Site Search
- resource provided by the Forum Network Knowledgebase.
Search Tip: Search with " " to find exact matches.
FAQs for Benefit Survey
What is the New Jersey Foundation Benefits & Salary Summary Report?
Developed exclusively for CNJG members, the New Jersey Foundation Benefits & Salary Summary Report presents comprehensive benefits data specific to New Jersey's grantmaking community, alongside data from the Council on Foundations' annual salary survey. The last report, produced in 2017, can be found on our website.
Given increased scrutiny in the areas of compensation and benefits, the need to benchmark this information within the field has become even more important. The 2020 New Jersey Foundation Benefits & Salary Summary Report will make available critical information needed to determine fair compensation and benefits in the state across multiple organizational levels.
Who is eligible to participate in this survey?
To be eligible to participate in the survey, your organization must have at least one PAID (full-time or part-time) employee. The beginning of the survey will help respondents determine if they are eligible to participate. Even if you are NOT eligible to participate, please complete the first four questions of the survey. You will then be directed to the last page of the survey where you will be asked to submit your data. You do not need to be a CNJG member to participate. If you do participate, but are not a CNJG member, you will receive a copy of the report.
Where do I complete the survey?
The survey may be completed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020CNJGBenefitsSurvey.
When does the survey need to be completed?
The deadline for submitting completed surveys is August 10, 2020.
I'm not the right person to complete this survey, can I email it to someone else to complete?
You may forward the email that contains the survey link to someone else in your organization. The recipient will be able to click on the survey link to access the survey.
How long will it take to complete the survey?
It is estimated that entering in the data should take around one hour (not including the time it will take to research your organization’s information). If you offer more benefits, it may take more time; if you offer less, the less time it will take to complete. Logic is built into the online survey, enabling you to skip questions or entire sections depending on what your organization offers. CNJG suggests looking through the questions first (available in PDF form) and compiling your answers to then enter in the data all at once online.
How do I submit our information to the survey?
CNJG developed the survey using SurveyMonkey, so that you may enter all of your data online. The prompts at the bottom of each page guide you as you enter your information.
Can I see all of the questions first?
Yes! The survey in its entirety can be found below. Feel free to use this document to gather your benefits data, and then enter the information all at once online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020CNJGBenefitsSurvey.
For which year/time period should I provide compensation and benefits data?
The Benefits Survey should be based on benefits data for the 2020 calendar year. Please complete the survey questions by indicating the benefits that your organization is currently offering to employees in 2020.
Help! The way that this question is structured is difficult (or impossible) for me to answer.
We understand organizations provide different kinds of benefits and have developed novel benefit packages. And, often, benefit packages differ within an organization. Please complete the survey questions by indicating the benefits that are offered to the majority of employees in your organization, and please use the comment boxes after some of the questions and at the end of the survey to further explain/clarify your responses. Please also note that, while many questions are required (indicated with an asterisk) some questions in the survey are optional and can be skipped.
Once I've started the survey, can I save it and complete it another time?
Yes! You may leave the survey at any time by clicking on "Exit this survey" on the upper right hand corner of the page. Note: if you have just entered a page of data, proceed to the next page before you exit, otherwise the data just entered for the current page will not be saved. To reopen the survey, click on the link in the survey email that was sent to you.
Once I've completed the survey, how do I submit my input?
To submit your input, go to the last page of the survey and click on "Submit Survey." Your input will automatically be submitted.
I clicked on "Submit Survey," but I wasn't finished completing the survey - what should I do?
To make changes in a survey that has already been submitted, please contact Craig Weinrich. It will be possible for you to make changes to your survey input until the survey is officially closed on August 10, 2020.
What topics will be covered?
The following topics will be covered in the survey:
• Survey Eligibility
• Organization Information
• Employment
• Leave Benefits
• Insurance Benefits
• Retirement
• Other Benefits
• Retiree Benefits
• Benefits Cost
Who do I contact if I have questions?
Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Craig Weinrich.
CNJG thanks you in advance for your time and assistance with this endeavor. The report that we create becomes an important tool for you to benchmark your salaries and benefits plans for the coming years, so the time and effort will be incredibly valuable to your organization and other CNJG members.
What are the biggest needs and challenges New Jersey communities face as result of the pandemic?
- It starts with the basics: food and shelter, medical equipment such as masks for long-term care facilities, and digital access for remote education and medical screenings. For many immigrants and the undocumented community, this challenge is even greater.
- Parents of school-age children need support in navigating remote education and childcare challenges -- and balancing them with employment needs.
