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Late last year, the Texas legislature passed a series of bills targeting migration at the Texas-Mexico border. This included Senate Bill 4 (SB4), which criminalizes anyone suspected of crossing the border without authorization to enter or re-enter into Texas. Since then, a series of legal decisions have created confusion and uncertainty. Similarly, Florida has passed legislation targeting community IDs and driver's licenses for immigrants and criminalizing the transportation of undocumented immigrants into the state.
As battleground border states, Florida and Texas have had an immense influence across the country, as other states have stood up similar anti-immigrant bills. Most recently the governor of Iowa signed SF2340, a bill which made it a state crime for immigrants with prior deportation orders from the U.S. to reside in the state. The Louisiana governor recently introduced SB 388, which, as in Florida, criminalizes undocumented immigrants entering or reentering the state. Meanwhile, Georgia has introduced legislation to punish local governments for having sanctuary city policies.
In an election year when immigration is the top issue in the minds of many voters, these policies exacerbate xenophobic, anti-immigrant, and racist sentiments that further dehumanize and criminalize immigrant and refugee communities while also expanding state powers to detain, deport, and terrorize undocumented individuals. To respond to this moment, organizations are leveraging different strategies–from litigation to organizing–to prevent the implementation of these policies and create a more welcoming country for all.
Join us for a panel conversation with frontline leaders, which will be followed by a funder-only discussion.
Speakers
Jennefer Canales-Pelaez, Texas Policy Attorney & Strategist, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)
Erica Johnson, Founding Executive Director, Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (Iowa MMJ)
Dauday Sesay, Founder & Executive Director, Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants (LORI) & National Network Director, African Communities Together (ACT)
Moderator
Cairo Mendes, Senior Director of State and Local Programs, GCIR
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.
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. The written summaries of each recording are listed below.
I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing summer. For many, summer offers a time to move at a slower pace, and perhaps take some time for reflection and recharging. I hope you were able to do some of that at least during your official “away-from-the-office” vacation time.
As summer wanes and we come back to our offices, Governance Committee co-chairs, Craig Drinkard and Justin Kiczek, have extended an invitation – if you are interested in serving on the CNJG Board of Trustees, or know someone who would make a good trustee, please complete the application form, and email it to Office Manager Dana Schwartz, along with a brief biography, no later than September 13, 2023. Read Craig and Justin’s full letter.
The Board will present a slate of candidates to CNJG members at the annual meeting of members. Please save the date - the CNJG Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering is on Thursday, December 14 at the Crowne Plaza Edison. Registration will be available soon.
In reviewing the nominations for board service, the Governance Committee considers participation and engagement in at least one CNJG committee, and/or serving as co-chair of a Council affinity group. Standing committees of the board include Audit, Finance, Governance, Member Engagement, Leadership and Policy, Racial Equity, Signature Programs, and Strategic Plan Implementation. Most committees meet at least twice a year. Committees focus on a specific issue or task, and ensures the board’s overall work is divided into manageable tasks. Committee participation is open to all CNJG members. If you are interested in learning more and/or serving on a committee, please let me know. Committee work allows you to expand your personal network and build relationships with colleagues, demonstrate and develop your own leadership, and gain new knowledge and skills that you might not regularly use in your day-to-day role. You’ll also be contributing to the success and future of CNJG, as well as helping to move forward the 2023 - 2025 Strategic Plan.
If you are already chairing a committee or affinity group, or serving on a committee – thank you for your leadership! We’re so grateful for your dedication and support. If you are interested in joining a committee, please reach out to me. Thank you!
Welcome back from the summer – I hope to see you at an upcoming CNJG program, and at the CNJG 2023 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering on December 14.
Sincerely,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
With the recent passage of the federal budget bill that slashed Medicaid and food assistance for millions of Americans while directing $170 billion to border militarization and the surveillance, detention, and deportation of immigrants, it is clear that private industry stands to profit while tearing families and communities apart. Indeed, between Trump’s election in November 2024 and April of this year, the stock prices of the nation’s two largest private detention facility operators, GEO Group and CoreCivic, soared 94% and 62% respectively – a pattern that the Brennan Center for Justice notes followed Trump’s first election. Indeed, in the immediate aftermath of the budget bill’s signing, both companies saw a further 3% increase in stock value.
