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As New Jersey enters its 9th week of sheltering in place and the close of businesses deemed non-essential, we have already seen the impact of policy decisions and the immense and growing need in our communities. The sheer number of people stricken with COVID-19, heartbreak of families and loved ones as they respond, widespread unemployment, difficulty accessing services, a lack of resources for immigrant and undocumented populations, financial uncertainty of nonprofits and small businesses, and a steep decline in physical and mental health, are some of the devastating challenges facing our country and state at this time.
Named to Gov. Murphy’s Restart and Recovery Advisory Council, Brandon McKoy, President of New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) will present an overview of federal and state policy implemented in response to the COVID-19 crisis, with a special focus on how these policies impact nonprofits, vulnerable communities, and the state budget. A new NJPP report cautions, “Without proper funding, state government cannot fully serve the needs of the public, especially during a time of crisis when the demand for services is at an all-time high.” Brandon will share challenges in implementing these policies, policy recommendations to strengthen New Jersey’s response and recovery to the pandemic, and proposed systems change beyond resilience.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members and Nonmember Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
Webinar Video
At a time when nonprofits and philanthropy were needed the most, the pandemic forced most social sector organizations to go fully or partially remote. As we enter 2021, it seems that many organizations will continue to operate virtually for some time, and others are even considering what it would be like to make this transition permanently.
During this informative webinar session, Christine Michelle Duffy, Director of the New Jersey Program at Pro Bono Partnership, and Christopher Petermann, Partner at PKF O’Connor Davies, will share practical suggestions, policies, and procedures that nonprofits and foundations should consider when some or all of their workforce is working remotely. We’ll also discuss the major challenges that nonprofits have faced when adapting to this new virtual world, and how philanthropy can help its grantee partners moving forward.
Anyone interested in providing a remote work option for employees, going fully virtual for the long-term, or supporting nonprofit operations in the current context will want to attend this webinar.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Nonmember Grantmakers
Webinar Video
The FirstEnergy Foundation has donated more than $3.4 million to nearly 100 organizations across its service territory as part of "Investing with Purpose," a company initiative focused on supporting organizations that advance health and safety, workforce development, educational and social justice initiatives. The grants, awarded in December 2020, represent the first round of approximately $7 million in charitable contributions the Foundation will award as part of the program.
"Investing with Purpose" was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which created health, financial and educational hardships for customers across FirstEnergy's six-state service territory, and in response to the events of 2020 that highlighted racial and social injustices impacting our nation. With those issues in mind, FirstEnergy leaders identified philanthropic opportunities through nonprofit organizations across its service territory that are responding to needs of vulnerable populations. "Investing with Purpose" represents an additional commitment on top of the company's annual charitable giving, which averages approximately $10 million per year.
"In light of the formidable challenges presented by the ongoing coronavirus health emergency and critical social justice work that remains at the forefront, the Foundation wanted to focus contributions in areas that would drive meaningful change in the communities we serve," said Lorna Wisham, president of the FirstEnergy Foundation and vice president of corporate affairs and community involvement for FirstEnergy. "These awards benefit new and existing nonprofit partners on the frontline of our current health and economic crisis and whose missions also reflect FirstEnergy's core values."
TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, awarded 32 local organizations from Maine to Florida nearly $5 million through its 15th Annual Housing for Everyone grant competition. The Housing for Everyone program has awarded more than $32 million in grants to over 500 community organizations since 2005.
The 2020 competition focused on supporting organizations that provide direct rent relief and supportive services to individuals hit hardest by the pandemic. To commemorate the 15th anniversary of Housing for Everyone, the TD Charitable Foundation increased the total amount of grants to be awarded by 30%, from $3.75 million to $4.9 million. Grants ranging from $125,000 - $250,000 were awarded to organizations working to help COVID-impacted households remain in safe, affordable rental units.
"The economic instability created by the pandemic has exacerbated the challenges faced by many renters, a large percentage of whom have experienced job loss and lack healthcare insurance," said Paige Carlson-Heim, Director of the TD Charitable Foundation. "It's estimated that up to 34 million people who rent are at risk of losing their homes when eviction moratoriums and other renter protections expire. The TD Charitable Foundation is proud to support this year's Housing for Everyone grant recipients as they play a key role in helping to combat this statistic in their local communities."
Bank of America has announced grants totaling more than $22 million in support of advancing racial equality and economic opportunities.
