New Jersey Community Development

What New Jersey Community Development does

New Jersey Community Development Corporation (NJCDC) is a private nonprofit community development organization founded in 1993 and headquartered at 32 Spruce Street in Paterson, New Jersey. The organization operates a vertically integrated "pipeline" of programs targeting Paterson's Great Falls neighborhood — one of New Jersey's poorest census tracts, where 24% of residents live below the poverty line and only 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. Service lines span four pillars: education (a free preschool at the Paterson Family Center and the Community Charter School of Paterson, K–8), youth development (Great Falls Youth Center, multiple Teen Centers, the Paterson Youth Council for ages 15–18, and AmeriCorps service coordination), affordable and supportive housing (200+ units built to date), and community building (neighborhood revitalization, resident leadership, signature events). NJCDC also runs the Paterson Financial Empowerment Center (financial counseling in partnership with the City of Paterson) and the NJ4S Passaic County Hub for youth mental health.

NJCDC's underlying technology stack is minimal: a Wix-hosted marketing website at njcdc.org, standard social media profiles, and no disclosed APIs, SDKs, or proprietary software platforms. Service delivery is physical and place-based — through school facilities, youth centers, housing developments, and community sites across Paterson — rather than a digital product.

The business model is that of a 501(c)-style nonprofit: all direct services are provided free of charge to Paterson children, youth, and families. Revenue is assembled from four streams: (1) government grants (notably a three-year Financial Empowerment Pilot Program funded by the NJ Department of Community Affairs as part of a $1.8M award spread across 10 nonprofits, plus AmeriCorps Public Allies federal pass-through funding of ~$270K); (2) private foundation grants (Dodge Foundation $300K, Wellpoint NJ $350K, TD Charitable Foundation $200K + $175K, PG&E Corporation Foundation $100K, Provident Bank $100K, Passaic County Open Space Trust Fund $50K); (3) corporate sponsorships and event revenue (Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ as Eagle Sponsor for the 'Fore the Kids' Golf Outing which alone raises $100K+ annually, plus St. Joseph's Health, Lowenstein Sandler, TD Bank); and (4) individual donations, with NJCDC claiming 92 cents of every donated dollar flows directly to programs. The organization is led by Founder & CEO Bob Guarasci (30+ years), under Board Chairman Robert Daleo.

Name

New Jersey Community Development

Legal name

New Jersey Community Development Corporation

Website

https://njcdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

New Jersey Community Development Corporation (NJCDC) is a nonprofit founded in 1993 that operates education, youth development, affordable housing, and financial empowerment programs free of charge for children and families in Paterson, New Jersey's Great Falls neighborhood.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development and Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Community development services
• Youth education programs
• Affordable housing development
• Financial empowerment counseling
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paterson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: NJCDC operates as a nonprofit organization that raises funds through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events. 92 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to programs and services.
2. Government Grants: Receives grants from government entities including the NJ Department of Community Affairs for financial empowerment programs and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for the Financial Empowerment Pilot Program.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NJCDC is a nonprofit community development organization that delivers free education, youth development, affordable and supportive housing, and community building programs to Paterson, NJ residents, particularly children, youth, and families in the Great Falls neighborhood. Its pipeline of services includes a free preschool, charter school, after-school and summer programs, teen centers, the Paterson Youth Council, AmeriCorps coordination, Full Service Community Schools, the Paterson Financial Empowerment Center, and affordable housing units.

