The New Jersey State Bar Foundation awarded grants to 52 nonprofit organizations to broaden the public’s understanding of the legal system through law-related and civics-based programs.
Central to the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s mission is to foster increased knowledge of the law and how it works for New Jersey residents. The annual cosponsorship grants help make that a reality and reach more than 100,000 people across New Jersey.
The nonprofit organizations reach a range of underserved communities through webinars and targeted social media content, seminars, training, pro bono legal support, educational materials, direct outreach and much more. The communities served include people facing a loss of their home, immigrants, people who have disability diagnoses, victims of domestic violence, people with addictions, children, older adults, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community and cancer survivors, patients, and caregivers.
Here is what a few of the grant recipients had to say:
Elizabeth Gloeggler, CEO, Literacy New Jersey – We have seen how citizenship instruction helps adults feel empowered, informed, and excited about the opportunities that come with passing the citizenship exam and becoming a U.S. citizen. Our students work so hard every day on this journey.
Cecy Jimenez-Weeast, executive director, Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund – As Mercer County’s primary resource hub for immigrants, each and every day, our team is faced with the challenges and realities of navigating life as a low-income immigrant in today’s climate. This program empowers us to expand access to affordable, culturally and linguistically accessible legal support, as well as provide broader legal education to support our community at large.
Jennie Vega, social service manager, Oasis – A Haven for Women and Children – Through this partnership, attorneys are able to facilitate group sessions that provide survivors of domestic violence with accessible legal education, guidance, and critical information about rights and resources. This support allows us to strengthen our programming, helping participants feel more informed, empowered, and confident as they navigate complex legal and social systems. This work directly advances our mission of promoting safety, stability, and long-term empowerment for the individuals and families we serve.
The Foundation is supporting the following nonprofit organizations and programs in the fiscal year 2026-2027:
- 180 Turning Lives Around: Court Advocacy program
- American Friends Service Committee: New Jersey Immigrant Rights Program
- The Arc of New Jersey: Equal Justice Talks webinar series
- Autism New Jersey: Law Enforcement Initiative
- Bill of Rights Institute: Teaching Rights and Responsibilities in New Jersey
- CAIR-NJ: NJ Muslims, Know and Practice Your Rights!
- Catholic Charities, Dioceses of Metuchen: Immigration Services Program
- Center for Youth Political Participation: RU Ready Civic Education
- Child Focus Inc.: New Jersey Safe Babies Court Team
- Clinton Hill Community Action: Joining Forces to Prevent Eviction
- Community Health Law Project: Pro Bono Pilot program
- Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Jersey: Modernizing and customizing CASA of NJ’s pre-service training curriculum
- Covenant House New Jersey: Atlantic City Youth Advocacy Center
- Crossroads4Hope, A Network of Cancer Support: Legal Programs and Community Outreach
- Disability Rights New Jersey: Youth in Transition: Empowering youth and young adults to build work readiness to be independently successful.
- Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Crisis Center of Warren County: Ensuring Access to Justice: Legal Advocacy for Survivors of Domestic/Sexual Violence
- East Ward Community Center: Your Rights, Your Voice, a trauma-informed initiative
- Garden State Equality: Legal Literacy and Community Empowerment for LGBTQ+ New Jersey
- Greater Somerset County YMCA: Youth and Government
- IACO Immigration and American Citizenship Organization: Guía Legal del Inmigrante – A Bilingual Legal Education Podcast
- International Rescue Committee, Inc.: Refugee Legal Rights Protection program
- Jewish Family Service of MetroWest: Court Advocate Program
- KIND: Protecting Unaccompanied Immigrant Children: Pro Bono Legal Services in New Jersey
- Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund: Rights Within Reach: Legal Education and Support for Mercer County’s Immigrant Community
- League of Women Voters of New Jersey: Voter Education: Know Your Voting Rights
- Legal Aid Society of Monmouth County: Monmouth County Pro Bono Legal Services program
- Literacy New Jersey: Destination U.S. Citizenship
- Literacy Volunteers of Morris County: Life Skills, Civics and Citizenship Instruction for Adults
- Madison Area YMCA: Youth and Government
- Make the Road New Jersey: Safeguarding Immigrant Tenants and Workers: Legal Rights Education Project
- Morris County Organization for Hispanic Affairs: Community Constitutional Education
- National Association of Women Judges: Color of Justice – New Jersey
- New Jersey Appleseed: Empowering Voters: The New Jersey Initiative and Referendum Handbook
- New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children: Actionable information via social media shorts for and with New Jersey’s young immigrants
- New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition: Closing the Enforcement Gap: Disability and civil rights for people who use drugs
- New Jersey State Bar Association: Member Assistance Program
- NJ LEEP: Legal Diversity Pipeline and College Access program
- OASIS: A Haven for Women and Children: From Surviving to Striving: Removing Barriers to Legal Support for Underserved Survivors of Domestic Violence
- Palestinian American Community Center: Building Pathways to Citizenship and Civic Participation
- PLAN|NJ: Communicating the Need for Legal and Estate Planning for the Future Care of People with Disabilities
- Pro Bono Partnership: Nonprofit Legal Education Workshop Series for New Jersey Laypersons
- Pushcart Players: Inspiring civic engagement through “A More Perfect Union”
- Safe in Hunterdon: 2026 Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Symposium
- Shalom Community Services Inc.: Conozca sus Derechos y Responsabilidades/Know your Rights and Responsibilities
- Shore House: Legal rights for adults living with mental illness
- SPAN Parent Advocacy Network: Special education and health rights of children and youth with social needs involved in child protection and juvenile justice
- Volunteer UP Legal Clinic: Empowerment through Education
- Women Aware: Domestic Violence Victims Rights – Legal Workshop Series
- YMCA of the Jersey Shore: Civic Engagement Program
- YMCA of Newark and Vicinity: Youth and Government/Model United Nations
- YWCA of Northern New Jersey: Strategic Language Equity Workshop and Training
- YWCA Union County: Legal Education Advocacy Project
NJSBF’s Cosponsorship Program, which began in 1990, is supported with funding from the IOLTA Fund of the Bar of New Jersey.
Originally published July 13, 2026
Bar Report of the New Jersey State Bar Association