Purple Ribbon

Creating communities to promote a healthy and thriving urban hub.

Providing Leadership and Funding

The transformative work that the Smith Family Foundation is implementing throughout the city of Trenton is called the Purple Ribbon. THe Foundation is seeking to provide leadership development and funding to increase the impact across the city’s nonprofit and religious sector. We seek to create a community working collectively to promote a healthy and thriving urban hub.The Purple Ribbon is a three-pronged approach: Community Empowerment Classes, the Non-profit Incubation Center, and our Transformative Leadership Development Program.

Community Empowerment

The Community Empowerment classes are designed to help both grassroots and non-profit leaders and community organizers to become more organized and active in their mission as it pertains to transforming our city. Classes are held 2 times per year, (winter) October - December and (spring) March - May. Participants from the region will engage in 6 sessions designed to inspire, develop and challenge them to be the change that they would like to see in their.

Incubation Center

The Incubation Center is the second prong in our Purple Ribbon. The terms “incubator” or “incubation center” are interchangeably used for a collaborative environment designed to help organizations in their developmental stage with foundational tools to succeed. SFFNJ’s Non-Profit Incubation Center is a competitive 2 year partnership which will help cultivate nonprofits looking to serve the city of Trenton.

Transformative Leadership Development Program

Participants are organizations that have received one of the competitive grants in our Transformative Giving Platform, which consists of Summer Funding Grant, Extended Year Grant, and the Forever Forward Grant. TDLP is a leadership and organizational development program that the leadership of all funded organizations must participate in during the duration of the grant. TLDP has two tracks, the Non-Profit and Urban Ministry cohort groups.