New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs of GFWC

 

The New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs of GFWC (NJSFWC), the largest volunteer women's service organization in the state and a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, provides opportunities for education, leadership training, and community service through participation in local clubs, enabling members to make a difference in the lives of others, one project at a time. There are approximately 12,000 members in 228 general clubs, 55 junior clubs, 16 juniorette clubs, and 18 evening membership departments located throughout New Jersey.
Since their inception, women's clubs’ members have frequently been described as privileged, white-gloved women with too much time on their hands. Just the opposite is true. Each member has inherited a history of activism on the community, state, national and international level. Now more than ten years into a second century of community service, we look back with pride at the many accomplishments of our clubs and their members, and know that activism is just as alive and spirited today.

 The NJSFWC was founded in 1894 when approximately 150 women from 36 clubs throughout the state first met collectively in Orange, NJ. In one day, the delegates drafted and adopted a constitution and bylaws, and elected state officers.

 In 1918, the NJSFWC founded the New Jersey College for Women (now Douglass College). The state Federation continues to support Douglass College in the form of scholarships to Douglass students and building fund donations.

 The efforts of the NJSFWC led to the formation of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission to oversee the preservation of the Palisades.

 In 1964, approval was granted by Rutgers University for the NJSFWC to lease land on the Douglass College campus for a Headquarters building. Fifty percent of the funding for the building and its furnishings came from the collection and redemption of trading stamps.

 Every two years, members throughout the state support a defined special project with fundraising, in-kind donations and public awareness campaigns. Examples of these projects include the Valerie Fund when $226,658 was raised; Canine Companions for Independence, raising almost $190,000; and most recently, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and its state-wide affiliates, contributing $140,000 in cash and more than ½ million dollars in goods and services.

 In 2003, the Federation was named the Grassroots Organization of the Year by the Highlands Coalition.

 The New Jersey Library Association granted its “Library Champions Award” to the NJSFWC in 2004, recognizing the federation for the role that it and individual clubs played in the establishment of public libraries in the state, as well as the group’s continued support of libraries.

 The Federation received widespread recognition for its letter writing campaign to state and Federal legislators which helped secure passage in 2004 of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act to protect water quality for more than one half of New Jersey's population.

The General Federation of Women's Clubs, headquartered in Washington, DC, is one of the oldest and largest women's volunteer service organizations in the world, with members in thousands of local clubs across the U.S. and affiliated clubs in 18 countries. Among the many achievements of our members, GFWC is credited with turning the tide in favor of the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906 (an effort initiated by a New Jersey clubwoman, Alice Leakey of Cranford); founding 75% of the public libraries in the country in the 1930's; and campaigning in the 1960's for seatbelts in all cars and streetlights on neighborhood streets. GFWC's traditional support for libraries was evident in the fulfillment of its commitment to America's Promise by raising and donating over $13.5 million in books and materials to public libraries and public school libraries (1997-2002).