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Jersey City is full of people who show up for their neighbors, and many of them work through small nonprofits that rarely make headlines. Our team at Shop Hudson County, NJ put together this list of 10 Jersey City nonprofits to know, from a 120-year-old women’s organization to a grassroots free clothing closet, so you can find a cause to volunteer with, donate to or simply cheer on.
Every detail below comes from each group’s own website. Give one a follow, sign up for a volunteer shift or drop off a donation this season.
1. WomenRising
WomenRising was founded in May 1905 as the Jersey City YWCA by 168 women who worked at Colgate and Company. Today it offers domestic violence services, permanent supportive housing, youth and family programs and workforce development from its home at 270 Fairmount Avenue. The group says it serves more than 10,000 people a year across Hudson County, and it runs a 24/7 hotline at 201-333-5700.
2. Jersey City Theater Center
Jersey City Theater Center is a nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 2006 that presents theater, music, dance, film and visual arts at White Eagle Hall, 335-337 Newark Avenue, and Merseles Studios downtown. Its programs include the JCTC-KIDS family series, the DirectorsLab residency and the Jersey City New Play Festival. Coming up, TRY/STEP/TRIP takes the stage on Friday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m., and a tribute celebrating the life and legacy of Nai-Ni Chen follows on Saturday, December 12 at 4 p.m.
3. Hudson Pride Center
Hudson Pride Center calls itself the largest LGBTQ+ social services center in New Jersey and offers free health, support and social services. It was founded in 1993 and has its Jersey City office at 3000 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 306, plus a second office in Union City. The center also runs support groups and workshops and is one of the state’s leading providers of LGBTQ+ cultural sensitivity training.
4. Grace Van Vorst Community Services
Grace Van Vorst Community Services was founded in 2002 by Grace Church Van Vorst and operates from the parish hall at 39 Erie Street. Its Breakfast Plus program serves a hot breakfast every Saturday and Sunday from 7 to 9 a.m. to more than 200 guests facing homelessness or food insecurity. About 70 seniors also gather each weekday at the Grace Senior Center for Healthy Living for line dancing, yoga, quilting and friendship.
5. York Street Project
York Street Project at 89 York Street works to break the cycle of poverty for women, children and families. Its programs, St. Joseph’s Home, St. Mary’s Residence and The Nurturing Place, provide emergency shelter, transitional and affordable housing and early childhood education. The group says it worked alongside more than 380 people in 2025.
6. Zion Cares Community Development Corporation
Zion Cares lives by a three-word motto: educate, nourish, inspire. From 521 Bramhall Avenue, it offers food, educational programs and recreational activities for families in need. Its website reports 2,985 families served and 700 holiday gifts delivered.
7. Community Treasures of Jersey City
Community Treasures of Jersey City began in 2008 when founder Tina Nalls started collecting, washing and giving away clothes from her own apartment. Now a registered 501(c) nonprofit at 450 Martin Luther King Drive, it gives away free clothes, winter coats, household goods and Christmas toys to anyone in need. Clothing drop-off runs Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
8. Jersey City Arts Council
Jersey City Arts Council supports local artists and cultural groups through advocacy, convening, grantmaking and promotion. The council is marking its 10th anniversary this year. Its site currently lists applications open for the 2027-2028 Poet Laureate and also shares local arts news and artist spotlights.
9. The Kennedy Dancers
The Kennedy Dancers is a 501(c)(3) dance company and school founded in 1976 by Jersey City native Diane Dragone. It operates from the Kennedy Dancers Repertory Center at 79 Central Avenue in the Heights and offers free scholarships through its Inner City Youth Junior Dance Company. The company has also performed more than 50 free concerts on the J. Owen Grundy Pier.
10. New City Kids
New City Kids runs an after school center for children and teens at 533 Bergen Avenue, with homework help, music classes and college readiness support. Its City Sail program is a free five-week sailing and swimming course on the Hudson River for Jersey City youth. Volunteers are welcome as homework helpers, art mentors and music assistants.
More Ways to Give Back in Jersey City
We’ve also covered Pershing Field Garden Friends, the volunteers who care for a Heights park, and Triangle Park Winterfest in Greenville. For a fun night out that supports local art, see our guide to JC Fridays in December, and check things to do in Jersey City this weekend.
Celebrate the Groups That Make Jersey City Home
These nonprofits keep our neighbors fed, housed, safe and inspired, and every one of them can use more volunteers and supporters. Know a Jersey City nonprofit we should feature next? Let us know, and subscribe to the Shop Hudson County newsletter for weekly local stories and events. You can also nominate your favorites in the Best of Hudson County 2026 ballot.
Featured image: Grace Van Vorst Community Services / website.
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