Since our partnership began, The Aubrey Group has developed a comprehensive grants strategy to support the City’s impressive community and economic development goals. The Aubrey Group has researched grant opportunities, developed potential programs, and submitted funding requests to local, state, and federal agencies on behalf of the City. We have also provided consultation and assistance on the City’s HOME ARP Strategic Plan, allowing Camden to receive and continue to be eligible for federal funding.

A few examples of our grants consulting wins include:

• New Jersey Department of Community Affairs American Rescue Plan (NJDCA ARP) Firefighters Grant: In mid-December 2022, our team received word of more than $150,000 in NJDCA ARP Firefighter Grants awards distributed across four of our municipal clients at varying amounts. The City of Camden was awarded $52,000.00 to provide needed training, and equipment for the Camden Fire Department. Additionally, a $61,854.00 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant was awarded in 2023 to fund annual medical and physical testing for 189 firefighters.

• Electric Vehicles Incentive Program: Our team oversaw all elements of a successful funding request (preparation, submission, award, and required subsequent reporting) of a successful $154,000.00 grant pursuit to help get New Jersey drivers behind the wheel of electric vehicles.

• Food Security Planning Grant Program: NJ-Economic Development Agency (NJEDA): The Aubrey Group handled all aspects of successful submission for a $125,000.00 grant to improve food access and food security in the City of Camden’s Food Desert Communities (FDCs).

• Strategic and Community-Focused Grants: The Aubrey Group has identified — and is in the process of pursuing — various grants for the City, including, but not limited to: Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER), COPS Hiring Grant, COPS Community-based Intervention Grant, and African American Civil Rights Application to National Park Service.

About the Client: The City of Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area, located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Camden had a population of 71,791, ranking as the 14th-most populous municipality in the state. Camden was historically a prosperous industrial city, and today, the Camden waterfront holds three tourist attractions: the USS New Jersey (Battleship New Jersey), the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, and the Adventure Aquarium. The City is the home of four higher education campuses, and the “eds and meds” institutions account for roughly 45% of Camden’s total employment.

Photo Credit: City of Camden, NJ Website