Westfield, NJ — [October 2025] — As part of its 50th anniversary year, The Westfield Foundation has awarded a $200,000 Bogaert Capital Grant to the Union County College Foundation to help students overcome barriers to success and achieve lasting stability through education.
The grant will fund four critical programs—Nourish the Future, Operation Graduation, Math Momentum, and the Student Emergency Relief Fund—each designed to remove the obstacles that prevent students from completing their degrees. With more than 65% of Union College students qualifying for Pell Grants, financial hardship and basic needs insecurity remain among the biggest threats to graduation.
“No student should have to choose between survival and success,” said Katie Darcy, Executive Director of The Westfield Foundation. “We are proud of our 30 year relationship with UCNJ and by investing in students today, we’re investing in the future of our community. When students have what they need to stay in school—food, emergency support, or tutoring—they not only change their own lives, but strengthen the fabric of Union County.”
Programs like Math Momentum address academic roadblocks by offering financial incentives for early math completion—a proven predictor of success. Nourish the Future combats food insecurity through meal vouchers, pantries, and farmers’ markets, ensuring students can focus on learning rather than their next meal.
“We are deeply grateful to The Westfield Foundation for this extraordinary $200,000 grant,” said Douglas Rouse, Vice President for Institutional Advancement of the Union County College Foundation. “This investment in our Nourish the Future, Math Momentum, Operation Graduation, and Student Emergency Relief Fund initiatives will have an immediate and lasting impact on our students. The Westfield Foundation’s commitment to empowering local communities aligns perfectly with our mission to remove barriers, promote student success, and help every UCNJ student achieve their dream of earning a college degree.”
Union College’s graduation rate for first-time, full-time students completing a two-year degree within three years is 34%, exceeding the national average. With this grant, The Westfield Foundation is helping raise that number—creating opportunity, fostering equity, and changing the trajectory for students and families for generations to come.