Dungeon Books: Expansion Strategy & Funding Plan

Critical Constraints

Lease expires July 2027. Every action in this document is governed by that deadline. 16 months from today to find a new space, secure it, build it out, and move.

No nonprofit entity exists yet. Most funding sources require 501(c)(3) status. Until that entity is incorporated and has programming history, the majority of grants listed here are inaccessible. Incorporation is the single highest-priority action item.

No budget exists. Every grant application requires a budget. No buildout cost estimates, no projected operating costs for the nonprofit, no revenue projections, no matching fund sources identified. This must be developed before any application is submitted.

ADA accessibility is simplified by single-floor design. The previous two-level concept (basement community space) created an ADA compliance problem that would have damaged every grant application and potentially violated building code. A single street-level floor eliminates this. JCACTF weights ADA at 20% of the final score — this is now a strength rather than a liability.

About Dungeon Books

Independent bookstore at 115 Brunswick St, Storefront 1R, Jersey City, NJ 07302. Co-owned by Panat Taranat and Carrie Vu. Thai and Vietnamese woman-owned. Open since October 2024, launched during the 35th annual Jersey City Art & Studio Tour (JCAST).

The store carries science fiction and fantasy novels, RPG books, vintage D&D, comics, magazines, vinyl, cassettes, board games, gaming dice, and occult literature. Current programming includes D&D play groups, book clubs, miniature painting sessions, and community events. Hours: Wed–Sun 12–7pm. The store now has staff beyond the co-owners.

Grand opening featured “Dungeon Books Unveils: The Fantasy Art of David B. Mattingly,” exhibiting original work from the artist behind all 54 Animorphs covers. Attended by Councilman Frank Gilmore, Councilman James Solomon, and NJ Senator Angela McKnight. Organized by Tara Dowdell Group.

Press Record

Press coverage in Shelf Awareness, Patch.com, JCity Times, NewPages, NJ.com / The Jersey Journal, and IndieBound (Featured Bookstore, February 2026).

IndieBound Featured Bookstore (February 18, 2026): The most substantive profile. Establishes the origin story, frames the diversity mission (deliberately centering non-Tolkien, non-Medieval-European fantasy traditions, diverse perspectives overlooked in traditional fantasy spaces), documents community impact (regulars who had never played RPGs finding entry through the store, real friendships forming). Notes the store is outgrowing its current location. Long-term goal: become the go-to destination for book launches by diverse SFF authors. Professor Dungeon Master (hundreds of thousands of followers) ran his game Deathbringer at the one-year anniversary.

NJ.com / The Jersey Journal (October 2, 2024): JCAST participation. The store was one of 69 gallery stops. Mattingly personally sent additional work to display. Also showed works by Brothers Hildebrandt and Jersey City artist Jonah Dunstan. Documents grassroots community integration — Taranat and Vu had spent months meeting artists at Jersey City handmade markets before opening.

JCity Times (October 21, 2024): By Tris McCall. Framed the store within a “Gamer’s Row” commercial corridor identity downtown. Directly relevant to NJEDA A.R.T. corridor-based criteria if future rounds open.

The Expansion

Current Space

~600 sq ft retail storefront. Single floor. Tight single-file aisles, slanted shelves at eye level for face-out display, wooden crates below. Handwritten bookseller notes throughout. Container Store Elfa modular wall-mounted shelving mixed with hand-built custom wood shelves and crates. Electric incense burner running Athonite incense sourced from Holy Cross Monastery. Current lease ends July 2027.

Proposed Expansion

Single-floor space, 1,200+ sq ft, street-level. This eliminates the ADA accessibility problem that a two-level design creates (no elevator, no lift, no below-grade code compliance risk, no capital expense for vertical access). ADA compliance on a single accessible floor is straightforward and strengthens every grant application — JCACTF weights ADA at 20% of the final score.

The space divides functionally into two zones within one floor:

Retail zone (front, street-facing): Browsing-dense, optimized for discovery. Circulation designed on “jaquaysing” principles from dungeon design — branching paths, loops that reconnect, no dead ends, no forced linear progression. Slanted shelves at eye level for face-out display. Small reading nook. Checkout counter positioned mid-space.

