The New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund (NJCAEF) is an advocacy group that promotes left-of-center economic and housing policies for the state. It is the charitable arm of lobbying and electoral advocacy group Citizen Action of New Jersey. ¹

Between 2021 and 2025, the NJCAEF has received grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of the Treasury amounting to over $800,000. ^{2 3}

Advocacy

The New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund (NJCAEF)has advocated for left-of-center health care-related policies such as supporting the Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare), expanding the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program to lower drug prices and promote universal health care, expanding Medicare, and increasing assess to abortion coverage. ⁴

The NJCAEF has advocated for increased mandatory family and medical leave for workers as well as increased protection for workers at the state and federal levels. ⁵

Starting in 2009, the NJCAEF Citizen Action of New Jersey began co-hosting an annual Financial Reform Summit to discuss proposed financial regulations. It also advocates for the creation of a New Jersey state bank to expand access to capital for low-income residents as well as supporting both the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. ⁶

The NJCAEF has advocated for same-day voter registration in the state of New Jersey as well as expand voter access at the federal level.  ⁷

Leadership

Dena Mottola Jaborska has worked as the executive director of the New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund (NJCAEF) since 2012. She has also worked as the executive director of Citizen Action of New Jersey since 2022, and has worked at the organization in other roles since 2012. From 2006 to 2012 Mottola Jaborska was the executive director of Environment New Jersey. From 2000 to 2006, she was the executive director of NJPIRG. ⁸ In 2023, Mottola Jaborska received almost $149,000 in compensation from the Fund. ⁹

Phyllis Salowe-Kay, the executive director of Citizen Action of New Jersey, is listed on tax forms as the president of the NJCAEF, though she is not on the organization’s website’s “staff” page, nor is the position listed on her LinkedIn page. In 2023, Salowe-Kay received almost $52,000 in compensation from the Fund. ^{9 10 11}

Funding

Between 2021 and 2025, the New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund (NJCAEF) has received grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of the Treasury amounting to over $800,000. ^{2 3}

The Fund previously received funding from state-level advocacy group Fund for New Jersey, including grants of $100,000 paid in 2024, 2021, and 2020. ¹²

1. “Our Mission.” New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund. Accessed April 20, 2025. https://www.njcaef.org/our_mission.
2. Braun, Ken. “Grants to SPLC and DEI Demonstrate Federal Spending Against Taxpayer Values.” Capital Research Center. February 3, 2025. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://capitalresearch.org/article/grants-to-splc-and-dei-demonstrate-federal-spending-against-taxpayer-values/.
3. “Project Grant.” USA Spending. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/award/ASST_NON_FPEI230111_8611.
4. ^[1] “Health Care.” New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://www.njcaef.org/health_care.
5. “Workplace Justice.” New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://www.njcaef.org/workplace_justice.
6. “Consumer Protection and Financial Justice.” New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://www.njcaef.org/workplace_justice.
7. “Good Government & Democracy.” New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://www.njcaef.org/good_government_and_democracy.
8. “Dena Mottola Jaborska.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dena-mottola-jaborska-mpa-9190a854/.
9. “New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/222493628/202433169349303948/full.
10. “Staff.” New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://www.njcaef.org/staff.
11. “Phyllis Salowe-Kay.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyllis-salowe-kaye-58698523/.
12. “Summary of Grants Awarded.” Fund for New Jersey. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://fundfornj.org/grants-awarded?year%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=2020.