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Princeton Area Community Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$15.6M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.1M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $15,648,722 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $260+ million
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $150,000
  • Geographic Focus: Greater Mercer County, NJ and surrounding Central New Jersey region
  • Application Method: Mixed (varies by program)

Contact Details

Address: 212 Carnegie Center, Suite 201, Princeton, NJ 08540

Phone: 609-219-1800

Email: info@pacf.org

Website: https://pacf.org

Grants Portal: https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=princetongrants

Program Contacts:

  • Nelida Valentin, Vice President, Grants & Programs: 609-219-1800 Ext. 810
  • Danny Freund, Director of Discretionary Grantmaking Activities: 609-219-1800 Ext. 816

Overview

Established in 1991, the Princeton Area Community Foundation (PACF) is one of New Jersey's leading community foundations with more than $260 million in assets under management. The foundation has distributed over $200 million in grants since its founding, including $15.6 million in 2023 alone. PACF's mission is "promoting philanthropy to advance the well-being of our communities forever." The foundation serves Greater Mercer County and surrounding Central New Jersey communities, focusing particularly on supporting economically disadvantaged populations. In recent years, PACF has strategically concentrated its grantmaking on reducing chronic absenteeism through its flagship All Kids Thrive program (which represented 75% of discretionary grantmaking and concluded its five-year cycle in 2023) and responsive community needs through Community Impact Grants. The foundation has earned a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator with a score of 97% and holds Platinum Seal recognition from Candid (GuideStar).

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Community Impact Grants - Represents 25% of annual discretionary grantmaking

  • Grant Amount: Up to $25,000 (one-year or two-year grants available)
  • Focus: Nonprofits transforming lives of low-income individuals, families, and communities
  • Priority Areas: Food security, homelessness, education/workforce development, mental health, community/capacity-building
  • Application: Competitive process through online portal

Fund for Women and Girls

  • Grant Amount: Up to $25,000 (typically one-year awards; multi-year grants available at committee discretion)
  • Focus: Economically vulnerable women and children in Greater Mercer County
  • Application: Annual cycle (applications for 2025 are closed)
  • Review Process: Fund members review applications, conduct site visits, and vote on awards

Bunbury Fund (Final Cycle - Sunsetting)

  • Grant Amount: Up to $50,000 (one-year capacity building grants); up to $150,000 (three-year grants); up to $10,000 (planning grants)
  • Focus: Capacity building for nonprofits in Central New Jersey, particularly Mercer County
  • Eligible Activities: Board governance, succession planning, strategic partnerships, systems upgrades, racial equity practices
  • Application: Email bunburyfund@pacf.org
  • Note: This was the final competitive cycle; no 2025 cycle offered as fund sunsets after 10-year anniversary

Trenton Arts Fund

  • Grant Amount: $1,000 - $5,000
  • Focus: Arts, arts education, culture, and history organizations operating in Trenton, NJ
  • Use: Operating expenses, program costs, special projects
  • Emphasis: Programs supporting young people and families
  • History: Awarded over $82,000 to thirteen organizations since 2018

Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce Community Development Fund

  • Grant Amount: Up to $10,000
  • Geographic Area: Four-county region
  • Review: Advisory committee from Chamber of Commerce
  • Deadline: Applications must be submitted online by 12:00pm on June 18, 2025

All Kids Thrive Program (Completed 2018-2023)

  • This major initiative awarded $3 million to 10 nonprofit/school partnerships ($300,000 each over five years)
  • Focused on reducing chronic absenteeism in Trenton, Hamilton, Lawrence, and Princeton school districts

Priority Areas

  • Education and workforce development
  • Food security and hunger prevention
  • Homelessness and housing stability
  • Mental health services
  • Community and capacity building for nonprofits
  • Arts, culture, and history (Trenton-specific)
  • Youth programs and reducing chronic absenteeism
  • Women and girls (economically vulnerable populations)
  • Environmental initiatives
  • Community development