Community zone (rear): All high-dwell, event, and programming functions. Gaming tables (multiple, seating 4–6 each). Modular furniture and movable partitions — shelving units on locking casters serving as both display and room dividers. Configurable for gaming nights (partitioned table zones), author readings and book clubs (open floor, stackable chairs, 30–40 capacity), workshops (long tables for miniature painting, zine-making). When partitions roll to walls, the books on them become the backdrop. Nothing is single-purpose.

Acoustic management: Without floor separation, event noise and browsing quiet share a plane. This is solvable: heavy curtain partitions, sound-absorbing panel materials on the community zone walls/ceiling, shelving units as partial baffles, and scheduling (events predominantly in evening hours when casual browsing traffic is lower). Not as clean as a concrete floor between levels, but workable and far cheaper than an elevator.

Design Direction

Anachronistic. Primary reference: Prospero’s study from John Bellairs’ The Face in the Frost. Architectural vocabulary: adaptive reuse. Hard industrial bones (exposed concrete, blackened steel, glass) inhabited by accumulated objects and textures. Wall-mounted modular shelving (currently Elfa; aspirationally Vitsœ 606) alongside hand-built wood. Persian and Central Asian rugs on concrete floors defining zones. Warm directional brass lighting. Athonite incense as olfactory ground layer.

Reference touchstones: Tadao Ando’s concrete interiors, Carlo Scarpa’s Castelvecchio Museum, Miyazaki’s interiors, Duke Humfrey’s reading room at the Bodleian.

Core Design Principle

The space is a foraging environment. Every design decision serves one metric: the probability that a person who enters encounters something they didn’t know they were looking for.

The Nonprofit Structure

Why It’s Required

Dungeon Books as a for-profit LLC cannot access most available funding. The JCACTF General Operating Grant explicitly excludes organizations whose primary commercial activity is commercial. The NJEDA A.R.T. program requires 501(c)(3) status. The NJ Cultural Trust requires nonprofit qualification. The Hudson County Local Arts Program requires nonprofit status. The NJ State Council on the Arts GOS/GPS grants require nonprofit status.

A parallel nonprofit entity is the standard solution. The for-profit bookstore continues retail operations. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit operates community programming, the event space, educational initiatives, and cultural infrastructure.

This dual structure is validated locally: Art House Productions operates as a nonprofit with physical space in Jersey City ( $500, 000 f ro m N J E D AA . R . T .,$ 30,000 from JCACTF). Gotta Go Gaming Hub received $8,750 from JCACTF for gaming-focused community programming.

Governance Risk

The document must acknowledge this: the IRS scrutinizes nonprofits that share ownership, branding, and physical space with a for-profit entity. Related-party transactions between the LLC and the nonprofit (shared rent, shared staff, shared inventory space) must be documented with market-rate agreements from day one. The nonprofit needs an independent board with a majority of members who are not owners of the LLC. A nonprofit attorney should be consulted during incorporation, not after.

What the Nonprofit Programs

Already running: D&D and tabletop RPG programming, book clubs and reading groups, miniature painting workshops.

To develop: author readings and signings, zine-making and small press workshops, youth programming (creative writing, worldbuilding, game design), cultural programming series (speculative fiction as lens for social imagination — Afrofuturism, Indigenous futurisms, Asian speculative fiction), artist exhibitions (David Mattingly exhibit at grand opening establishes precedent), community game library / lending collection.

Incorporation Steps

Consult a nonprofit attorney on structure, governance separation from LLC, and IRS risk factors. Do this first.
Incorporate as NJ nonprofit corporation (NJ Division of Revenue).
Draft bylaws. Establish independent board.
Apply for federal tax exemption: IRS Form 1023-EZ if expecting under $50 K ann u a l g rossrece i pt s in f i rs t 3 ye a rs . P rocess in g t im e : 2-6 m o n t h s . F or m 1023 (f u ll a ppl i c a t i o n) i f o v er$ 50K or if the related-party structure warrants a more detailed filing.
Register with NJ Charities Registration (Division of Consumer Affairs) — required before soliciting donations.
Begin documented programming under the nonprofit entity immediately upon incorporation. Grant applications require programming history.

