New Jersey's casino reinvestment authority opens $3 million in grants for Atlantic City nonprofits
The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority's RISE Atlantic City will pay for programs in tourism and culture, job training, youth development and community needs. Applications open Nov. 24, and grants go out first come, first served.
Atlantic City. Nonprofits in Atlantic City will be able to apply for a share of $3 million in community grants from the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, which announced the program, called RISE Atlantic City, on Oct. 27.
The authority said the money would go directly to Atlantic City nonprofits and organizations for special programs, events and initiatives that primarily benefit the city. Registered nonprofits and government entities may apply in any category; a for-profit business may apply only for free public entertainment under the tourism and culture category.
Four pools of money
The largest pool, $1 million, is for tourism, arts and culture: festivals, parades, performance series, public art and historic preservation. Workforce development has $700,000 for job training, credentials, career coaching, adult education and reentry programs. Youth, teen and young adult development has $600,000 for after-school and summer programs, mentoring, tutoring and recreation for children up to 18. Community resilience has $700,000 for food distribution, homelessness services and mental health services.
Each organization may be funded only once, in one category. An organization that received any funding from the authority in the previous 12 months is not eligible until a year has passed. The grants do not pay for construction, general operating costs unrelated to the program, religious worship or political campaigns.
Reimbursement, matches and a long review
Applications open Nov. 24 and have no deadline: grants are made on a rolling, first come, first served basis until each category's money runs out. The authority says review takes at least six months, and every award needs the approval of its board.
The grants are paid as reimbursements, so a grantee spends its own money first and then submits receipts. Requests of $30,000 to $99,999 require a 25 percent match, and requests of $100,000 or more a 50 percent match. Applicants must submit their EIN, an IRS determination letter for a 501(c)(3), a New Jersey business tax clearance certificate, a project budget and a marketing plan. Grantees file a midterm update and a closeout report within 60 days of finishing; missing them can bar an organization from the authority's funding for five years.
The authority will hold a webinar on the program on Nov. 10 at 1 p.m.
“Over the past several months, we sat down with small business owners, nonprofit leaders, and residents to hear what they need. Every grant category was shaped by that feedback.”
About this story
501c3.help wrote this story from the sources listed with it, not from material an organization sent. Our editors approved it on Oct. 28, 2026. Stories in The Nonprofit Herald are free, and nothing is asked in return. Editorial rules.
Found an error? Write to [email protected] and we will correct it.