- People who’ve lost their jobs need to know how to find the right support services, and those services need to be accessible -- no technology or language barriers.
- Schools are having to re-imagine how they can open in the fall – if they can – with appropriate social distancing that requires changes to infrastructure and schedules.
- Organizations need support to retrofit their public spaces so they can serve the public safely.
How is CNJG leading efforts to prepare the philanthropic sector for an effective response?
- CNJG helped create the Disaster Philanthropy Playbook after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and uses many of the lessons learned then to inform response and recovery plans for COVID.
- Almost immediately, CNJG began providing funder briefings, webinars, and other forms of information to the philanthropic community.
- With our members, CNJG created the COVID-19 Funder Learning Community for the numerous response funds that are serving New Jersey was established to:
- Get timely updates on the latest pandemic developments
- Share information about what services and help are needed most -- and where
- Explore potential strategies for effective grantmaking that matches resources to needs and avoids duplication
- Learn best practices from each other
How is the pandemic affecting New Jersey nonprofits?
- The COVID-19 crisis is having a significant and alarming financial and programmatic impact on the nonprofits relied on to care for those in need. According to the Center for Non-Profits Rapid Response Survey:
- 83% cancelled programs or events and correspondingly lost revenue
- 77% have budgetary implications related to strains on the economy
- 52% have increased demands for services
- 40% experienced a disruption in supplies or services provided by partners
- 37% have an increase in or sustained absences of staff and volunteers
- 31% have had layoffs or furloughs
- Many nonprofits lack the digital infrastructure needed to employees’ and volunteers’ sudden switch to remote work and many volunteers who do important work are no longer available.
How is New Jersey’s philanthropic sector responding to the needs of nonprofits and the people they serve?
- Many funders have streamlined the grantmaking process so nonprofits can either refocus grants or receive new funding expeditiously to provide immediate relief for those facing the most pressing situations.
- Many funders are reducing what they ask of nonprofit partners – for instance postponing reporting requirements, deferring site visits, and eliminating other demands on their time so they can focus efforts during this challenging time.
- Some are providing low- or no-interest loans or outright grants to small businesses and nonprofits to retrofit their facilities to keep essential workers and the people they serve safe.
- Several community foundations and other nonprofits have established NJ COVID-19 relief funds that make it safe and convenient for donors to give, and that direct resources to where they are needed most.
- The sector is committed to grounding its work in the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's key principles of grantmaking:
- Resilience, to improve communities holistically and make them stronger than before a disaster.
- Equity, to take historical injustices into account and inform investments.
- Sustainability, to take into account a long-term view and factor in uncertainty.
- Civic participation that equips and empowers those often left out to influence what happens in their communities.
How is CNJG responding to longstanding equity issues that the pandemic exposes and makes worse?
- Together with the Center for Non-profits in New Jersey, we put out a statement on behalf of the state’s philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, urging everyone to speak out against racism and discrimination in all forms.
- CNJG established a Racial Equity Task Force to eliminate any structural racism in New Jersey’s philanthropic community.
- Most of the larger COVID funds engaged community-based practitioners to assist in decision-making on grant awards, and CNJG is creating a local advisory group for the Learning Community.
What steps are being taken to make sure grants aren’t duplicative and that money is going where it’s needed most?
- CNJG encourages the philanthropic sector to use a shared mapping tool that shows how much money is being awarded and where. This tool helps grantmakers make informed decisions and helps to eliminate gaps in historically under-funded communities.
- The COVID-19 Funder Learning Community is a vehicle for building relationships and sharing information about what each funds is doing to support relief and recovery across the state.
What’s the best way for people to donate money for relief and recovery?
You can find a list of these New Jersey Relief and Recovery funds and their contact info here.
CNJG encourages its membership to participate in the Council on Foundations’ annual salary survey to help shape the future of philanthropic compensation.
The Council on Foundations’ 2025 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits (GSB) Survey is now open. The deadline to complete the GSB is Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
Since 1980, the GSB has provided the philanthropic sector with the most comprehensive data on staff composition and compensation in the United States. Grantmakers rely on the findings from this annual survey to plan budgets, benchmark personnel policies and practices, determine salary levels for new and existing staff, and more. Those who complete the survey will receive a free copy of the report (a $598 value), early access to the report’s data tables, and access to create custom benchmark reports.
CoF’s full survey will be published in fall 2025. More information and the survey may be found on the Council on Foundations' website.
Any and every philanthropic organization is invited to participate. Membership is not required with either the Council on Foundations or Council of New Jersey Grantmakers to participate in the survey. For more information, including a list of FAQs, visit the Council on Foundations' website or email the Council on Foundations communications team.