A total of $18.35 million was awarded in support of higher education and workforce development, with a focus on efforts to strengthen hiring pipelines and empower students to advance their academic and career opportunities, including a previously announced $10 million grant to Spelman and Morehouse colleges to establish the Center for Black Entrepreneurship. Workforce development awards include $300,000 to GRID Alternatives in support of the SolarCorps Fellowship Program, which enables individuals from diverse backgrounds to be trained and launch careers in the renewable energy field, as well as grants to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Posse Foundation, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and United National Indian Tribal Youth.
In addition, $1.3 million was awarded to assist minority and indigenous entrepreneurs and their small businesses through organizations such as the Latino Business Action Network, Echoing Green, and Our Native American Business Entrepreneurship Network (ONABEN), and $2.55 million was awarded in support of health and emergency needs, such as hunger relief and shelter focused on helping communities recover from the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus including Hispanic-Latino community-based health organizations that are part of the UnidosUS community health affiliate network and the Hispanic Federation.
"Workforce development, job creation, and access to health and housing services are some of the most pressing needs facing Black, Hispanic-Latino, and Native American individuals," said Ebony Thomas, Bank of America's racial equality and economic opportunity executive. "By providing this support alongside our national and local partners, we are further addressing many of the challenges facing under-resourced and underserved communities across the U.S."
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) has announced a 10-year, $20 million commitment from Novartis in support of students and faculty at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and medical schools.
With the goal of reducing financial barriers to a college education and equipping the next generation of leaders in health, business, and social equity-related fields, the Novartis US Foundation HBCU Scholarship program will provide up to $10,000 a year for up to 360 students at 27 institutions. Recipients also will have access to training, professional development, and opportunities for real-world skill application. In addition, 10 competitive faculty research grants of $25,000 a year will be offered to faculty at the participating HBCUs.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the inequities Black Americans face, with recent data showing that higher rates of cases and deaths in predominantly Black counties are associated with social conditions and structural racism, not underlying health conditions. That inequity extends to Black underrepresentation across medical systems—not only among clinical trial participants but also among medical school students, physicians, and clinical trial investigators.
“While the world has focused on the numbers of COVID-19 positive infections and deaths, many have ignored the long-term educational and economic impacts of the pandemic—especially for Black Americans,” said TMCF president and CEO Harry L. Williams. “Although there has been attention to the great disparities of Black Americans contracting COVID-19, and the higher death rates for Black Americans than for other racial groups, this community will be living with COVID-19 impacts for the next two decades in economic, educational, and health outcomes.”
Join funders for a discussion on the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.
First Lady Tammy Murphy launched the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF), hosted by the Community Foundation of New Jersey, to fight against the ongoing pandemic by directing funds to local organizations providing “on the ground” services to our state’s most vulnerable populations.
On this webinar, we will hear from Executive Director of NJPRF, Josh Weinreich and President of the Community Foundation of New Jersey, Hans Dekker. Together, they will discuss how funds are being collected and distributed, how NJPRF will help fill gaps in services across the state, and the importance of coordinated efforts between government and the private sector.
The various funds being set up by New Jersey foundations and philanthropic leaders can help ensure funding is directed to areas of greatest need, encourage greater collaboration among grantmaking, nonprofit, and government partners, and create a stronger, more resilient state. Register now to hear about how the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund is providing essential support for our communities.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members and Nonmember Grantmakers
This program is open to Grantmakers only.
Webinar Video
From February 26-28, 2023, members of the NLC’s Mayoral Network on Community Safety and Violence Prevention, city representatives and resource guests were welcomed by Mayor Ras J. Baraka in Newark, New Jersey. Attendees saw firsthand the strides made by Mayor Baraka, Office of Violence Prevention & Trauma Recovery Director Lakeesha Eure, and the rest of the Newark team. Alongside community partners, the city team members are advancing new safety strategies alongside longstanding ones. This collaborative, people-centered approach to addressing violence and promoting safety led to 60-year lows in homicides for the city.
The philanthropic community in Newark is an instrumental part of the city’s transformation of its public safety ecosystem over the past nine years. Several local foundations supported the development and implementation of a new public health centered strategy from its infancy by providing the resources for two public safety retreats, multiple community-based violence prevention and interruption organizations, new data tools and collaboratives, and trauma training for community and police.
Lisa Block, Senior Program Officer with the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, shared her thoughts on the work in this article for Grantmakers in Health.