Funding Landscape

Tier 1: Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund (JCACTF)

The first municipal arts trust fund in New Jersey, launched 2020. Administered by the Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs. Four rounds completed, nearly 400 grants totaling over $4 mi ll i o na w a r d e d . T h e f u n d co ll ec t e d$ 1.1 million in 2024.

Current cycle (2026–2027): Application opened January 26, 2026. Award announcement: April 30, 2026. No hard submission deadline has been published — last cycle’s close was announced separately. Check with the Office of Cultural Affairs immediately to confirm whether the application window is still open. Eligible programming period: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.

Grant categories and amounts:

Program Grants: up to $17, 500. A r t s E d u c a t i o n G r an t s : u pt o$ 17,500. General Operating Grants: up to $30, 000. I n d i v i d u a l A r t i s tF e ll o w s hi p : u pt o$ 5,000 (managed by JC Arts Council; deadline was March 23, 2026).

Program & Arts Education Grant eligibility (the viable path for this cycle): Open to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, NJ-registered arts businesses, and individual JC resident artists. Program must be held in Jersey City and serve JC residents. Must have been in existence for 1 full fiscal year. Must match grants 1:1 (cash or in-kind). Admin salaries capped at 20% of grant request. May apply for up to 50% of total program cost. Programs must be open to the public. One category per cycle.

Key question: Can Dungeon Books apply as an “arts business registered in the State of New Jersey” for a Program Grant this cycle, without the nonprofit? The eligibility language permits this for Program and Arts Education grants. Contact Migdalia Pagan-Milano (mmilano@jcnj.org) to confirm. First-time applicants are required to make contact regardless.

General Operating Grant eligibility (requires nonprofit, future cycles): For organizations offering year-round community programming as primary activity. Must be based in Jersey City with proven track record. Open to 501(c)(3) nonprofits; arts/culture-focused LLCs may be eligible in some cases (contact Office of Cultural Affairs). Must have at least one part-time paid staff member. Match grants 1:1 (at least 25% in cash). Admin salaries capped at 50%. “Organizations whose primary focus is commercial activity are not eligible.” This excludes the for-profit bookstore. The nonprofit entity is required for this category.

Evaluation criteria: Artistic value. Direct Public Benefit (must be free to JC residents). Significant public benefit within Jersey City. Appropriate budget with sufficient artist compensation. Clear outcomes evaluation plan. DEAI plan. ADA accessibility plan — 20% of final score.

Ineligible expenses: Food and hospitality, travel beyond 50 miles, loan collateral, parades, legal services, political action, school curricular activities, programming outside JC, fundraising events, sponsorships, prizes, scholarships, personal gain.

Notable precedent recipients (Round 4, 2025–2026): Art House Productions ( $30, 000), A r t s 14 C ($ 30,000), Educational Arts Team ( $30, 000), Dee pSp a ce G a ll ery ($ 18,750), Gotta Go Gaming Hub ( $8, 750), W A Y ES ma llP ress ($ 13,125), Undead Arts ($13,125).

Contact: Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs, 280 Grove St, Ste 105, Jersey City NJ 07302. (201) 547-6921. culturalaffairs@jcnj.org. jerseycityculture.org.

Application portal: portal.neighborlysoftware.com/JERSEYCITYNJ-CULTURALAFFAIRS/Participant

Eligibility documents:

Program/Arts Ed: jerseycityculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026_Program-ArtEd_Eligibility.pdf
Operating: jerseycityculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026_Operating_Eligibility.pdf

Tier 2: Hudson County Local Arts Program (LAP)

Missing from previous version of this document. This is an additional funding source at the county level.

Matching grants to nonprofit organizations in Hudson County, administered by the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development (HCOCHA/TD) in partnership with the NJ State Council on the Arts. Competitive, merit-based.

Requires nonprofit status. For-profit entities are not eligible.

