October, 28, 2025, Princeton, NJ - The Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce announced today that two local organizations will receive grants from it’s Community Development Fund.

The James R. Halsey Foundation of the Arts is “dedicated to guiding youth and young adults on their journey of self-discovery and healing through film, arts, and media education while equipping them with the life skills and resources needed for future academic and employment opportunities.” The foundation will receive $16,500 to fund programs like “Let’s Film” and “Generation Change.”

The Father Center of New Jersey offers men the emotional, social, and economic resources to improve their lives and those of their children. Their “Developing Young Men, Young Leaders” program supports young men during critical stages of development, equipping participants with the tools, confidence, and emotional intelligence to make positive life choices and build respectful relationships. The Father Center will receive $12,000 to fund this program.

“Our local nonprofit organizations are doing extraordinary work to ensure that we have a skilled workforce ready to meet the modern needs of our business community,” said Chamber President and CEO Hal English. “These organizations are providing residents with the opportunities and resources they need to achieve economic mobility and secure a better future for themselves and their families. The Chamber is proud of the role we play in addressing economic development holistically in our region.”

The Chamber’s Community Development Fund was established in 2013 with a $500,000 gift from the Princeton Regional Chamber Foundation. To date, the fund has distributed nearly $343,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations located in the Chamber’s five-county to support programs that align with the Foundation’s priorities including economic development, education, and workforce development. The Fund is managed by the Princeton Area Community Foundation. The grant application process begins annually each spring, and it is open to any area nonprofit with programming that aligns with the Fund’s focus areas. More information about the fund and the application process can be found here: https://pacf.org/grants-scholarships/grants/prcc-community-development-fund/.

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The Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce is the premier regional business association in Central New Jersey.  A non-profit membership association committed to driving economic development in our region, the Chamber has more than 1100 member organizations and over 17,000 individual contacts. Signature programs of the Chamber include the Central NJ Real Estate Forecast, the NJ Conference for Women, and the Trenton Economic Development Series. Chamber members range from Fortune 500s to Main Street sole-proprietors, and they include industries like healthcare and pharma; finance, IT, and professional services; manufacturing, retail, and tourism; and higher ed, non-profit, and more. More information about the Chamber can be found at www.princetonmercer.org