TD Charitable Foundation on Monday said it awarded a total of $7 million to 37 nonprofits across the bank’s footprint through the 17th annual Housing for Everyone grant program.
According to the charitable giving arm of Cherry Hill-based TD Bank, “America’s Most Convenient Bank,” grants ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 will support organizations that work to deliver rental assistance, rehabilitate affordable rental housing properties and build organizational capacity to address resident sustainability for the long-term.
As individuals and families across the country struggle with inflation and an exponential rise in rental costs, affordable housing providers face increased hardship, given the growing demand for affordable rental units and emergency rental assistance.
“The affordable housing crisis continues to burden the most vulnerable members of our communities and the organizations committed to supporting them,” Paige Carlson-Heim, director of the TD Charitable Foundation, said. “At TD, we’re committed to doing our part to help create a more sustainable and inclusive future for everyone, and that includes providing access to safe, affordable homes. This year’s grant recipients are mission-critical to that work, and the TD Charitable Foundation is proud to support them in their efforts to create a positive impact and a pathway to housing stability in the communities we serve.”
Impact100 South Jersey awarded $211,000 in grants to three South Jersey nonprofits at our Annual Meeting on June 21, 2023 at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ.
A $100,000 core mission grant was awarded to the Heart of Camden. The grant will be used to expand programming and services provided by their Bridge Builders Project at the Michael J. Doyle Fieldhouse. The goal is to build on ten years of success at the MJD Fieldhouse by maximizing capacity to improve the lives of women, children, and families living in low-to-moderate income households in the Waterfront South neighborhood, South Camden, and the City of Camden as a whole.
The Bridge Builders Project is a unique initiative that aim to connect critical services to residents, young people, women, women with children and families. The project will serve as a bridge to connect outside volunteers and supporters, educating them about the city and building stronger connections with the community.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland & Salem Counties and Habitat for Humanity of Camden County each received a $55,500k general operating grant.
Since launching in 2017, Impact100 South Jersey has awarded $1,035,365 to 15 South Jersey nonprofits. It is one of more than sixty-five chapters in four countries that, combined, have awarded over $123 million in grants to nonprofits in their local communities since 2008.
“The Impact100 model is simple — each member contributes $1,000 toward large, transformative grants for nonprofits in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Cumberland Counites. When our chapter started in 2017 with a few women around a kitchen table, we never imagined the moment we could say we had awarded over $1 million. We owe our success to each of our members — past and present,” said Kyle Ruffin, President of the Impact100 South Jersey Chapter.
The vast majority of people would prefer to stay in their home countries instead of undertaking uncertain and often perilous journeys. However, by the end of last year, conflict, violence, persecution, natural disasters, and the impacts of climate change had forcibly displaced nearly 110 million people.
People from all over the world have sought refuge in the United States since before its inception, and the U.S. government recently opened new pathways for refugees to enter the country through community sponsorship and private sponsorship.
Join GCIR in a dialogue with leaders who operate in both the traditional refugee resettlement space and with the new community sponsorship program. Learn how philanthropy can better mobilize resources to protect those seeking safety and refuge in the United States.
SPEAKERS
Basma Alawee, Deputy Executive Director, Community Sponsorship Hub
Robin Mencher, CEO, Jewish Family & Community Services-East Bay
Dauda Sesay, Founding Member and President, Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants
MODERATOR
John Slocum, Executive Director, Refugee Council USA
COST: Free for members and nonmembers
Link up with your fellow Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy! We want to get to know you and form connections in-person for the first time since the pandemic. Over savory refreshments, you will have the opportunity for a casual conversation to connect with colleagues, learn more about what’s happening across New Jersey philanthropy, and discuss possible changes within your own work and the sector. You also can share your ideas for future Emerging Leaders Affinity Group meetups. All emerging leaders who are relatively new to the philanthropic field are welcome to break bread together and catch up. Ficus Cafe is BYOB, so feel free to bring your preferred beverage (wine will be available too). Non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. Space limited.
The Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy Affinity Group’s mission is to nurture, develop and support professionals in the philanthropic sector across all departments/roles within foundations. Programming for the Emerging Leaders group is geared towards early and mid-career professionals and will serve as: a professional learning community for emerging professionals working in diverse positions; an opportunity for professional development and individual capacity-building that will lead to institutional change within the member organizations; and as a critical partner in the creation of a pipeline into senior/executive leadership in NJ philanthropy.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members, $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.
