Foundation Awards Grant to Music Organization

The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) announces the Andrea Tilbian Halejian Memorial Fund awarded a grant of $5,000 to KEYS (Kids Empowered by Your Support, Inc.), a nonprofit organization based in New Canaan, Connecticut. The grant will support the organization's mission and operations. The NNJCF, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Hackensack, New Jersey, concentrates on the focus areas of the arts, civic engagement, education, the environment, public health, and philanthropy.

KEYS’ mission is to provide free music lessons and performance opportunities to under-resourced students of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The organization's 'Music for Life' program offers free one-on-one lessons with trained teachers to children whose families do not have the means to pay for music instruction. KEYS also provides instruments for students to use while enrolled in the organization's music program.

The Fund remembers Wyckoff, New Jersey resident Andrea Tilbian Halejian and contributes to qualified charitable organizations she supported. During her life, Tilbian Halejian was an active member of the community. Since its inception, the NNJCF's Andrea Tilbian Halejian Memorial Fund has awarded grants to several organizations, including the Fund for Armenian Relief, the Center for Peace, Justice & Reconciliation (PJR) at Bergen Community College, the Center for Food Action, Vitalant, Eva's Village, Careers Through Culinary Arts, Armenian Relief Society of Eastern USA and LA Family Housing.

For 24 years, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation has served northern New Jersey bringing people and organizations together to identify issues and address needs in the region. With a comprehensive menu of philanthropic opportunities, the NNJCF provides donors with flexible, efficient, and tax-effective ways to ensure their charitable giving has maximum impact through various types of funds, tax-saving annuities, and trust options.

The Foundation works with local governments, school districts, businesses, non-profit organizations, and citizen groups in Northern New Jersey to improve community life. The Foundation's partners identify and resolve regional problems and opportunities by talking and learning from each other and sharing ideas, best practices, services, and resources.

For more information, send an email or call (201) 568-5608. Follow the NNJCF on Facebook at Northern NJ Community Foundation/ArtsBergen, Twitter @NNJCF, Instagram, and LinkedIn.