CNJG incorporates the data from this annual survey into our triennial Philanthropy Benefits & Salary Summary Report, most recently published in 2023. CNJG plans to update our report in 2026 again using the data from the Council on Foundations’ survey.
CNJG encourages our members and all philanthropic organizations in New Jersey to complete the CoF survey each year, as this benchmarking data is frequently asked for by our members. The more foundations and other philanthropic organizations that complete the survey, the better and more statistically relevant data we will all have.
For additional information or questions, please contact Craig Weinrich at CNJG.
With the new federal administration comes many new executive actions that directly impact philanthropy and its nonprofit partners. It is an ever-changing, and fluid situation, causing confusion both within the government and across the social sector (philanthropy and nonprofits). According to the Urban Institute, nationwide, 103,475 public charities reported receiving a total of over $267 billion from government grants in 2021. The inflation-adjusted total of over $300 billion represents almost three times the most recent estimates of foundation giving. Philanthropy alone is not able to fill the gap of any potential lost government funding.
Philanthropy supporting organizations (PSOs), like CNJG, are convening funders to keep them informed of new changes so they can make informed decisions. In addition to presenting our own learning series on these implications, CNJG is curating resources, webpages, and other convenings for philanthropy to help navigate the changes. Sharing information with other funders is critical to keeping philanthropy informed in the weeks and months ahead. Having the latest information supports thoughtful collaboration and decision-making in times of change.
As foundation leaders dedicated to our New Jersey communities, please consider the full range of strategies your organizations can employ during these truly unprecedented times. Please share your stories with Manager of Communications Shakirat Odunsi, about how you are changing and/or adapting your grantmaking and work in the face of the dramatic policy shifts that are happening in the executive branch.
Have another resource to add to this page? Please email us.
CNJG Programs
Making Sense of Federal Policy Series:
This weekly funder briefing webinar series welcomed New Jersey-based grantmakers along with national funders and provided an opportunity for grantmakers to hear from a wide range of nonprofit experts. This series started on March 13, 2025, less than a month after the first executive order was issued and continued through April 24, 2025.
Policy Series Written Summaries
Policy Series Webinar Videos
Foundations on the Hill 2025 (February 2025)
Newark Funder Affinity Group: Shared Strategies and Collaboration for 2025 and the Years Ahead (3/12/2025)
Beyond the Rulings: Strategies to Safeguard Nonprofits in a Shifting Landscape, Part 1 (2/28/2025)
Beyond the Rulings: Strategies to Safeguard Nonprofits in a Shifting Legal Landscape, Part 2 (4/11/2025)
Beyond the Rulings: Strategies to Safeguard Nonprofits in a Shifting Legal Landscape, Part 3 (5/12/2025)
Programs by CNJG Members
Monmouth & Ocean Roundtable of Funders (2/18/2025)
Other Programs/Webinars
Policy World Wednesdays
Held the second Wednesday of each month to discuss all things policy, including the latest developments at the federal, state and local levels; legislative insights and advocacy opportunities; and to share any other policy or advocacy issues currently on your organization’s radar.
Recordings:
National Council of Nonprofits: Executive Actions and their Impact on Charitable Nonprofits and slides
New Jersey Center for Nonprofits: Advocacy, Lobbying and Nonprofits: Yes, You Can
National Council of Nonprofits: The Legal Landscape and Path Ahead for Nonprofits and Philanthropy slides.
CNJG Member Actions
Community Foundation of New Jersey and other funders launched NJ Strong: Emergency Fund
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Statement From Dr. Richard Besser Condemning Executive Order Backsliding on DEI and Health
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Rapid Response: Reinvesting in Racial and Indigenous Health Equity Research
Paul DiLorenzo Op-Ed: The Families We Serve Also Hold No Cards
United Way of Greater Mercer County published "Disrupted: How Federal Funding Volatility is Affecting Nonprofits" a survey reporting the impacts of the federal executive actions on Mercer County nonprofits.
New Jersey Focused Response Funds
Equip NJ: An intermediary initiative aimed at strengthening the ecosystem of organizations working to advance health equity in New Jersey. Members of the advocacy and racial justice fields have shaped EQUIP NJ’s design, priorities, and vision.
New Jersey Sustainability and Resiliency Fund: A partnership by six New Jersey United Ways, this fund was created to support the non-profit sector to ensure its continued impact and resiliency.
Presentations and recording of CNJG webinar on March 18
Action Items
To help the National Council of Nonprofits get a better sense of the real-world effects of the announced executive orders or changes in federal funding, they have set up a form for nonprofits to share the effect on their missions and the people they serve. Funders: encourage your nonprofit partners to complete the brief form.
