Community Engagement
Since its founding, Maher Charitable Foundation has partnered with community-based practitioners to identify unmet needs and then invest in programs and initiatives that help address those needs. Our place-based investments have largely been centered in Newark, most recently in Clinton Hill in the South Ward.
In the Community
In Clinton Hill, Maher’s work began with longstanding provider Clinton Hill Community & Early Childhood Center (CHCECC). Maher helped CHCECC to expand services, increase its Early Head State enrollment, and offer more support to family childcare providers in the community. Led by DeNiqua Matias, CHCECC is one of two groups providing high-quality programming in the newly opened Clinton Hill Early Learning Center. La Casa de Don Pedro is the Center’s infant/toddler childcare partner; Maher also helped La Casa expand its Early Head Start program in the South Ward.
The Early Learning Center not only cares for children in Upper Clinton Hill, but it serves as a catalytic investment for the community.
When Maher began its work in Clinton Hill, the South Ward was the only part of Newark with no community development organization since the 2008 recession. Maher helped to launch Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA), the community development nonprofit founded in 2019 that is working with residents and other stakeholders to revitalize the neighborhood. CHCA’s strategic priorities – community building, food, and economic justice, housing justice, and citizen journalism/advocacy – stem from the neighborhood planning process it led with key partners that engaged 350+ residents. Khaatim Sherrer El leads CHCA.
CHCA’s team is on the ground, meeting residents where they live and work. From home repairs, eviction prevention, community building, and organizing beat-the-blight campaigns, to a new food pantry hub, farmers’ market, and forthcoming food coop, CHCA fosters important connections with other partners throughout Newark and beyond. CHCA partners include the South Ward Special Improvement District, South Ward Environmental Alliance, Greater Newark LISC, Greater Newark Conservancy, CAPC, and South Ward Promise Neighborhood, to name a few.
Other Community Investment
To bring new funding and initiatives to Newark, Maher supports the Newark Philanthropic Liaison. Through a public-private partnership, the philanthropic liaison works with the City of Newark to share information, identify opportunities, and encourage collaboration on projects of importance to Newark’s economic and social development.
The foundation has also invested in Newark’s Summer Youth Employment Program to underwrite summer internships and career-building programming for high school students in Newark. In 2022, SYEP served 3,000 students, about a third of whom were from the South Ward.