With billions in philanthropic assets invested in financial markets, advocates have long called for divestment from private detention facilities and the broader prison-industrial complex. These efforts exist as part of the larger movement for divestment from the range of extractive industries that harm the very communities that foundations seek to support through their grantmaking. Numerous funders have taken up the challenge of revisiting their investment strategies to better align with their missions, with some also pursuing restorative grantmaking practices. In this session we’ll engage in a discussion with several of those funders, as well as an impact investment firm committed to advancing a regenerative economy.
This session will be an excellent opportunity for staff on both the investment and grantmaking sides of the house to learn first-hand what it looks like to operationalize divestment and impact investing strategies, so invite your colleagues and bring your questions!
Speakers
Hans How, Integrated Capital Officer, Restorative Economies Fund, Kataly Foundation
Alex Saingchin, Co-Founder & President, Just Futures
Rochelle Witharana, Chief Financial and Investment Officer, California Wellness
Moderator
Rachel Fagiano, Funders for Justice
Cost: Free
You don’t need to be a technologist to understand that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing our world, including philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.
As you attend next month’s CNJG 2024 Spring Colloquium – A Conversation for the Social Sector on June 18, consider what philanthropy does best as the conversation unfolds. Philanthropy takes risks. Philanthropy tests new ideas and concepts, that can then be scaled. Philanthropy drives experimentation. Philanthropy convenes thought leaders, practitioners, and community voices, to engage in full and deliberate conversations.
We’re excited to welcome Jean Westrick, Executive Director of the Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG), to moderate the morning panel session. TAG and Project Evident recently released their Responsible AI Adoption in Philanthropy framework to help grantmakers adopt AI in a manner that aligns with their mission. Jean will help us dig deeper into the framework during an afternoon session. Not only does the framework provide practical guidance, it is a clarion call for philanthropy to play a crucial role in advancing the responsible use of AI for nonprofit enablement.
Understanding this seminal role, last year, ten major foundations announced a $200 million investment to ensure AI advances the public interest. The investment is centered around five areas of need including: ensuring AI advancements protect democracy and the rights and freedoms of all people, empowering workers to “thrive amid AI-driven changes,” and supporting the development of AI international norms and rules.
Colloquium panelist Don Chen, President and CEO of the Surdna Foundation, recently spoke at the Partnership for AI’s 2024 Philanthropy Forum. There he discussed the importance of working with partners to make investments in responsible infrastructure. He expanded on these ideas, encouraging ongoing AI conversations to be reparative and healing, especially for racial equity and justice.
Governor Murphy created the New Jersey State Office of Innovation in 2018 to "improve the lives of New Jerseyans by solving public problems differently.” Colloquium panelist Dave Cole, Chief Innovation Officer, in a recent StateScoop Priorities Podcast, shared his commitment to solving problems for NJ residents using human-centered design and leveraging AI to improve services. The practical and pragmatic conversations about AI are central to philanthropy’s role in harnessing technology for good.
Our third panelist, Rachel Kimber, joined fellow social sector leaders in calling for philanthropy to move forward with “responsible AI development and adoption.” Published by the Center for Effective Philanthropy, the blog Responsible AI: How Philanthropy Can (and Should) Support the Movement outlines four critical concepts for philanthropy: drive sector-level vision, fund the back-end, develop guidelines, and invest in equitable innovations.
I encourage you to review the resources we’re gathering on the Colloquium web area to further inform your thinking.
While AI and analytical technologies are revolutionary tools reshaping industries, as Vilas Dhar, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, said in an interview with the Chronicle of Philanthropyrecently, “These conversations are very rarely actually about technology.” In the article, How A.I. Could Solve Humanity’s Biggest Problems — If Philanthropy Catches Up, Dhar implores philanthropy to look closely at how AI is changing our world and challenges us to examine how philanthropy must change. Indeed, philanthropy has several roles to play, including fueling the big picture and visionary conversations, and helping to drill down on the more practical applications of AI for grantmakers and nonprofits in support of a just and equitable world.
