About the Project
This project was funded by the Rutgers Equity Alliance for Community Health (REACH) to Professor Cara Cuite and developed by a collaborative team of Rutgers faculty, private grant consultants, and the New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative.
The aim of the project was to strengthen the capacity of nonprofit organizations to secure funding and sustain their programs. The project provides nonprofit leaders and staff with practical tools, training, and resources to identify funding opportunities, develop competitive grant proposals, and successfully manage grant funding.
To ensure these resources addressed real-world needs, multiple focus groups were conducted with representatives from community organizations serving Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick. Insights from these discussions directly informed the contents included in this website and the online course.
In addition to creating these educational resources, the project provided individualized grant consultations to 18 nonprofit organizations, helping them strengthen their grant strategies and secure funding for their work. This component of the project is now concluded, as consultations ended in June 2026.
Meet the Team
Cara Cuite, PhD
Anthony Capece, MCRP
With over a decade of experience in the food security nonprofit space, most recently serving as Associate Director at Elijah’s Promise, Anthony Capece has extensive experience in nonprofit management, community engagement, and navigating the sector. He has helped organizations secure high-profile funding opportunities from the Kresge Foundation, USDA, FEMA, ARPA, and the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge. In 2023, Anthony helped raise over $120 Million for organizations and institutions. Anthony is the lead course trainer and local food organization consultant.
Jeanine Cava, MS
A thought leader in community food systems, local organizing and capacity building for food system change, and inclusive, accessible market access, Jeanine has a mission to revolutionize New Jersey’s food system towards being more equitable, resilient, and sustainable. Drawing on the food policy council model, the New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative under her leadership has effectively engaged in transforming the state’s food system through concerted efforts across various sectors and communities. NJFDC organizes diverse, cross-sector statewide convening and regional meetings to galvanize stakeholders in NJ’s food system, and empowers and informs local capacity to change the food and food policy landscape.
Asia E. Marche, MCRP, CAPM
Asia E. Marche is a certified project manager and business analyst with over six years of experience supporting nonprofits, startups, and public institutions. She has worked with clients such as the Petey Greene Prisoner Assistance Program, Rutgers University, Angela Rye, and more. Asia has served on the grant review panel for the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities and advises nonprofits on identifying alternative funding sources. She holds a Master’s in City & Regional Planning and a Business Administration certificate from Cornell University. Asia has taught in New Jersey prisons and served as a guest lecturer at high schools and universities, bringing real-world insights to diverse learning environments.
Catherine Ruff
Catherine Ruff, MSW, LSW, leads Catherine Ruff Consulting (CRC), a firm dedicated to helping nonprofits and mission-driven organizations turn good ideas into funded, workable projects. Taking a hands-on, practical approach, CRC supports strategic planning and the full grant lifecycle: identifying the right opportunities, shaping project ideas, writing strong proposals, building budgets, managing deadlines, and assisting with reporting once funding is awarded.
A certified WBE and SBE, CRC manages more than $80 million in active grant funding each year across government, foundation, and private sources.
Yvette Ng, MS
Yvette is an experienced research professional having spent many years in the pharmaceutical industry before shifting her focus to public health, with specific interests in reducing health disparities through food policy and improving the food system to be more sustainable, equitable and resilient. She holds a masters degree in epidemiology from Columbia University and a masters degree in business administration from NYU. She is currently a research fellow at the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute and supports a variety of research activities for the New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative.
Annika Noel
Annika Noel is a current student at Rutgers in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. She is pursuing a degree in Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior, and a minor in Agriculture and Food Systems. She has worked as an intern through the Rutgers Scarlet Service Program, done research on food-related issues as an Aresty research assistant, and is a student athlete on Rutgers Women’s Rowing team. Annika hopes to continue her research and education in the future with the goal of helping others and making a difference in her community.
Lexi Tassone
Lexi Tassone is a graduate of the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, with a degree in Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior, and a minor in Business Administration. At Rutgers, Lexi worked as an Outreach and Marketing Assistant for the Department of Human Ecology and did research with the Design Justice Labs on environmental justice issues and AI data centers. Lexi hopes to continue working on environmental and social issues.
Tirzah Johns
Tirzah Johns is an undergraduate student at Rutgers University majoring in Public Health with minors in Public Policy and Mandarin Chinese. As a research assistant on the REACH project, she contributed to the development and evaluation of a community grant-writing course by conducting surveys and analyzing participant feedback to assess the course’s effectiveness. She is passionate about advancing health equity through research, public policy, and community engagement.
This project is made possible through funding provided by REACH – Catalyzing Resource Development & Capacity within NJ Food Systems (PI: Cara Cuite; Community partner: NJ Food Democracy Collaborative). To learn more about REACH, visit their website here.