curriculum" (Hackensack Meridian Health, $35,000)
  • "Plasmalogen Precursor Supplements as a Potential Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury" (Rowan University)
  • "Novel Therapeutic Agents for the Treatment of Triple Negative Breast Cancer" (Rowan University)

Measurable Outcomes: While specific evaluation criteria aren't publicly detailed, related foundations in New Jersey emphasize quantitative and qualitative outcomes that demonstrate impact on health barriers.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement: For Community Health/Social Service/Education Grants, projects that partner with and work collaboratively with key stakeholders and community groups are favored.

Institutional Track Record Matters: Institutions with strong historical relationships (like Rowan receiving a record 34 grants in 2025) demonstrate the importance of:

  • Building institutional capacity for NJHF applications
  • Developing relationships with foundation leadership
  • Demonstrating successful stewardship of previous grants

Know Your Grant Category: Applications are reviewed using separate criteria for Research Grants vs. Community Health/Social Service/Education Grants. Align your proposal with the appropriate category and its specific evaluation framework.

Support Infrastructure: Leverage your institution's research development office. Most affiliated institutions have staff dedicated to supporting NJHF applications and can provide internal review, guidance, and historical success data.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Employment Required: You must be a full-time employee at one of nine affiliated institutions - there are no exceptions to this eligibility requirement.

  • Highly Competitive: With approximately a 17% success rate, applications must demonstrate truly innovative approaches and exciting potential to stand out.

  • Early-Stage Focus: NJHF is designed for very early-stage ideas - don't wait until your research is mature. The foundation explicitly aims to help researchers qualify for larger grants elsewhere.

  • Institutional Relationship Matters: Some institutions (like Rowan) have developed particularly strong relationships with NJHF, receiving record numbers of grants. Leverage your institution's research office to understand historical success patterns and get application support.

  • Choose the Right Program: Research Grants (up to $50,000) and Community Health/Social Service/Education Grants (up to $35,000) have different criteria - select the program that best fits your project and align your proposal accordingly.

  • Four-Month Wait: Plan for approximately 4 months between the November deadline and March announcement - factor this into your research timeline and budgeting.

  • Pathway Thinking: For Research Grants especially, articulate how NJHF funding will position you for larger federal or private foundation grants - the foundation sees itself as a catalyst for bigger funding.

References

New Jersey Health Foundation Official Website

Financial Information

Recent Award Announcements

Institutional Resources

Other Sources

Information compiled November 2025

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