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The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) board recently approved almost $1.8 million in community grants during the first half of 2026. The 14 grants support a range of industries and sectors, including technology and workforce development, with the overall goal of strengthening Atlantic City’s culture, economy, and quality of life.
“Each of these grants reflects the full range of what it takes to build a healthy, vibrant Atlantic City. From feeding families and training the next generation of workers to filling the Boardwalk with free music and more, every one of these organizations is doing impactful work to support our vibrant city – building a better, brighter community that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors for generations to come,” said CRDA Executive Director Eric Scheffler.
Grants require proof of spending before reimbursement
The 14 community grants are structured as reimbursable awards from the Tourism District and Community Development Fund. Recipients must first incur eligible costs and submit documentation before CRDA releases funds, ensuring public dollars are spent as intended.
The grants were awarded to local community partners and nonprofits across a range of sectors, including workforce development, food security, youth services, homelessness outreach, public art, adult education and free public entertainment. Some of the largest awards included:
- Atlantic Cape Community College – $300,000 for Phase 5 of the Atlantic City Works training initiative
- Communities Revolutionizing Open Public Spaces (C.R.O.P.S.) — $231,150 to continue its Atlantic City Food Security Plan, which runs community gardens, SNAP-accessible farmers markets and the city’s first Food Hub
- NAN Tech World Atlantic City – $100,000 for your coding, cybersecurity programs and culinary arts
- MudGirls Studios – $100,000 to fund ceramics employment training for women experiencing poverty
- Empowerment Tools Coalition – $69,825 for substance abuse prevention and youth career exploration
The remaining nine grants — ranging from $13,375 to $225,000 — went to organizations including Literacy New Jersey Atlantic Cape, Angels in Motion, the Atlantic City Arts Foundation, Creative Multi Media, the Atlantic City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, the National Rhythm and Blues Music Society, Tony Mart Presents, No Vacancy Entertainment and the Katz JCC’s Atlantic City Marathon Race Series.
The board also authorized $2 million to fund the Tourism District Policing Unit through October 2026, aiming to improve public safety.
In an ROINJ news article, CRDA Board Chairman Modia Butler said:
“Our board takes its responsibility to invest wisely in Atlantic City’s future very seriously. From murals painted and meals grown to the number of students tutored, workers trained and jobs created, the work we are supporting through these grants illustrates the direct impact of our funding and what those dollars can really do – foster change, create a more vibrant community and make Atlantic City a place where folks want to live, work and be part of in a greater way.”
Driving capital investment in Atlantic City
The CRDA has funded community projects in Atlantic City since its founding in 1984. It is a unique state agency — the only one of its kind in the US — legally tasked with using casino gaming revenue to drive capital investment, urban revitalization and economic growth.
Under New Jersey law, casinos can choose between paying a 2.5% tax on gross gaming revenue to the state or reinvesting 1.25% through the CRDA. Most casinos choose the latter, which helps drive funding.
Over the years, the CRDA’s mandate has expanded. The 2011 Tourism District Act transitioned the agency into Atlantic City’s principal economic planning authority, giving it direct responsibility for zoning, cleanliness and safety programs, and land-use regulation.
Nine Atlantic City casinos fund the CRDA grants
CRDA’s funding comes from nine licensed Atlantic City casinos, which sit in two clusters:
- Six along the Boardwalk — Bally’s, Caesars, Hard Rock, Ocean Casino Resort, Resorts and Tropicana
- Three in the Marina District — Borgata, Golden Nugget and Harrah’s
Ownership of that nine-casino landscape is currently in flux. In May 2026, Fertitta Entertainment entered a definitive agreement to acquire Caesars Entertainment in an all-cash deal valued at roughly $17.6 billion. If the deal closes, Fertitta — which already owns the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City — would control four of the city’s nine casinos: Caesars, Harrah’s, Tropicana and Golden Nugget.
As of late July 2026, the transaction appeared on track: the go-shop period allowing Caesars to field competing bids expired July 11 without a rival offer emerging, though a shareholder vote has yet to be scheduled. Elsewhere on the Boardwalk and in the Marina District, Borgata is owned by MGM Resorts and Bally’s by Bally’s Corporation, while Hard Rock, Ocean and Resorts remain independently held.
Because CRDA’s reinvestment funding is tied directly to casino gaming revenue, a consolidation of this scale — nearly half of Atlantic City’s casino floor under one ownership group — could reshape the base that funds programs like this year’s $1.8 million in community grants going forward.