Product overview

NJCDC operates as a multi-service community development organization offering a pipeline of programs and services focused on education, youth development, affordable housing, and community building in Paterson, New Jersey. The organization provides education programs (including preschool and college readiness), multiple youth development facilities (Great Falls Youth Center, Teen Centers), the Paterson Youth Council leadership program, AmeriCorps national service coordination, Full Service Community Schools, financial empowerment initiatives, and affordable housing. NJCDC also organizes signature annual fundraising events (Casino Night, Anniversary Gala, 'Fore the Kids' Golf Tournament, Holiday Toy Drive) that support its operations serving thousands of children and families daily.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Great Falls Youth Center: Youth center serving young people in the Great Falls neighborhood of Paterson.
• Paterson Family Center
• Paterson Youth Council
• Community Charter School of Paterson (CCSP)
• Paterson Financial Empowerment Center
• Paterson Community Schools Corps AmeriCorps

Products and services

• Education Programs Educational initiatives including college readiness, tutoring, and academic support services for Paterson youth, delivered as part of NJCDC's cradle-to-college pipeline.
• Paterson Family Center (Free Preschool) Free preschool program for 3- and 4-year-olds in Paterson, preparing children for kindergarten.
• Youth Development Programs After-school, weekend, and summer programs serving children and teens through youth centers, leadership development, and enrichment activities.
• Great Falls Youth Center Dedicated youth center providing programming, activities, and support services for young people in Paterson's Great Falls neighborhood.
• Teen Centers Multiple teen center locations at International High School and PCTI providing youth development and volunteer opportunities for Paterson teens.
• Paterson Youth Council Leadership development program for Paterson teens ages 15-18 featuring civic engagement, college visits, and community service.
• Ivy League Tour

Quantifiable outcome

• 92 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to programs and services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Youth Mental Health CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2026NJCDC's Paterson Public Health Corps was selected as one of five New Jersey partner programs for the national Youth Mental Health Corps initiative expansion to 16 states in 2026, supporting youth mental health career pathways.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): LISC is a national community development nonprofit that finances affordable housing, economic development, and community-building initiatives in distressed neighborhoods. Like NJCDC, it combines housing, education, and community revitalization under one integrated umbrella, and serves as a direct operational and funding-model peer.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Enterprise Community Partners is a national nonprofit that invests in affordable housing, community facilities, and equitable development in low-income neighborhoods. Its integrated housing-plus-services model and place-based approach closely mirror NJCDC's Great Falls strategy.
• KIPP Foundation: KIPP is a national charter school network serving low-income communities with extended-time programming and college-readiness support — directly comparable to NJCDC's Community Charter School of Paterson and its cradle-to-college education pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity International: Habitat for Humanity is the dominant U.S. nonprofit affordable housing developer. NJCDC's 200+ affordable and supportive housing units put it in a comparable operating lane, though Habitat operates at vastly greater national scale.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Boys & Girls Clubs of America operates a national network of youth centers providing after-school programs, academic support, and teen leadership — directly analogous to NJCDC's Great Falls Youth Center, Teen Centers, and Paterson Youth Council.
• YMCA of the USA: The YMCA is a national nonprofit operating youth development, community-building, and family support programming with significant local footprint. Its youth-services and community-services operating model overlaps with NJCDC's multi-program community approach.
• United Way Worldwide: United Way funds and operates community-impact initiatives addressing poverty, education, and financial stability — closely matching NJCDC's mix of programs. NJCDC is a likely United Way grantee/partner, making it a comparable operating nonprofit.

Emerging players

• Year Up: Year Up provides workforce training and financial empowerment for young adults from low-income communities. Its financial literacy and economic mobility focus is comparable to NJCDC's Paterson Financial Empowerment Center and youth financial empowerment programs.

Regional players

• ICCF Community Homes: ICCF Community Homes is a community-based nonprofit developer of affordable housing in the Midwest. While operating in a different geography, its mission-driven affordable housing development model mirrors NJCDC's housing arm.

Others

• Local Foundation for the Homeless (NYC area nonprofits): Coalition for the Homeless and similar regional social-services nonprofits operate comparable case management, housing, and family-support services for low-income populations. They represent the broader peer set of social-services agencies that NJCDC sits within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/paterson1632
• Facebookfacebook.com/njcdc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-jersey-community-development-corporation
• Instagraminstagram.com/njcdc
• Xx.com/njcdc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Jersey Community Development