What They Don't Fund

  • Grants directly to individuals for personal use
  • Distributions from donor-advised funds to satisfy personal pledges or capital campaign commitments
  • Donor-advised fund grants to private family foundations
  • Fundraising event tickets or event expenses (galas, golf tournaments) through donor-advised funds
  • Organizations outside their defined geographic service area
  • Organizations that received a two-year grant in 2024 are not eligible to apply in 2025

Governance and Leadership

Board Leadership

  • Marygrace Billek, Board Chair
  • Michael Ullmann, Vice Chair
  • Sonia Delgado, MGA, Immediate Past Chair
  • Lovepreet Buttar, Treasurer
  • Scot Pannepacker, Secretary

Key Staff

  • Mathieu Nelessen, President & CEO (appointed December 2024, began February 2025) - Previously served as CEO of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA)
  • Laura J. Longman, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer
  • Nelida Valentin, Vice President, Grants & Programs
  • Steven Spinner, Chief Philanthropy Officer
  • Gabrielle Markand, Senior Director of Philanthropy
  • Danny Freund, Director of Discretionary Grantmaking Activities

Board of Trustees

  • Andrew K. Golden, CFA – Chair, Investment Committee; Retired President, Princeton University Investment Company
  • Peg Forrestel – Chair, Audit Committee; Director of Community Impact, Johnson & Johnson
  • John P. Thurber — Chair, Governance Committee; Partner, The Br'Island Group
  • Theo Kim, CFA – Managing Director, Princeton University Investment Company
  • Rajashekar "Raj" Manimaran – Director of Community Relations, The College of New Jersey
  • Rev. Dr. Joanne Rodríguez, Executive Director of the Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI)
  • Christina Strong – Partner, Dilworth Paxson LLP
  • Treby Williams – Executive at Princeton University

Leadership Perspectives

President & CEO Mathieu Nelessen stated: "After 25 years of nonprofit service, it is a distinct honor to return to my home community to drive the incredible mission of the Community Foundation forward, with a focus on growth, innovation and impact. I look forward to furthering the critical junction between philanthropy and the needs of community and creating sustainable change."

Nelida Valentin, VP of Grants and Programs, emphasized the foundation's collaborative approach: "We are grateful to our nonprofit partners for their tireless commitment to the region's neighbors and communities."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications for most competitive grant programs are submitted through the PACF Grants Portal at https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=princetongrants

Application Methods vary by program:

  • Community Impact Grants: Online portal, competitive process
  • Fund for Women and Girls: Annual application cycle
  • Bunbury Fund: Email to bunburyfund@pacf.org (final cycle)
  • Trenton Arts Fund: Check website for current cycle information
  • PMRCC Community Development Fund: Online portal with fixed deadline

Pre-Application Support:

  • Grant information sessions offered in-person for most programs
  • Direct contact with program officers strongly encouraged
  • Transparent funder - applicants should reach out with questions

Deadlines:

  • Applications must be submitted by 12:00pm on deadline date
  • Late applications will not be reviewed
  • Deadlines vary by program (e.g., June 18, 2025 for PMRCC fund)
  • Organizations that received two-year grants in 2024 are not eligible to apply in 2025

Eligibility Requirements

All applicants must:

  • Have tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code
  • Be a publicly supported charity under Section 509
  • Be registered with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs as a charity in good standing
  • Operate within PACF's defined geographic service area

Geographic Service Area: Greater Mercer County, NJ; eastern Bucks County, PA (including New Hope, Morrisville, Washington Crossing, Yardley); northern Burlington County (including Bordentown and Bordentown Township); southern Hunterdon County (including Lambertville, West Amwell, adjacent parts of East Amwell); southern Middlesex County (including Plainsboro and Cranbury); southern Somerset County (including Montgomery, Rocky Hill, and adjacent sections of Franklin Township)

Decision Timeline

  • Grant awards are recommended by the Committee on Impact (comprised of knowledgeable volunteers) for Board approval
  • Grantees are notified of decisions via email by Community Foundation staff
  • Specific decision timelines vary by program but typically occur within weeks to months of application deadline

Success Rates

The foundation does not publicly disclose specific success rates or the percentage of applications that receive funding. However, recent awards data shows:

  • 2025: Over 50 nonprofits received Community Impact Grants totaling $2.4 million
  • December 2024: 40 nonprofits received Community Impact Grants totaling $1.3 million
  • Competitive process with knowledgeable volunteer reviewers

Reapplication Policy

Organizations that received a two-year grant in 2024 are not eligible to apply in 2025. The foundation does not specify waiting periods for unsuccessful applicants, suggesting reapplication in subsequent cycles is generally permitted.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Foundation Priorities

  • Focus on Low-Income Populations: Applications must clearly demonstrate impact on economically disadvantaged individuals and families. Recent successful grants have explicitly addressed populations "at or near poverty levels."