Open to Emerging Leaders Funders/Grantmakers
CNJG's special programming, “Race, Racism and Ramifications for Philanthropy” is a multifaceted, multi-layered learning journey that included a two-part workshop from the Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE) on diversity, equity, and inclusion, four cultural experiences, and a funders briefing from the Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey. The series also included four facilitated salon-style conversations focusing on health disparities, implicit bias and white privilege, livable moments, and structural racism. Additionally, the CNJG Annual Meeting in both 2016 and 2017 addressed diversity and its value providing an overarching vision.
Our broader objectives for this series were to:
- offer a range of different ways to enlighten, engage and educate Council members about structural racism and implicit bias;
- provide a deeper understanding of the language, definitions and constructs of racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion;
- explore and uncover the long-term effects of institutional and structural racism, and discriminatory policy;
- give funders real and effective tools that they can implement in their day-to-day work to combat and mitigate the impact of racism and bias in our communities and neighborhoods;
- provide a “safe space” for grantmakers to consider and fully unpack these difficult issues.
CNJG worked directly with a number of well-respected and informed partners and facilitators to provide specific content, expertise, experiences, and lead discussion. This included ABFE: A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities and its leader Susan Taylor Batten, Dr. Denise Rodgers of Rutgers, Aljira Arts, consultants Tanya Odom and Inca Mohamed, Bethany Baptist Church Rev. Timothy Levi-Jones, and leaders from the Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey.
Throughout the journey we tried to be deliberate in meeting CNJG members “where they are” given their varying degrees of experience and sophistication on this topic. Since this learning journey started in late 2016, there are many more regular conversations and exchanges among CNJG members on the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers has been pleased to bring to our members a variety exceptional thought leaders, tools, facilitators, and resources to assist them as they consider the ramifications of racism in their work.
The Race, Racism and Ramifications for Philanthropy Learning Journey Includes:
Events
CNJG 2016 Annual Meeting and Luncheon PreMeeting Workshop - A Framework for Effective and Responsive Philanthropy – How to Navigate Racial Dynamics within the Communities We Serve on December 9, 2016
Phillips Collection Field Trip – People on the Move: Beauty and Struggle in Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series on December 15, 2016
Workshops: A Deeper Dive Into Navigating Racial Dynamics – Part 1 on February 13, 2017 and Part 2 on March 6, 2017
Cultural Experience and Field Trip – “American Son” at the George Street Playhouse on February 23, 2017
Funders Briefing from the Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey - The Uncomfortable Truth: Racism, Injustice and Poverty in New Jersey on October 3, 2017
Cultural Experience: Pre-Opening Reception – “The Missing” at Aljira on October 12, 2017
Lunch and Conversation: Health Disparities on November 1, 2017
Lunch and Conversation: Implicit Bias & White Privilege on November 29, 2017
CNJG Annual Meeting - Our Compelling Interests: The Value of Diversity for Democracy and a Prosperous Society on December 15, 2017
Lunch and Conversation: Structural Racism on January 18, 2018
Cultural Experience and Field Trip<- “Back to Real” at Crossroads Theatre on May 17, 2018
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers thanks The Fund for New Jersey and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for its support of our Race, Racism and the Ramifications for Philanthropy programming.
Articles & Resources
The Atlantic: The Case for Reparations
NY Times Essay: White Debt
National Center for Family Philanthropy: You Can't Fund Equity Without Sweat Equity
Harvard Business Review: Emotional Agility
Letter from Nina Stack: Conversation and Educational Program on Structural Racism (2/07/2018)
Letter from Nina Stack: CNJG's Unique Programming (10/05/2017)
Letter from Nina Stack: Race, Racism and the Ramifications for Philanthropy Launch (12/08/2016)
CNJG: Implicit Bias & White Privilege Presentation
CNJG: 2017 Implicit Bias Review
Medium: A Day in the Life: How Racism Impacts Families of Color
The Good Men Project: White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism
Race to Lean: The Race to Lead Series
Virginia Commonwealth University: Mapping Life Expectancy-Zipcode and Health
Website: The Equality of Opportunity Project
Project Implicit: Implicit Association Test
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Eliminating Implicit Bias in Grantmaking Practice
Grantcraft: Grantmaking with a Racial Equity Lens
Videos
TedTalk: Dr. David Williams “How Racism Makes Us Sick”
The Race Card Project: In Conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates at AtlanticLive New York Ideas 2015
NY Times: Implicit Bias Videos
NJTV News: Police and Teachers Undergo Trauma Training