Newark Gives Day

The Newark community will come together on May 3rd for Giving Day, a special 24-hour online fundraising campaign in celebration of Newark’s 350th anniversary. They hope to raise $350,000 in only 24 hours to fund five Legacy Gifts, projects of historical, community, arts and educational significance, that will live beyond this historic milestone year and instill civic pride and connection for generations to come! As valued supporters of Newark Celebration 350, we hope that you can help us spread the word and gather support for Newark's first Giving Day. 

Donors can choose from five legacy projects that were conceived by a community-based committee lead by Mary Sue Sweeney Price, the legacy gift committee chair. She is Director Emerita of the Newark Museum and the widow to Newark Celebration 350’s visionary and nationally revered historian and civic advocate, the late Dr. Clement A. Price, whose life and legacy was dedicated to public service and charting a bright future for Newark.

• Repair and Install Gutzon Borglum's 1916 Landing Monument
  In 1916, Newark’s 250th committee commissioned one of the world’s greatest artists, Gutzon Borglum (also known for the Mount Rushmore National Monument), to honor Newark’s history with a special sculpture. He created the “First Landing Party of the Founders of Newark.” This forgotten, discarded statue stands 9 feet tall and currently resides under a tarp in a garage belonging to the City’s Department of Engineering and Traffic Signals. With your Newark 350 Gives donation, Newark Celebration 350 will partner with the Newark Landmarks and Preservation Committee to restore and reinstall The Landing Monument, to be placed on the campus of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, for all to view and enjoy.
   
• Plant 350 Trees in Newark
  A Legacy Gift for Newarkers who want a greener city, today and for years to come! With your support, Newark Celebration 350 will partner with the New Jersey Tree Foundation to plant 350 trees in honor of our city’s 350th birthday celebration. These trees will make a dramatic and immediate impact in Newark! Trees will improve the city's air quality and reduce flooding during rainstorms. These benefits will occur as soon as the trees are planted and increase as they grow - a legacy to benefit future generations. The NJ Tree Foundation will provide the trees, gloves and shovels to execute this project. Newarkers of all ages will be trained by NJ Tree Foundation staff to plant and care for the 350 trees in neighborhoods across all five wards.
   
• Newark 350 Music Composition
  Jazz artist Stefon Harris will be commissioned to compose a musical work in honor of Newark’s 350th Anniversary to be performed by an ensemble from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra along with a jazz ensemble and vocalists at a Newark Celebration 350 event in Fall 2016.  Your support will help fund the commission, orchestration and copying expenses, performance expenses for the conductor, jazz ensemble and vocalists, NJSO musicians and NJPAC rental for rehearsals and performance, including stage labor. 
   
• Newark Student College Success Fund
  Statistics show that only 16.5 percent of Newark residents age 25 to 34 have a bachelor’s degree or higher, whereas the state average for the same demographic is 42 percent. 3.7% of Newark residents have a graduate or professional degree; 9.4% of Newark residents have bachelor’s degree; 4.5% of Newark residents have associate’s degree; 18.4% of Newark residents have some college education, but no degree. The goal of the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC) is to increase the number of Newark residents with post-secondary degrees to 25% by the year of 2025. 
  The “College Retention and Success” program will support Newark residents attending undergraduate programs at colleges and universities in Newark. Newark Celebration 350 will partner with the NCLC to offer student grants up to $500 to cover expenses such as books, transportation, childcare, food, tutoring, medical expenses, utility bills, minor car repairs, field trips, conferences and internships. The goal of this program will be to keep students from dropping out of school.
   
• Happy 350th Birthday Newark
  Here’s your chance to say “Happy Birthday Newark!” Your donation of any amount will support a project or service that addresses a compelling community need as determined by the Newark Celebration 350 Committee, which may include support for the NC 350 Legacy Gifts.

All donations are tax deductible, non-refundable and will be used by Newark Celebration 350 to support the Legacy Gifts identified on the newark350gives.org website. Advance giving by credit card or check is available now. Join us May 3rd and give back to the city you love! Giving Day Donors can win a tour of Newark with Mayor Ras Baraka and friends, a sterling silver commemorative spoon from the 250th Newark Anniversary in 1916, a private meet and greet with Faith Evans... and more. For a complete list of prizes, visit:  https://newark350gives.org/prizes

For more info and to pledge, please visit: www.newark350gives.org
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