Timeline: FY26 applications opened August 18, 2025, with a September 22, 2025 deadline. FY27 cycle will likely follow the same pattern (late summer 2026 open, early fall deadline). The nonprofit must be incorporated and have programming history by summer 2026 to be positioned for this.

Contact: Kim Farrier, Local Arts Program Grant Coordinator. hudsoncountyculturalaffairs.org/lap/

Tier 3: NJ State Council on the Arts — General Operating Support / General Program Support

Missing from previous version of this document. This is a significant state-level funding source.

The Council’s primary grant programs provide multiyear (3-year commitment) flexible operating support to nonprofit arts organizations. GOS grants support organizations with exclusively arts missions. GPS grants support operating costs of full-time public arts programs.

Requires nonprofit status and established programming track record.

Timeline: The next GOS/GPS application cycle opens Fall 2026, with grants announced July 2027. This aligns with the lease expiration timeline — a successful application here would provide 3 years of operating support for the new space.

Match requirement: GPS grants require 3:1 match ( $3 e a r n e d / r ai se d p er$ 1 from the Council).

Also available: The Council funds County Arts Agencies, which in turn regrant to local organizations — this is how the Hudson County LAP (Tier 2) is partially funded.

Website: nj.gov/state/njsca/grant-programs.shtml

Tier 4: NJEDA Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (A.R.T.) Program

State-level grant program through the NJ Economic Development Authority. Phase II awarded $15 mi ll i o n t o 39 or g ani z a t i o n s in Dece mb er 2025. G r an t s f ro m$ 100,000 to $500,000. Jersey City was an eligible municipality. 115 Brunswick St qualifies geographically (within 1.5 miles of passenger rail stations).

Requires 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6), or 501(c)(19) status. For-profit entities are ineligible.

Current status: Phase II is fully disbursed. No Phase III has been announced. The program was funded through American Rescue Plan (ARP) money, which has finite allocation. Future rounds are possible but not confirmed. The program structure and Jersey City’s eligibility are established, so if new rounds open, the nonprofit should be ready to apply.

Phase II completion deadline: All funded projects must be completed and funds expended by December 31, 2026.

JC recipients from Phase II: Art House Productions ( $500, 000), E d u c a t i o na l A r t s T e am ($ 220,068), Jump for Joi ( $307, 000), N J S y m p h o n y O rc h es t r a ($ 500,000), Nimbus Dance Works ( $500, 000), R i v er v i e w J a zz O r g ($ 500,000).

Contact: ArtPhase2@njeda.gov. njeda.gov/art-phase-ii/

Tier 5: NJ Arts and Culture Renewal Fund

Statewide 501(c)(3) organization providing grants to eligible nonprofits. Fast, flexible, at least one round annually.

Timeline: 2026 grant application available late summer 2026.

Requires nonprofit status.

Past Hudson County recipients include: Art House Productions, Educational Arts Team, Jersey City Theater Center, Kennedy Dancers, Nimbus Dance Works, Victory Hall.

Website: njartsculture.org/grants/

Tier 6: NJ Cultural Trust

State agency, public/private partnership created in 2000. Grants for capital projects, endowments, and institutional/financial stabilization. Has awarded over $16 mi ll i o n; p ro d u ce d o v er$ 47 million in endowment growth at cultural nonprofits.

Grant types: Institutional and Financial Stabilization (IFS): up to $40,000. Capital Historic Preservation. Endowment building.

Requires nonprofit status. Organizations must first be designated “qualified” by the Cultural Trust.

Timeline: FY27 IFS Arts applications open in 2026. Organizations must apply for qualification first.

Contact: 609-292-6403, cultural.trust@sos.nj.gov. nj.gov/state/culturaltrust/

Tier 7: NJEDA Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion (CAFE) Program

Tax credits for capital projects of at least $5 mi ll i o n f or a r t s an d c u lt u r a l v e n u es . C re d i t s u pt o 100$ 75 million. Recently expanded from competitive to rolling application.

Requires: At least 20% equity (10% in government-restricted municipalities). Prevailing wage for construction. Partnership with community organizations serving Work First NJ recipients. Project completion within 4 years.

