For over 50 years the Grunin family has called the Central Jersey Shore home. Deep roots have anchored their presence which have fostered an unwavering commitment from the family to partner with the community to cultivate an equitable, just, and vibrant Central Jersey Shore where everyone thrives.
Jay Grunin and the late Linda Grunin, Co-Founders of the Grunin Foundation, met at NYU School of Law in 1967, later married, and settled in Toms River, New Jersey. In the 1970s, they established their own small law firm in Ocean County, one of the fastest-growing counties at the time, where their practice thrived. Over the years, they expanded their business interests to include real estate and other investments. In the 1990s, Jay and Linda dissolved their law practice to concentrate full time on their two greatest passions: business investments and philanthropy. In 2013, Jay and Linda, along with their only child, Jeremy (President of the Grunin Foundation), formalized their charitable pursuits and created the Grunin Foundation.
Read More About Our StoryWe are committed to working towards an equitable, just, and vibrant Central Jersey Shore.
Our Founders
Jay Grunin
Jay graduated from Brooklyn College (with honors) in 1964, and from NYU School of Law in 1967, where he was an Editor of the Law Review and where he met his future wife and business partner. After a brief stint in Big Law in New York, followed by a one-year Appellate Division clerkship in New Jersey, Jay and his late wife Linda landed in Toms River. After a few years, they decided to open up their own small law firm. In the 1970s, as Ocean County became one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, the Grunins’ law practice flourished. Eventually, they expanded their business interests to include real estate and other investments. In the 1990s, the Grunins dissolved their law practice to concentrate full time on their two greatest passions, business investments, and philanthropy. In 2013, their philanthropic endeavors were formalized with the creation of the Grunin Foundation. Jay, among his other civic involvements, is currently the Advisory Board Chair of the NYU Grunin Center for Law and Social Entrepreneurship and Vice Chair of the Monmouth Medical Center Foundation Board. Jay currently splits his time between New Jersey and Florida with his wife, Azize Grunin.
Our Founders
Linda Grunin, 1943 - 2018
Linda was a remarkable woman, a respected lawyer, and a savvy businesswoman. Born in Brooklyn, NY in January of 1943, Linda was raised at the Jersey Shore and was always ahead of her time. Her passion and determination took her to Smith College where she graduated cum laude. She then went on to receive her Juris Doctorate degree from NYU School of Law, where she was one of only 10 females in a class of 300. It was at NYU that Linda met the love of her life and true partner, Jay, in 1966. Just three years later they were married and on their way to practice law in a then little town on the Jersey Shore called Toms River. Over the next 30 years, Linda and Jay’s law practice thrived. She and Jay also expanded their business interests to include real estate and other investments. In the late 1990s, Linda retired from the day to day law practice to concentrate full time on her and Jay’s two greatest passions; investing and philanthropy. In April of 2018, Linda unexpectedly passed away. She will be remembered for her hard work, dedication, and compassion for her community.
Grunin Foundation 2024-2026 Strategic Plan
In late 2022, we realized not only that our funding and EDIB strategies were operating separately, but also that we needed to be more connected to community to truly fund equitably. We believe it is essential to our mission to find meaningful ways to integrate Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in everything we do. We have pledged to co-learn and work with our partners, colleagues, and communities to help break down barriers, uplift marginalized voices, celebrate diversity, and champion a more just and equitable society. To achieve this, we took a step back and engaged experienced consultants from the Novalia Collective to guide us through our strategic planning process.
View Our 2024-2026 Strategic Plan