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Lessons from the Measure of America: A Portrait of Newark Report
Please join us for a combined meeting of the Newark Funder Affinity Group and the Newark Education Funder Affinity Group to discuss the recently released Measure of America report, A Portrait of Newark. The Portrait of Newark report was produced in partnership with the Newark Opportunity Youth Network, which convened an advisory panel of local public servants, advocates, and non-profit leaders to contribute their expertise to the research. The report itself provides an analysis of the current state of the city’s many residents, identifies areas of opportunity, and addresses the persistent inequities that we still experience in health, education, and overall well-being of Newark residents.
Speakers:
Alex Powers, Associate Director, Measure of America
Kate Harvey, Program Assistant, Measure of America
Robert Clark, Founder and CEO, Opportunity Youth Network
Mark Comesanas, Executive Director, My Brother’s Keeper – Newark
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.
Join us for an insightful funder briefing on the United for ALICE initiative, a vital program addressing the needs of ALICE families—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. This briefing will explore the challenges faced by ALICE households, who work hard but struggle to make ends meet due to financial constraints. We will provide a comprehensive overview of ALICE's impact, share success stories, and discuss strategies for enhancing support and expanding opportunities. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the economic pressures on ALICE families and learn how targeted funding and collaborative efforts can drive meaningful change. This is an opportunity to engage with key stakeholders, explore innovative solutions, and contribute to a more equitable future for all.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
Lunch will be served.
RESOURCES
ALICE Video: A Day in the Life: Family Child Care
For more ALICE data:
New Jersey ALICE Dashboard
ALICE Economic Viability Dashboard
ALICE Legislative Tool
Join us for an engaging and informative in-person program that explores innovative strategies and real-world solutions for affordable housing. You will have the opportunity to hear from a robust panel including Taiisa Kelly, CEO, Monarch Housing; Julio Coto, Executive Director, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen; Michael Callahan, Director, Office of Homelessness Prevention, Department of Community Affairs; Alicia Alvarez, Landlord Liaison, NourishNJ; and Lucy Vandenberg, The Schumann Fund for New Jersey. Q & A follows. Gain valuable insights from a dedicated Advisory Committee member who brings lived experience to the discussion, offering a unique and heartfelt perspective on the challenges and successes in affordable housing. Experience firsthand the impact of Monarch Housing’s initiatives of Kilmer Homes, showcasing the design, functionality, and community benefits of this affordable housing project. Enjoy lunch and a networking opportunity with fellow attendees. This event promises to be a thought-provoking and inspiring experience, highlighting how we can collectively work towards more inclusive and sustainable housing solutions. Register now to be a part of the conversation that shapes the future of affordable housing!
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
Continental breakfast and lunch provided.
National Low Income Housing Coalition: The Gap - A Shortage of Affordable Homes
National Low Income Housing Coalition: Out of Reach - The High Cost of Housing
Department of Community Affairs: Fourth Round Page
Monarch Housing Associates: NJCounts - Point-in-Time
Join funder colleagues to learn about two newly created funds to help address the challenging environment many nonprofits are experiencing today. United Way organizations in New Jersey have a long history of strengthening local communities by providing direct support and fostering collaboration across sectors. In response to the evolving needs of nonprofits and the communities they serve, six United Ways have partnered to establish the New Jersey Sustainability and Resiliency Fund. Learn about how the this newly created fund can help nonprofits recover, adapt, and thrive in the face of ongoing challenges. Equip NJ is also working to establish a fund to assist nonprofits focused on policy and systems change. To set the stage for this introduction, we’ll hear from our colleagues at the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits about how the upheaval of critical supports and systems nationally are posing grave threats to New Jersey’s nonprofit organizations and the people and communities they serve.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
Webinar Video
In predominantly renter-based markets across the Northeast, housing-related financial strain remains a significant barrier to household stability and long-term economic security. Yet innovative models are emerging that seek to flip that script, creating pathways for renters to build assets, reduce risk, and participate more fully in local prosperity.
Building on the momentum from AFN’s September 2024 webinar exploring regional strategies to increase affordability, reduce evictions, and deliver financial return or dividends to renters, this session will take a deeper dive into renter wealth-building models in action.
Join AFN, partners in New Jersey, and collaborators from national nonprofits and financial institutions as we explore promising approaches that leverage public-private tools, housing finance innovation, and credit-building strategies tied to rent payment. We’ll examine how these approaches can expand renter access to economic opportunity and help funders consider how to adapt similar efforts in urban centers across the region.
