Never miss what is happening in Sussex County
Events, new openings and weekend plans from Newton to Vernon, Sparta to Stanhope. Straight to your inbox, free.
Sparta NJ nonprofits keep this Sussex County town running, from a volunteer-run history museum on Main Street to the groups that fund local schools and protect Lake Mohawk. Our team put together this guide to Sparta nonprofits worth knowing, with what each one does and how you can support it, using details from each organization’s own website.
Most of these groups run entirely on volunteers, so a donation, an hour of help or a seat at their next event goes a long way. If you are new to town, our guide to things to do in Sparta NJ is a good place to start too.
Van Kirk Homestead Museum (Sparta Historical Society)
Photo: Van Kirk Homestead Museum.
The Sparta Historical Society bought the Van Kirk Homestead at 336 Main Street in November 2013, and volunteers worked daily to open it as a museum in September 2014. The Van Kirk Homestead Museum tells the story of America through local industrious people, with period rooms such as the Victorian Parlor and Civil War bedroom, a Thomas Edison gallery, a One Room Schoolhouse building and a Lenape exhibit room.
How to support: visit on the second and fourth Sundays from April through December, 1 to 4 p.m., with a talk at 2 p.m. Upcoming programs include Happy Birthday America, 250 Years on Sunday, Nov. 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. and Painting the American Revolution on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. The all-volunteer group also takes online donations, offers memberships and needs volunteers for everything from exhibit hosting to gardening. Email info@vankirkmuseum.org or call 973-726-0883 to get involved.
Sparta Education Foundation
Founded in 2006, the Sparta Education Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit governed by an all-volunteer board of Sparta residents. It raises money for ongoing charitable contributions that enrich the educational experience of children in the Sparta Public Schools, and it has made grants totaling more than $1.4 million to the district.
How to support: join one of its community fundraisers, including the Dragon Boat Festival, Cornament, the Read-A-Thon, the Pickleball Tournament and SpartaMania. The next big one is the 20th Annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, at White Deer Plaza, with a 1 mile fun run at 8:15 a.m. and a 5K at 8:45 a.m. You can also donate or sign up through the foundation’s volunteer form to help with events, social media, writing and more.
Junior Woman’s Club of Sparta
Photo: Junior Woman’s Club of Sparta.
Formed in 1966, the Junior Woman’s Club of Sparta is a 501(c)(3) civic organization for women from Sparta and surrounding towns, and part of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs of GFWC. Each year the club raises and distributes thousands of dollars to local and national nonprofits. Its signature projects include Sparta Day, Safety Village, the Fifth Grade Spelling Bee, which marked its 30th year in 2026, and the Holiday Wish Tree at the Sparta Library, which has collected gifts for children in need in Sussex County for more than 26 years.
How to support: give a gift through the Holiday Wish Tree when it goes up for the holidays, or come to a membership meeting. Most meetings are on the second Monday of the month at 7:15 p.m. at St. Moritz, and the next one is Monday, Nov. 9. Email jwcsparta@gmail.com to learn about joining.
Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation
Photo: Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation.
The Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation is an independent, all-volunteer 501(c)(3) committed to protecting the water quality of Lake Mohawk, the roughly 800 acre lake built in the 1920s in Sparta and Byram. The foundation researches new treatment methods for the lake and shares what it learns for the benefit of the Wallkill River watershed, since Lake Mohawk is the river’s headwaters. It took title to the lake’s historic gatehouses on Oct. 24, 2023, and is raising money to restore them.
How to support: donate online to the Gatehouse Restoration or mail a check to the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation, 21 The Boardwalk, Sparta, NJ 07871. Businesses can also become a sponsor. Reach the foundation at lmpf@lakemohawkpf.org.
Sparta Spartans Youth Football and Cheer
Photo: Sparta Spartans Youth Football and Cheer.
The Sparta Spartans have been the official, endorsed youth football program in Sparta Township since 1957. The program offers tackle football, flag football, including a dedicated all-girls flag league for players entering grades 3 through 8, and cheer. It hosts community events such as its annual Milkbowl, and every part of it, from coaching and announcing to fundraising and fields, is run by volunteers.
How to support: register a player, volunteer with the program, or ask about the 2026 sponsorship program for local businesses by emailing spartansnj@gmail.com.
More Sparta Nonprofits Coming
Sparta has many more groups doing good work, and our team adds more Sparta nonprofits to this guide over time. Run a Sparta nonprofit we should feature? Reach us through our contact page or at info@shopsussexcounty.com.
Featured photo: Sparta Education Foundation.
Have a Sussex County event coming up?
Share it with Sussex County.
Festivals, fundraisers, 5Ks, school nights, grand openings. Send us the date, time, place and a flyer, and our team will reach out about getting it in front of Sussex County.
Enjoying our Sussex County coverage?
Add us as a preferred source and our stories show up higher in your Google results.
Add as a preferred source
