Dear Friends and Partners,

Six years ago, the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund (NJACRF) was established in response to the profound disruption that COVID-19 brought to New Jersey’s arts and culture sector. Today, our Board is announcing that NJACRF will sunset its grantmaking in 2026, our sixth and final year.

Over the past several months, our Board engaged in thoughtful reflection, assessed NJACRF’s impact, and carefully considered the path forward. Looking ahead, we want to share what this decision means in practice:

• NJACRF will complete its final round of grantmaking in 2026 and take the steps necessary to wind down and dissolve.
• There will be no open application process in 2026. Instead, the Board will announce final grant recipients in late Fall 2026.
• Through the end of 2026, NJACRF will continue to wind-down operations and support its final round of grantees.

NJACRF was created through a collaborative coalition of public and private partners who recognized the essential role that arts, arts education, and history organizations play in community life and cultural equity. From the outset, our mission was to offer unrestricted support to stabilize, strengthen, and sustain New Jersey’s nonprofit arts sector during an unprecedented moment of need.

Since its launch, NJACRF has awarded nearly $11 million in grants to more than 200 organizations statewide, supporting operations, capacity building, and long term sustainability. In 2025, NJACRF awarded $450,000 to 82 arts, culture, and history organizations.

Throughout its grantmaking history, NJACRF has prioritized small to mid-sized organizations, those led by and serving communities of color, and organizations that have been historically under-resourced. A snapshot of our work:

• 224 organizations received grants
• 54% of grantees primarily serve low-income communities
• 18% of grantees have annual budget of $100,000 or less
• 78% of grantee organizations have annual budget of less than $1 Million
• 400+ individual artists supported through intermediary regranting
• 21 New Jersey counties reached through grantmaking

Beyond direct funding, NJACRF has focused on fostering community, resilience, and innovation. This work has reinforced the arts as a critical driver of connection and storytelling.

With deep appreciation and gratitude for your commitment to our communities, we reflect on what we have learned through this work and remain committed to supporting a stronger, more inclusive arts ecosystem. The collective effort behind this initiative has demonstrated what is possible when the community aligns a shared vision for recovery and growth.

While NJACRF is sunsetting its grantmaking, this unprecedented public-private partnership offers a model for future philanthropic collaborations. We encourage our funders, partners, and supporters to draw inspiration from NJACRF’s progress and continue the work in the years ahead.

We are deeply grateful for your belief in and commitment to our work and mission over the years. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to inspire and uplift communities, advance equity, and strengthen the arts and culture sector across the state.

If you have questions regarding this announcement or NJACRF’s plans for 2026, please see our FAQs below.

With gratitude,

Lynne Toye, Executive Director
and Sharnita C. Johnson, Board Chair
New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund