Essex County Nonprofit Helps NJ Girls ‘Dream Big, Fly High’ – Newark, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Joy Lindsay started her nonprofit, Butterfly Dreamz, after losing her younger sister, Kimberly Anyce Lindsay, to gun violence in 2013. Now, a decade later, Lindsay’s efforts have made a difference in the lives of scores of young women throughout Essex County … and she’s just getting started.

“What started as a desire to turn my pain into purpose, is now so much more,” Lindsay recently told Patch.

“We aren’t just a nonprofit,” she said. “We aren’t just a network. Butterfly Dreamz is a movement that inspires girls to live boldly, dream big and fly high.”

According to its website, the nonprofit is devoted to “equipping girls to be confident leaders who disrupt the status quo,” helping local youth realize their full potential with the power of mentorship, scholarships and community service.

One of the nonprofit’s most successful efforts has been its Cocoon Club, which connects and uplifts girls from marginalized communities.

The club has caught the attention of Impact100 Essex, which has chosen the nonprofit as its fifth annual “Impact Grant” winner. The prize? A cool $100,000, which will help Butterfly Dreamz to cover the costs of employing Essex County high school and college interns to design the Cocoon Club, facilitate programs and support the growing community.

Three other finalists were reviewed by Impact100 Essex this year: South Ward Promise Neighborhood, Urban League of Essex County, and Volunteer Lawyers for Justice.

Although all were worthy – and will receive $10,000 leverage grants – it was Butterfly Dreamz that emerged with this year’s $100,000 grant.

“We are thrilled to fund a Black-led, woman-led, young organization providing community and opportunity to girls of color, empowering them to thrive,” said Renee Reso, co-chair of the grants committee at Impact100 Essex.

“Joy’s energy, passion and dedication is inspiring,” Reso said. “We’re excited to see how our funding amplifies her mission and reach.”

Lindsay thanked Impact100 Essex for the grant and said it will be well-spent.

“As a small, Black woman-led nonprofit, our access to large philanthropic gifts is often limited,” Lindsay said.

“Up until now, our work has been primarily sustained by individuals from our community who, on average, donate about $100 per year,” Lindsay added. “The Impact100 Essex grant affirms our work and signals to other funders that we matter – that we too are deserving of large philanthropic investments and that there is a powerful network of over 100 women in Essex County who truly believe in our mission, my leadership, and most importantly, our girls.”

To learn more about and support the work of Butterfly Dreamz, community members can visit its website, butterflydreamz.org. Teen girls are invited to join the Cocoon Club by visiting cocoonclub.org/join. Membership is free for 7th to 12th-grade girls.