Relevance to Dungeon Books: None in the near term. This is for capital projects at a scale ($5M+) that doesn’t match the current expansion. Track only if a much larger vision materializes (e.g., partnership with a developer on a multi-use cultural facility).

Website: njeda.gov/cafe/

Budget Requirements

Every grant listed above requires a budget. The following must be developed:

For the nonprofit (programming budget):

Annual programming costs: facilitator/artist compensation for D&D nights, workshops, readings; supplies for miniature painting, zine-making; marketing/outreach; insurance
Staff costs: at minimum one part-time paid staff member (required for JCACTF Operating Grant)
Administrative overhead
Matching fund sources: what cash and in-kind revenue will match 1:1 (JCACTF) or 3:1 (NJ State Council GPS)?

For the expansion (capital/operating budget):

Buildout cost estimate for the new space (construction, fixtures, furniture, acoustic treatment for community zone, ADA-compliant restroom if not existing)
Monthly rent projection for ~1,200 sq ft in downtown Jersey City
How the lease will be structured between the LLC and the nonprofit (who is tenant for which portion, at what rate, documented at market value)

For the JCACTF Program Grant (if applying this cycle):

Total program cost (grant covers up to 50%)
1:1 match identified (cash or in-kind)
Admin salaries under 20% of request
Direct Public Benefit component that is free to JC residents

Action Items by Priority

Immediate (March 2026)

Contact Migdalia Pagan-Milano (mmilano@jcnj.org) to confirm: (a) whether the JCACTF 2026–2027 application window is still open, (b) whether Dungeon Books qualifies as an “arts business” for a Program Grant without nonprofit status.
Consult a nonprofit attorney on 501(c)(3) incorporation structure, governance separation from the LLC, and IRS scrutiny risks for related-party arrangements.
Begin drafting a program budget for the JCACTF Program Grant, if the window is still open. Identify matching funds.

Q2 2026 (April–June)

Incorporate the nonprofit in New Jersey. File IRS Form 1023-EZ (or 1023). Register with NJ Charities Registration.
Begin documented programming under the nonprofit entity. Every event, attendee count, and outcome metric from this point forward builds the track record required by every funder.
Confirm ADA compliance approach for single-floor space. Accessible entrance, accessible restroom, clear pathways (36” minimum), accessible seating in event configuration. Document the plan — it will be required in every grant application.
Develop full expansion budget — buildout costs, rent projections, lease structure between LLC and nonprofit.

Summer–Fall 2026

Apply to Hudson County LAP (FY27 cycle, likely opens August 2026).
Apply to NJ Arts and Culture Renewal Fund (application available late summer 2026).
Prepare for NJ State Council on the Arts GOS/GPS application (opens Fall 2026, awards July 2027).
Apply for NJ Cultural Trust qualification (required before FY27 IFS grant application).
Begin new space search in earnest. The nonprofit should be incorporated before signing a new lease so it can be tenant or co-tenant for the community space.

Late 2026–2027

JCACTF Round 5 — apply for General Operating Grant under the nonprofit entity (if annual cycle continues).
Monitor NJEDA A.R.T. for Phase III announcement.
Secure and build out new space before July 2027 lease expiration.

Key Contacts

JCACTF / JC Office of Cultural Affairs: Migdalia Pagan-Milano, mmilano@jcnj.org. (201) 547-6921. 280 Grove St, Ste 105, JC 07302.
JC Arts Council (Individual Artist Fellowship): Amy Elise DeJong, President. jerseycityartscouncil.org.
Hudson County Cultural Affairs (LAP): Kim Farrier, Grant Coordinator. hudsoncountyculturalaffairs.org.
NJEDA A.R.T. Program: ArtPhase2@njeda.gov.
NJ State Council on the Arts: nj.gov/state/njsca/. Sign up for Opportunities for the Field newsletter.
NJ Cultural Trust: cultural.trust@sos.nj.gov, 609-292-6403.
NJ Arts and Culture Renewal Fund: njartsculture.org.

Document current as of March 6, 2026.

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