Strategic Planning Process

We hope this communication finds you all well and enjoying the winter season.

As many of you know, the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers has embarked on a 3-year strategic planning process to revisit and refresh our mission, vision, values, and organizational strategic goals, in an effort to enhance our capacity to better serve the community.

This initiative was officially launched in September 2021, and the Strategic Planning Committee, led by Board members Maisha Simmons, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Andy Fraizer, Community Foundation of South Jersey, has guided progressive development. This process comes at a crucial juncture when we consider, not only the challenges of our time, but the opportunities that lie ahead to making a difference in the quality of civic life and engagement in the state of New Jersey.

Integral to an effective and successful strategic planning process is engaging members, as well as external partners and the broader philanthropic community to canvas both the internal and external landscape that encompasses the philanthropy ecosystem. To that end, we are in the process of conducting a full series of community engagement activities.

As a CNJG member, we will be reaching out to you directly. Our outreach may include an invitation to participate in one or more of the following environmental scanning activities:

• Survey – responding to an electronic questionnaire containing statements and/or questions that speak to your experience and observations while engaging and delivering your respective roles and responsibilities within your organization and in the field, generally.
• Focus Group – participating in a virtual, facilitated, small group discussion, for approximately one hour, to directly share and explore your insights in an inclusive forum among your peers, regarding trends in the field.
• Key Informant Interview – participating in a virtual, one-to-one conversation where you can share your observations, insights, and expertise, in a more in-depth manner that speaks more to your personal industry knowledge.

The intended outcomes of these activities are to curate a diverse inventory of thoughts, experiences, reactions, and perspectives regarding CNJG, specifically, and the broader philanthropic community and landscape, generally. The information, sentiments, and insights gleaned from these various methods of engagement will be strictly used to inform thought-leadership and strategic decision-making on the part of CNJG to respond to the field as it pertains to New Jersey and beyond.

In this process, trust is a paramount condition of engagement. The Council adheres to strict confidentiality so that participants are engaged in a safe and secure forum. All information provided will be secured, password-protected, and absent any personal identifiers.

Our plan is to begin the surveying and data collection process on Monday, February 7 and conclude on Friday, February 18. We look forward to your engagement. Thank you, in advance, for your participation.

Kind Regards,

Jeff Vega, CNJG Board Chair
President & CEO, Princeton Area Community Foundation

Theresa Jacks, Acting President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers