Capping two years of planning funded by a grant from the Ford Foundation, the new Southern New Jersey Regional Community Foundation has introduced its first Board of Directors.
"Philanthropy and Expanding the Giving Pie.”

Created to “lead South Jersey to be the best place to live and give,” SNJRCF has been brought to life by a 43-member Coordinating Committee comprising many of the region’s best known business and non-profit leaders.

The committee was co-chaired by Mike Camardo, the retired head of Lockheed Martin Information & Technology Services in Cherry Hill, Mindy Holman, the CEO of Holman Enterprises, and Jack Tarditi of Commerce Banc Insurance Services.

Working under the guidance of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and funded by a generous planning grant from the Ford Foundation, the Coordinating Committee has selected its Founding Board of Directors:

• Mindy Holman, Holman Enterprises   
• Dr. Stella Horton, Camden Center for Youth Development
• Rob Kugler, Esquire, Archer & Greiner, P.C.   
• Jack Tarditi, Commerce Banc Insurance Services
• Dr. Kim Warker, City of Millville, Planning/Economic Development

“Our new community foundation will give us the opportunity to manage and distribute charitable funds created by members of our community.  By combining the resources of many, we believe we will be able to do great things that will have a lasting impact on south Jersey”, says board member Mindy Holman.

Board member Jack Tarditi adds, “There are six building blocks to our success:

1. Keeping South Jersey’s philanthropic dollars in South Jersey.
2. Creating a new community’ ‘savings account.’
3. Generating support from people in all walks of life.
4. Helping those donors create personal legacies.
5. Multiplying the impact of their gifts by pooling them with other gifts.
6. Using those gifts to build endowment funds that will benefit the community…forever.”

“Community foundations are the fastest growing form of philanthropy in the country,” Holman points out. “Our new regional community foundation has been created to connect our neighbors across Southern New Jersey with those they want to help, “she says. “And every contribution, however large or small, can make a difference.”

“Our role is to help people achieve important things in the communities they care about,” adds Tarditi. “It’s tempting to think of philanthropy as something only for the wealthy. But the reality is that four out of every five people in this country donate money each year to charity. In New Jersey, our philanthropists aren’t just the wealthy individuals or large corporations and foundations. They are people from all walks of life. And they share a common motive.  They care.
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“As a community foundation devoted exclusively to meeting the needs of this region, SNJRCF will link local people who care with the local causes they care about, “ he says.

The work of the new foundation is being coordinated by the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, under the direction of its President, Nina Stack.

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PHOTO CAPTION:
SNJRCF Coordinating Committee co-chairs (l to r) Mike Camardo, Lockheed Martin Information & Technology Services (retired); Mindy Holman, Holman Enterprises; and Jack Tarditi, Commerce Banc Insurance Services.