Please share your stories with Manager of Communications Shakirat Odunsi, about how you are changing and/or adapting your grantmaking and work in the face of the dramatic policy shifts that are happening in the executive branch.
Funders: for those that want to move in solidarity with nonprofits, mobilize money, and nurture possibility, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project offers you the opportunity to sign a philanthropic commitment for trust-based action. We invite you to share this with peers, and join the growing community of grantmakers and donors taking trust-based, courageous action on behalf of the social sector.
Sites Summarizing Actions for Philanthropy
Center for Effective Philanthropy: How Funders Can Respond to an Unprecedented Threat to Nonprofits
Council on Foundations: One, Big, Beautiful Bill: Impact on Philanthropy
Democracy 2025: Response Center
Exponent Philanthropy: Philanthropy’s Responsibility Persists: Staying the Course Amid Change
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations: Supporting Our Communities: Key Strategies for Navigating Federal Funding Threats
Grantmakers in Health: Helping Health Philanthropy Navigate the New Administration and Congress
Grantmakers in the Arts: Community Resources on the New Presidential Administration’s Actions (shared summary document)
Just Security: Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Administration Actions
National Center for Family Philanthropy: Navigating Uncertain Times
National Council of Nonprofits: Executive Orders Affecting Charitable Nonprofits
National Council of Nonprofits: The Impact of the Recent Executive Orders on Nonprofits
New Jersey Center for Nonprofits: New Jersey Nonprofits Need Your Help, Too (op-ed in NJ Spotlight)
New Jersey Center for Nonprofits: Resources to Navigate Uncertainty
United Philanthropy Forum: Executive Actions Impacting the Philanthropic & Nonprofit Sectors
United Philanthropy Forum: Understanding the Proposed Tax Changes
Resources to Assist Funders
CNJG: What Every Grantmaker Should Know and Frequently Asked Questions
ABFE: READI Resource Bank
Alliance for Justice: Bolder Advocacy Resources for Funding Advocacy
Alliance for Justice: How Can Foundations Support Policy Change?
Candid: How Many Nonprofits Rely on Government Grants?
Center for Effective Philanthropy: Challenging Times: How U.S. Nonprofit Leaders are Experiencing the Political Context
Council of Nonprofits: Let’s Get This Straight: Advocacy vs. Lobbying (for nonprofits)
Grantmakers in the Arts: The New Presidential Administration: Lessons for Us All
The Impact Project: The Impact Map - a website that shows policy, funding, and workforce changes from the federal government and their localized effect.
Lawyers Alliance for New York & New York Lawyers for the Public Interest: FAQs for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Required Certifications
Meltzer Center @ NYU Law: Advancing DEI Initiative
National Council of Nonprofits: Executive Branch Lacks Authority to Target Nonprofit Organizations
New Jersey Nonprofits: Trends and Outlook 2025
New Jersey Policy Perspective: Federal Funding Cuts Threaten New Jersey’s Residents
NJ.gov Department of Human Services: Modeling Impact to NJ Medicaid of Congressional Budget Proposals
PACE Funders: Bridging Language
Philanthropy.com: Amid Funding Freezes and ICE Raids, What Will It Take to Support Grantees?
Pro Bono Partnership: Resources for Nonprofits on 2025 Federal Actions
Tenenbaum Law Group PLLC: Nonprofits Under Fire: How the IRS Can – and Cannot – Revoke Federal Tax-Exempt Status
Urban Institute: What’s the Financial Risk of Nonprofits Losing Government Grants?
CNJG provides this information free to the philanthropic community. If you are not a CNJG member, please join so you can take full advantage of the many benefits of membership and help underwrite the cost of services like this.
This resource guide includes various virtual volunteer opportunities, additional resources, and best practices for corporate volunteer programs during the coronavirus pandemic.
This resource will be updated, as CNJG and corporate members collect new information and opportunities to share with colleagues.
How the government can partner with impact investors to unleash new capital, talent and energy for maximum impact.
Sample disaster preparedness and recovery plans for foundations.
President Obama's Hurricane Sandy Task Force released this rebuilding strategy to serve as a model for communities across the nation facing greater risks from extreme weather and to continue helping the Sandy-affected region rebuild. The Rebuilding Strategy contains 69 policy recommendations, many of which have already been adopted, that will help homeowners stay in and repair their homes, strengthen small businesses and revitalize local economies and ensure entire communities are better able to withstand and recover from future storms.