32 NJ Towns Receive Grants for Community-Based Sustainability Projects

Sustainable Jersey announces grants funded by PSEG Foundation at event in West Orange

Today, Sustainable Jersey announced the 32 New Jersey towns that were selected for Sustainable Jersey Small Grants funded by the PSEG Foundation at an event in West Orange, New Jersey.  Since 2009, Sustainable Jersey has distributed approximately $1.7 million in grants to New Jersey municipalities to help towns make their communities more livable, environmentally friendly and prosperous.

“Supporting municipalities with funding to do innovative sustainability projects at the community-level is an important step toward our goal of a sustainable New Jersey,” said Sustainable Jersey Co-Director Randall Solomon. “Congratulations to all of the grant recipients.”

“Environmental, social and economic issues are the cornerstone to the PSEG Foundation’s support and we are committed to leading the communities in which we serve towards a more sustainable future,” said Ellen Lambert, president of the PSEG Foundation. “The impact of these projects will have a lasting impact to neighborhoods throughout New Jersey.” 

The 12 towns that received the $20,000 and $10,000 grants proposed projects that provide sustainable solutions to everyday challenges. Food waste recycling, woodlands restoration, energy efficiency outreach, bike and pedestrian paths, green business recognition, water conservation, creative assets inventory and more have been added to the list of initiatives that the Sustainable Jersey Small Grants program is funding. New Jersey is the first state in the nation to have a comprehensive sustainability program for communities that links certification with strong state and private financial incentives, and a fully resourced program of technical support and training. Currently, 75 percent of New Jersey’s towns and cities (423 towns across all 21 counties) have registered to become Sustainable Jersey certified. 

SUSTAINBLE JERSEY SMALL GRANTS RECIPIENTS:

• Four $20,000 Grant Recipients: Atlantic City, Edison Twp., Madison Borough and Rutherford Borough,
• Eight $10,000 Grant Recipients: East Greenwich Twp., Jersey City, Maple Shade Twp., Millville City, Mount Olive Twp., North Bergen Twp., Readington Twp. and Southampton Twp.
• Twenty $2,000 Capacity-Building Grant Recipients: Audubon Borough, Bernardsville Borough, Bloomfield Township, Bordentown Township, Cherry Hill Township, Cranbury Township, Delran Township, Egg Harbor City, Gibbsboro Borough, Hamilton Township, Hopewell Township, Metuchen Borough, Ocean City, Pitman Borough, Pleasantville City, Ramsey Borough, Sea Bright Borough, Stone Harbor Borough, Warren Township and Waterford Township

Over 60 municipalities submitted proposals that were judged by an independent Blue Ribbon Selection Committee. Sustainable Jersey grants are intended to help local governments make progress toward a sustainable future in general, and specifically toward Sustainable Jersey certification. The Sustainable Jersey for Schools Small Grants Program is also funded by the PSEG Foundation.  Currently, $100,000 in grants is available to schools. Applications are due on April 26, 2015 and can be accessed by visiting the grants page on www.SustainableJerseySchools.com.