Speakers:
Rachel Levy-Culler, Housing Innovations Senior Specialist, Credit Builders Alliance (CBA)
Marcus Randolph, President & CEO, Invest Newark
Khaatim Sherrer El, Executive Director, Clinton Hill Community Action
Marco Villegas, Program Officer, JPMorgan Chase
Who Should Attend:
Philanthropic leaders, community investors, housing advocates, and public-private partners working to advance financial security and equity for renters. This webinar is open to all and will focus on the New Jersey and Northeast AFN regions.
Captioning will be provided. If you have any other accessibility requests or questions, please email Paula Dworek. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be received by May 5, 2025, to ensure our ability to meet your request.
Sam Parker, Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Way and Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Murphy, will discuss ways to become involved with a state board or commission and the appointment process. You will also have the opportunity to learn about the expectations and responsibilities in serving the State as well as why it is important to be involved as a philanthropic organization. Sam oversees the Appointments Department which is responsible for the numerous appointments to New Jersey’s various Boards, Commissions, Councils, Advisory Committees and Task Forces; as well as the Judicial Bench.
Sam Parker (she/her) is an organizational, development and political professional with extensive experience in strategic planning, leadership management, civic engagement, and collaborative partnership building. Sam is currently the Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Way and Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Murphy. Before joining the administration in March of 2021, Sam served as the Development and Political Affairs for the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide. Sam was also Congressman Frank Pallone’s Deputy Campaign Director (2013) and Deputy Field Director for the New Jersey State Democratic Committee’s Victory Campaign (2012). Previous to her return to her home state in 2012, Sam worked for organizations such as The National LGBTQ Task Force, Human Rights Campaign, EqualityMaine and Equality North Carolina on LGBT+ issue campaigns all over the country. Sam has a BA of English/Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine and a master's degree in Public Policy and Management and a certificate of Social Justice and Economics from The Muskie School at the University of Southern Maine.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
Webinar Video
Resource
Governor's Boards, Commissions, and Authorities Directory
The Montclair Foundation is proud to announce the awarding of $90,000 in grants to 17 local nonprofit organizations through its Spring 2025 grant cycle. These grants will support critical initiatives in the areas of Education, Community Service and Cultural Arts — continuing the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to nurturing and strengthening the greater Montclair community.
Thanks to the success of the Foundation’s recent capital campaign, this grant cycle includes several larger awards and a multi-year grant, reflecting an exciting new chapter of expanded community investment.
“We are incredibly grateful to our donors and supporters whose generosity through our capital campaign has allowed us to increase both the scope and impact of our grantmaking,” said Peggy Deehan, Chair of the Grants Committee. “Montclair is home to so many extraordinary organizations making a meaningful difference every day. It’s a privilege to partner with them in creating a more vibrant, inclusive, and compassionate community.”
This season’s recipients include organizations providing emergency medical services, youth tutoring and mentoring, early childhood care, community wellness, arts education, and cultural programming. Among the highlights is a multi-year grant to Imani — the inaugural recipient of the newly established Emer Featherstone Education Grant, named in honor of our esteemed past Board Chair - and a $15,000 grant to the Montclair Ambulance Unit to support a critical outreach campaign. The Foundation extends its sincere appreciation to all applicants for their dedication and invaluable work in the community.
When considering how to improve health outcomes for low-income individuals, most people think about providing access to good medical care and keeping the cost of that care as low as possible. What people rarely think about is the connection between good health and quality affordable housing.
Kevin Callaghan is Next Leader of Innovative Partnership
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers (CNJG) and the City of Newark are pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Callaghan as the Council’s new Philanthropic Liaison to the City of Newark. Based in Newark’s City Hall, Callaghan will lead the Office of the Newark Philanthropic Liaison (ONPL) as it convenes, connects and leverages the resources of the state, regional and national philanthropic community for the benefit of Newark’s citizens and institutions. For nearly five years Callaghan served as the Program Officer at the Foundation for Newark’s Future, the local arm of national philanthropic funding donated to the City of Newark to improve education opportunities for youth. Most recently, he served as Project Lead on the City’s Summer Youth Employment Program. He will formally undertake his new role on September 1.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and CNJG President Nina Stack hailed Callaghan’s appointment. “In the time I’ve come to know Kevin I’ve seen the passion he has for the City of Newark and the thoughtful, inclusive way he approaches his work,” commented Mayor Baraka. “We are glad to have him on our team.” CNJG President Stack added, “Kevin brings an understanding of how foundations work and a real appreciation for the impact strategic philanthropy can have when it works collaboratively with other funders and government leaders. We are very excited to welcome Kevin in this role as leader of the ONPL and look forward to seeing how he builds on the Liaison Office’s achievements over the last eight years.”
