The Lawrence Township Community Foundation has made $20,000 in grants to various local organizations during its Spring 2025 grant cycle.
The Lawrence Township Community Foundation aims to foster supportive community and private sector relationships to serve the interests of the residents of Lawrence Township. Since awarding its first grants in 2002, LTCF has provided over $1.4 million in grant funding for more than 50 local nonprofit organizations that serve the people of Lawrence Township.
Operating with an all-volunteer board of directors, LTCF looks to serve as a clearinghouse for funds donated by corporate sponsors and private contributors who have entrusted this significant funding to the Foundation.
“LTCF is committed to supporting local organizations that make a positive impact on the community. These grants will help these organizations continue their valuable work and improve the lives of many residents,” said Sue Kirkland, the organization’s current president. “Of course, we’d love to be able to do more. Hopefully spreading the word about our work and the nonprofits we provide grants to, can build interest in and financial support for our mission.”
The 2025 Spring grants were awarded to the following organizations:
Arm in Arm: To continue providing food security for low-income residents of Lawrence Township through their Mobile Pantry Service and its stops in Lawrence (Project Freedom, Lawrence Intermediate School, Lawrence Branch of the Mercer County Library and Mercer County Hispanic Association).
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County: Supporting their school-based mentoring program in Lawrence Township. This program connects elementary school students (“Littles”) with high school mentors (“Bigs”) from Lawrence High School and Notre Dame High School. The mentors provide homework assistance and tutoring, particularly in English and reading, for one to two hours each week after school.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County, Inc.: To fund its 10-week summer camp supplemental literacy education program, Reading For Success, for 25 underserved, at-risk youth in Lawrence, ages 5-10. The Reading for Success program is an evidence-based program that helps youth improve their reading and language arts skills so they are at least on grade level if not beyond.
CASA for Children of Mercer & Burlington Counties: To support their child advocacy program addressing a critical gap in services for children in foster care. CASA Advocates gather information from various stakeholders to provide judges with a comprehensive understanding of the child’s situation to ensure informed decisions that address the child’s needs.
Dress for Success: To cover the cost of its in-person mentoring program through their Center of Career Excellence in Lawrenceville. This program aims to help women improve their resumes and interview skills.
Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County: For their Neighbors Helping Neighbors program that provides free caregiving services for Lawrence residents who are aging or living with disabilities.
Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County: To serve residents experiencing food insecurity. This grant will fund regularly scheduled mobile food pantry distribution stops in Lawrence Township.
Lawrence Historical Society: As part of the 250th celebration of the founding of the United States, this grant supports the collaboration between LHS and the Museum of the American Revolution to bring the First Oval Office Project to Lawrence Township in December 2025.
The First Oval Office Project is an exact replica of George Washington’s field headquarters and includes trained staff and historical re-enactors to help Lawrence Township residents interpret the site.
Lawrenceville Main Street: This grant supports the Spring & Fall Arts Festivals and Fall Music on Main, a six-week fall concert series, for the musical enjoyment of all Lawrence residents.
Meals on Wheels: To support the Subsidized Meal Program for homebound Lawrence residents.
NAMI Mercer NJ Inc.: To support its Harvest for Hope annual wellness conference. Harvest of Hope typically brings roughly 200 people together to learn strategies and resources that promote mental health and wellbeing while also deepening understanding of mental illness.
Nonprofit Connect NJ: To enhance the resilience and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations in Mercer County by offering six free, expert-led training sessions for nonprofit leaders and board members, equipping them with essential skills to navigate challenges posed by changing legislation, executive orders and funding cuts.
People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos: To expand their work with Lawrence seniors, planning to deliver at least two eight-week programs to encourage cognitive growth, literature appreciation, and social connectivity, thereby helping to eliminate the widespread loneliness and depression affecting seniors.
Prevention Education Inc. (PEI Kids): To provide immediate, short-term crisis counseling to child victims of sexual abuse, ages 3-18, and their non-offending supportive family members.
Project Graduation: To provide specific programming and events to keep Lawrence High School Seniors safe on prom and graduation nights.
The WorkWell Partnership: To support its mission to equip returning citizens with job skills, dignity, and hope. WorkWell integrates job training with public and private partnerships to create stable lives and reduce recidivism. This grant is intented to contribute to Workwell’s data-collection project to update their system for gathering information from their applicants and participants pre- and post-release from incarceration.
For more information about the Lawrence Township Community Foundation and its grant programs, or to donate, visit ltcfnj.org.
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