Newark, N.J.

The Board of Trustees for The Prudential Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization, recently approved $2.9 million in grants to five organizations that are working to address needs in communities around the country.

Wars are being waged; natural disasters are wreaking havoc; people are living in poverty; and children continue to be abused. In these troubling times, international- and domestic-relief agencies and social-service nonprofits have their work cut out for them. The need is disturbingly obvious.