Callaghan replaces former Newark Philanthropic Liaison Jeremy Johnson who helped define this innovative collaboration between the Council and the City of Newark in 2007 under former Mayor, now United States Senator, Cory Booker. It marked one of the nation’s first formal partnerships between a city and the philanthropic sector. Since then, and with the subsequent election of Mayor Ras Baraka in 2014, the ONPL has continued to be a nationally acclaimed model for public - philanthropic alliances, leveraging more than $50 million in private support for City initiatives.
Callaghan will work in partnership with Mayor Baraka’s Chief Policy Advisor Tai Cooper and cabinet to support public safety, summer youth employment, workforce development, economic development, health and wellness, education and literacy, immigration, and neighborhood and place-based initiatives. “The Office of the Newark Philanthropic Liaison is a critical resource to our city. Having previously worked with Kevin, I know he will be very effective in his new role and I look forward to continued collaboration with him,” said Cooper.
“It is an honor to have been selected to lead the Office of the Newark Philanthropic Liaison. I know firsthand the value of collaboratively harnessing the power of philanthropic resources for the direct benefit of Newark’s communities. Under the guiding principle of collective action, I look forward to working with the grantmaking community and the City of Newark to leverage every possible opportunity to unlock the endless potential of this city,” said Callaghan.
A non-partisan position, the ONPL is funded by a consortium of grantmakers including Bank of America, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Nicholson Foundation, The Prudential Foundation, Schumann Fund for New Jersey, Turrell Fund and the Victoria Foundation. “Having served with my colleagues as an on-going funder of this unique initiative, I am delighted to know that the fine work that has been accomplished since its inception will continue under the able leadership of Kevin Callaghan,” said Dr. Irene Cooper- Basch, Executive Officer of the Victoria Foundation.
Previously, Callaghan served for two years as a middle school classroom teacher in Philadelphia through Teach for America. Earlier in his career, he worked for the federal government as a special assistant at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation in Washington D.C. where he supported development efforts for emerging markets.
Callaghan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and History from St. Peter’s University in Jersey City and a Masters’ Degree in Urban Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Born and raised in New Jersey, he resides with his family in Essex County.
The United States Department of Labor, State of New Jersey, and City of Newark announced a $5 million grant to help provide jobs and support to hundreds of Newark residents returning home from prison over the next two years.
The grant includes $2 million in matching funds from the Bodman–Achelis Foundations, Joan Ganz Cooney, the Charles Edison Fund/Edison Innovation Foundation, the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, the F.M. Kirby Foundation, the Manhattan Institute, the Nicholson Foundation, and the Victoria Foundation.
“The City can’t do this alone. It takes strategic alliances with federal and state officials, community and faith-based organizations, and the leveraging arm of the philanthropic institutions,” said Mayor Cory Booker. “We established the office of the philanthropic liaison, underwritten by the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, to help create stronger connections with funders. The matching grants from the private sector show that these efforts are working.”
“The foundation community is delighted to partner with strong government leadership and the city’s philanthropic liaison in addressing the challenges faced by the growing numbers of men and women re-entering society,” said William H. Byrnes, Jr., program officer with the F.M. Kirby Foundation and trustee of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers.
Over the past three years, the United States Department of Labor has been the lead agency for implementing the federal government’s Prisoner Reentry Initiative. “This grant will enable Newark to build on the success of the President’s Prisoner Reentry Initiative and provide over 1,200 ex-offenders with basic job skills and other assistance to help them succeed in developing new career paths,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor, Eliane L. Chao.
The combined $5 million award will enable the City to strengthen and expand services via a network of partners working through a one-stop center, Opportunity Reconnect, at Essex County College.
The goal of the grant is keep people working, help employers find workers, and keep families safe by successfully integrating ex-prisoners back into their communities through a comprehensive system of services including case management, mentoring, skills assessment, and referrals to health care providers.
State and local agencies will be coordinated to strengthen the city’s network and avoid duplication of efforts.
“We’ve managed to make funders more aware of the barriers that prevent ex-prisoners from being successful," said Jeremy Johnson, Newark’s philanthropic liaison. "Grantmakers have become increasingly involved as a result.”