Join us at the CNJG 2024 Spring Colloquium: A Conversation for the Social Sector - Empowering the Future: Harnessing AI and Data for Philanthropic Social Impact on Tuesday, June 18, to engage in these big, bold, and transformative conversations.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Sincerely,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
More than a decade ago, the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and Philanthropy New York spearheaded a project to develop common application and report forms to help streamline the grant application process and ease the often time-consuming grant preparation process.
This application is a four-page form, which includes directions for use, a sample cover sheet, and the common grant proposal guidelines.
The separate Common Report Form follows closely the format of the New York/New Jersey Area Common Application Form.
Information for Grantmakers:
One of the core values at the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project (with whom CNJG partnered on a trust-based grantmaking learning series in the summer of 2021 – read about Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) encourages funders to streamline their requirements for paperwork from nonprofits. Accepting the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Report Form is one way. Another is to accept reports from nonprofits that they submitted to a different funder.
Recent articles from Vu Le at NonprofitAF.com (We need to have a serious talk about character limits on grant applications and Trust-based grantmaking: What it is and why it’s critical to our sector), Joan Garry in the Chronicle of Philanthropy (A Plea from Community Nonprofits for Investment Equity and less Bureaucracy), and the research project by the Technology Association of Grantmakers (Grant Applications Share 39% Similarity According to New Research by TAG) in the summer of 2021 have re-focused attention on the concept of a common grant application.
CNJG encourages our members to review the application and report form, and consider accepting these forms (or using these questions on your online application / report form) from your current or potential grantees.
CNJG surveyed our members in August 2021 asking if they accepted the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Application and report form. CNJG members can download that report (link forthcoming).
Information for Grantseekers:
Before sending this (or any) application to any funder, be sure to check their specific funding guidelines and application requirements. Some funders require preliminary, additional, or supplementary information. Some funders only accept their own application form. CNJG members are under no obligation to accept either the common grant application or common grant report form.
Additional notes when using the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Application Form:
- Please check with each individual funder if they accept only their own form, the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Application form, or some other form.
- Funding area guidelines still apply. Research each organization’s funding areas to be sure your proposal fits within their guidelines before submitting your application.
- Any funder that has agreed to accept the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Application may request additional information at any stage in their application process.
- Every funder has different deadlines and timetables. Refer to each organization's funding and/or reporting guidelines.
- Do not submit the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Application or report form to the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers. Submit your application directly to the organization from which you are requesting support.
- Questions should be directed to the organization from which you are requesting support.
Welcome to the new year! It was wonderful seeing so many members at the 2023 Annual Meeting & Holiday Luncheon on December 14. Both our luncheon plenary and workshop helped us explore how and why funders can collaborate and increase their impact. You can find resources from the event, including workshop slides, on the resource tab of the Annual Meeting page. You must be logged in to access resources. (Forgot your password – click here.)
As part of the meeting, we elected two new board members for their first 3-year term, as well as re-electing board members for a second term. Welcome and congratulations to new board members Jasmyne Beckford, Prudential Foundation, and Paul DiLorenzo, Salem Health and Wellness Foundation. And we said good-bye to René Deida, Prudential Foundation, and Atiya Weiss, Burke Foundation. We’re grateful for your service. Jeff Vega, Princeton Area Community Foundation, also rotated off the board. Jeff served as board chair during the pandemic, strategic planning, and leadership transitions. Thank you, Jeff, for your wisdom and guidance. We appreciate you!
Following the annual meeting of members, the board elected their officers for 2024: Craig Drinkard, Chair (Victoria Foundation), Christine Healey, 1st Vice Chair, (The Healey Education Foundation), Justin Kiczek, 2nd Vice Chair, (The F. M. Kirby Foundation), Maisha Simmons, Secretary, (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), and Catherine Wilson, Treasurer, (United Way Greater Newark). Congratulations!
Thank you to everyone that expressed interest in serving on a committee by completing the form at the Annual Meeting. January’s organizational tasks include working with the new CNJG board chair to review committee membership and invite participation. Stay tuned. Click here to read a full wrap-up of the 2023 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering.
