3 Essex County Groups Earn ‘Equity Grants’ To Uplift Their Communities

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Three nonprofits in Essex County recently earned “equity grants” to uplift their local communities.

Impact100 Essex has announced the recipients of its 2025 Equity Grants, awarding a total of $65,000 to three local groups:

• Bessie Green – $25,000
• Brothers Building a Better Nation – $20,000
• Butterfly Dreamz – $20,000

Impact100 Essex shared the following background information about each nonprofit:

• Bessie Green Community, Inc. – “Serving Newark’s communities for decades, Bessie Green provides thousands of meals, bags of groceries, clothing and support services each year to individuals and families in need.”
• Brothers Building a Better Nation – “Focused on Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) men and their families in Newark, this organization offers trauma-informed care, mentoring and paths to employment to break systemic barriers.”
• Butterfly Dreamz, Inc. – “Based in Newark, this organization empowers girls and young women to become confident, justice-centered leaders, through holistic leadership programs and community engagement.”

According to Impact100 Essex, this year’s round of grants is the largest since it launched the awards.

“This year’s grantees – all organizations with annual budgets under $500,000 – are deeply rooted in their communities and advancing equity in powerful, measurable ways,” the women-led collective announced in a press release.

Impact100 Essex noted that the grants are “unrestricted” – leaving it up to the awardees to spend it as they see fit.

“By providing unrestricted funding, we invest capital in leaders and teams who are closest to the challenges — and the solutions — within their communities,” said Jennifer Avers and Jennymarie Idrobo, co-leaders of the group’s Equity Grant Committee.

For more information about the Equity Grant initiative or Impact100 Essex, visit: impact100essex.org.

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