After supporting 40 organizations in 2026, President Evan Sanchez says the goal is to create a lasting source of funding for grassroots groups across the city
ATLANTIC CITY — The Atlantic City Community Fund has helped dozens of local organizations this year, but President Evan Sanchez says the larger goal is to build something designed to outlast any single fundraising campaign.
A permanent pool of money dedicated to Atlantic City.
“We are really committed to building an endowed fund,” Sanchez said during an appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show on WOND. “We want to have permanent capital that supports Atlantic City indefinitely.”
Sanchez said the vision is to continue raising and distributing money to local organizations while simultaneously building an endowment capable of providing support year after year.
“We want to raise a large amount of money that we can give out consistently year over year as well,” he said.
The push comes as the Atlantic City Community Fund prepares for its annual fundraiser Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
40 organizations supported in 2026
Founded in 2017, the nonprofit's mission includes encouraging private giving, strengthening service providers and improving conditions in Atlantic City through grantmaking, collaboration and endowment building.
Sanchez said the fund supported 40 nonprofits and community organizations during its 2026 grant cycle, a figure also reported when this year's awards were announced.
The organizations cover a broad cross-section of life in Atlantic City.
“At a high level, the Atlantic City Community Fund is itself a nonprofit, and it's really established to support local nonprofits,” Sanchez said.
“We believe that local philanthropy is really, really important to building a better Atlantic City, a stronger, more resilient city.”
Sanchez said funding reaches organizations involved in youth services, arts and culture, senior programs, beautification and other community efforts. The fund can also work with smaller groups that do not have their own nonprofit status when they partner with an eligible fiscal sponsor.
The Community Fund's website currently identifies 19 named 2026 recipients, including the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, Atlantic City Rescue Mission, Covenant House of New Jersey, Atlantic City Arts Foundation, Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation, Chelsea Economic Development Corp., Atlantic City Free Public Library, AC Pride, Absecon Lighthouse and Stockton University.
The fund's eligibility rules allow organizations with their own nonprofit status as well as groups working through approved fiscal sponsors, which may account for some groups not appearing separately on the published list.
‘You can't do good work without paying good people’
One aspect of the fund that Sanchez emphasized is its willingness to provide general operating support, rather than limiting every grant to a narrowly defined project.
“You can't do good work without paying good people,” Sanchez said.
The Community Fund provides both operating and project-based grants for work that benefits Atlantic City. Its stated priorities include education, community services, youth and senior programs, arts and culture, parks and recreation, and urban renewal.
In 2025, individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000, according to the organization.
Sanchez said that flexibility is particularly important for grassroots organizations that may have strong community involvement but limited resources.
“Our approach is ground up,” he said. “We know the people that are making impact in their community, in the community of Atlantic City, are oftentimes under-resourced, but very deserving.”
He pointed to programs ranging from workforce training through MudGirls Studios to youth arts and beach programs, neighborhood beautification and services provided by larger organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club.
Building something permanent
The Community Fund's endowment effort isn't a new addition to its mission. Endowment building has been part of the organization's stated purpose since its formation.
What Sanchez described is an effort to build that concept into a significant permanent source of private philanthropic capital for the city.
The organization has not publicly identified on its website a current endowment balance or an ultimate dollar target.
But the strategy differs from raising money and immediately distributing all of it. An endowment can preserve principal while using investment earnings or a designated portion of the fund to support grants over time.
That could create a recurring source of money for Atlantic City organizations regardless of how much is raised during any particular year's campaign.
The Community Fund has been pursuing small-grant philanthropy for years. In 2022, Sanchez told the Atlantic City Executive Council that the organization planned to distribute approximately $50,000 to $60,000 in small grants during that year's funding round.
Fundraiser set for Tuesday at Hard Rock
The Community Fund will hold its annual reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Hard Rock in Atlantic City.
The event brings together nonprofit leaders, donors and community partners while raising money for the organization. Tickets remain available, and sponsorship opportunities are also being offered.
Sanchez said individual tickets cost $50 and sponsorships range from $1,000 to $10,000.
“There is no contribution that is too small,” Sanchez said. “We're very, very much grassroots.”
Hard Rock has hosted the fundraiser for several years, Sanchez said.
The casino says it has contributed more than $1 million annually in monetary and in-kind donations to local charities since opening in Atlantic City in 2018.
Sanchez also said Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell is scheduled to attend Tuesday's reception as an honored guest.
He recalled that the late Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver was a longtime supporter of the organization and attended its event repeatedly.
“She knew that change was going to happen at the grassroots,” Sanchez said. “She knew that the impact was going to be in the community.”
Sanchez: Atlantic City at another ‘tipping point’
For Sanchez, the Community Fund's mission is also tied to his view of where Atlantic City stands economically.
He returned to Atlantic City in 2015, when four casinos had recently closed and the city was dealing with thousands of lost jobs.
More than a decade later, Sanchez believes Atlantic City has reached another turning point.
“I think we're at that next tipping point,” he said.
Sanchez pointed to new construction, housing and private investment as encouraging signs, but said physical redevelopment alone isn't enough.
“It's really, really important that we don't lose sight of the philanthropic nonprofit community,” he said. “We cannot move away from these great people doing the work.”
His assessment of Atlantic City's prospects today is decidedly optimistic.
“I'm as bullish as I've ever been after over a decade being back in Atlantic City and investing in Atlantic City and supporting a lot of different causes,” Sanchez said. “It feels rational to be optimistic.”
The Community Fund's endowment effort, he said, is intended to make sure some of that optimism — and investment — reaches the organizations working at street level.
“Positivity is the key,” Sanchez said. “I'm going to continue to be positive, continue to build, be in the arena.”
Evan Sanchez made his comments on “The AC Mike Lopez Show” on WOND (weekdays 12p-1p).
About the Author
Karen Johnson
With over 30 years of news experience in major markets like Los Angeles, Denver, and Columbus, Karen now covers our area for South Jersey NewsBeat. She also brings her articulate and conversational news delivery to WOND radio listeners every weekday. Her background includes work with the NBC Radio Network, and she thrives in fast-paced news environments.