Looking towards our programming year, beginning in February, we’re pleased to introduce First Fridays for Philanthropy – a virtual meet up for members to connect and share, network, ask questions, and learn from one another. Please reach out to Director of Member Services, Craig Weinrich, for more information.
We’re also excited to offer the 3-part series Impact Investing Bootcamp: Fundamentals for Driving Sustainable Philanthropy in New Jersey. The series will take place from March to May 2024. Impact investing can generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. There is no cost for CNJG members, however space is limited with no more than 2 attendees per organization, and registrants are strongly encouraged to attend all three sessions. To learn more, please reach out to Manager of Programs and Learning, Chanika Svetvilas. Thank you to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Victoria Foundation for supporting this series.
Foundations on the Hill is just around the corner, and will take place in Washington, D.C. from February 25 - 28. FOTH is an annual opportunity for foundation leaders to meet with their representatives, talk about issues of interest to philanthropy, and strengthen relationships. Space is limited. If are interested in attending or would like to learn more, please contact me.
I want to end with gratitude to and for the CNJG Board of Trustees, our committee chairs and members, affinity group chairs, our partners, and you – our members. You are truly our champions. And thank you to our Annual Meeting sponsors for their generous support, Prudential, Victoria Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Devils Youth Foundation, Grunin Foundation, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Princeton Area Community Foundation, and WSFS Bank.
Happy New Year!
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
A new year always feels like a fresh start—a chance to reflect on where we’ve been and chart a course for where we’re headed. As we step into 2025, I want to take a moment to thank you for the incredible work you do every day to strengthen New Jersey’s communities. Your dedication and passion are what make our state—and our sector—thrive.
This January not only brings in a new presidential administration but also the 119th United States Congress. These transitions remind us of the vital role we play as advocates for the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, and civil society overall. Decisions made in Washington over the coming months and years will directly impact philanthropy’s ability to foster equity, champion the vital role nonprofits play in our communities, create opportunities, and address systemic challenges.
Foundations on the Hill (FOTH) is just around the corner and will take place in Washington, D.C. from February 23 - 26. Presented and hosted by United Philanthropy Forum and the Council on Foundations, in partnership with Independent Sector, FOTH brings foundation leaders to Washington for meetings with Congress about key issues of importance to foundations and philanthropy. These meetings also strengthen relationships between funders and our elected representatives. CNJG will join colleague PSOs and foundations from across the country to present a strong, collective voice on Capitol Hill. If you are interested in attending or would like to learn more, please contact me.
As we look ahead to 2025, building strong relationships with legislators through efforts like FOTH, advancing our policy agenda, and continuing our ongoing advocacy work will be critical. The CNJG programs below provide key opportunities for nonprofits and philanthropy to come together, strengthen our collective voice, and focus on shaping impactful public policy.
Save the Dates: 2025 Programs on Public Policy and Advocacy
Policy World Wednesdays
Starting January 8, 2025, and recurring every second Wednesday of the month
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM (Monthly via Zoom)
FREE monthly sessions diving into key policy issues, advocacy opportunities, and the latest developments affecting nonprofits and philanthropy.
Registration is recommended but not required.
2025 Conference for the Social Sector
June 18, 2025
Focus: Civic Engagement
Join nonprofit and philanthropic leaders to explore strategies to strengthen civic engagement. Registration will open in early spring.
2025 Summer Joint Policy Forum
August 5, 2025
A dynamic convening of nonprofit and philanthropic leaders to address emerging policy issues, voter engagement, and collective advocacy for the sector. Registration will open in late spring.
Save these dates on your calendar and stay tuned for more details—we hope to see you there!
It’s important that philanthropy engages in and supports advocacy. Philanthropy continues to be a cornerstone of civil society, where vision and resources come together to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. From racial equity and climate resilience to education and public health, CNJG remains committed to supporting our members in creating lasting and meaningful change.
It was wonderful seeing so many members at the 2024 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering on December 11. 2024 was truly an extraordinary year. I’ve no doubt 2025 will be extraordinary as well. Thank you for all you do, and here’s to a productive and impactful year ahead.
Warmly,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers