For over 40 years the Grunin family has called the Central Jersey Shore home. Through their inspired investment portfolio and philanthropic endeavors, the Grunins have cultivated a community driven by economic excellence in the region.
In 2013, Jay and Linda Grunin, along with their only child Jeremy, formalized their charitable pursuits and created the Grunin Foundation. Since then, the foundation has invested nearly $19 million in the Central Jersey Shore, with an additional $16 million committed. The Grunins have sought to improve the quality of life for all residents by thoughtfully investing in the arts, education and healthcare.
Some of the family’s mainspring investments include; Grunin Center for the Arts @ Ocean County College, OCVTS Performing Arts Academy @ Ocean County College, Grunin Center for Law & Social Entrepreneurship @ NYU, and the Grunin Arts & Education Building @ Count Basie Center for the Arts.
Through their investment company Grunin Holdings, the family has circulated over a million dollars in corporate sponsorships to local nonprofits and public benefit groups.
Our TeamWe are committeed to raising the quality of life for all members of the Central Jersey Shore.
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.
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 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 a member of the Monmouth Medical Center Foundation Board.
We're Building an Ecosystem for Economic Excellence
We achieve our mission and vision through our four pillar strategy. Each of these areas reinforces the others and builds a local economic ecosystem that supports both economic excellence and social innovation.
Our Areas of Work