  • Evidence-Based Approach: The foundation funded organizations addressing measurable community challenges (e.g., chronic absenteeism rates above 10%, specific health conditions correlating with school absences).

  • Geographic Specificity: Grantseekers from outside the defined geographic scope will not be successful. Applications must demonstrate clear service delivery within Greater Mercer County and adjacent communities.

Strong Application Components

  • Partnerships and Collaboration: Many successful grants involve partnerships (e.g., school-nonprofit collaborations in All Kids Thrive, healthcare partnerships for food security programs). The foundation values organizations addressing shared problems or opportunities.

  • Capacity and Sustainability: The foundation funded capacity-building initiatives including board governance, succession planning, and systems upgrades, suggesting they value organizational strength and long-term viability.

  • Innovation and Replication: Successful applications included proven models (e.g., THREAD mentoring program from Baltimore) adapted to local context.

  • Multi-Year Planning: For the first time in 2024, PACF offered two-year grants, reflecting interest in helping nonprofits "better anticipate their financial needs and plan their budgets." Applicants should consider whether multi-year funding would strengthen their proposal.

Demonstrated Impact

Recent successful grants show strong preference for:

  • Programs with measurable outcomes (e.g., meals delivered daily, students served, families housed)
  • Organizations serving multiple dimensions of need (e.g., food pantries combined with mobile delivery)
  • Projects addressing root causes rather than symptoms
  • Programs with proven track records in the region

Foundation Values in Practice

PACF's core values are: Generous, Fair, Creative, Courageous, and Lasting. Applications should reflect:

  • Creative: Innovative approaches to persistent challenges
  • Courageous: Willingness to address difficult issues like racial equity, chronic absenteeism, homelessness
  • Lasting: Sustainable programming with long-term community benefit

Strategic Advice

  • Attend Information Sessions: The foundation explicitly recommends attendance at grant information sessions to understand program priorities and ask questions.

  • Contact Program Officers: PACF describes itself as a "transparent funder" and encourages direct contact with Danny Freund (Discretionary Grantmaking) or Nelida Valentin (Grants & Programs).

  • Demonstrate Local Knowledge: Staff have "deep knowledge about the region" - applications should reflect understanding of local context, challenges, and assets.

  • Address Current Priorities: With All Kids Thrive concluded, Community Impact Grants now represent the primary responsive grantmaking opportunity, focusing on food security, homelessness, education/workforce development, mental health, and capacity-building.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic fit is non-negotiable: Organizations outside Greater Mercer County and adjacent communities in Central New Jersey will not be funded, regardless of program quality.

  • Build relationships before applying: Attend information sessions, contact program officers directly, and engage with foundation staff who value transparent communication.

  • Demonstrate impact on economically vulnerable populations: Nearly all discretionary grants prioritize low-income individuals, families, and communities. Applications must clearly show how programming addresses economic disadvantage.

  • Consider two-year funding requests: PACF now offers multi-year grants for Community Impact and other programs, recognizing that longer funding periods help nonprofits plan more effectively.

  • Partnerships strengthen applications: Many successful grants involve collaborations between nonprofits, schools, healthcare providers, or other community organizations addressing shared challenges.

  • Capacity building is valued: The foundation has dedicated significant resources (Bunbury Fund) to organizational strengthening, suggesting they prefer funding well-managed nonprofits with strong governance.

  • Watch for major program transitions: All Kids Thrive concluded in 2023 after five years and $3 million in grants. Community Impact Grants have expanded. Stay current with foundation priorities as they evolve under new CEO Mathieu Nelessen's leadership focused on "growth, innovation and impact."

References

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