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Recent Supreme Court affirmative action rulings and sweeping government executive actions are targeting diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and access initiatives in the public and private sectors. Please join us for this web briefing, the first in a series, which will cover the latest legal developments and offer suggestions for nonprofits to chart a course in this landscape, remaining true to their missions and the people and communities they serve, while mitigating risk to their organization.
Presenter: Lloyd Freeman, Esq., Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Buchanan Ingersoll
Cost: Free for all funders
Note: this session will not be recorded.
This program is co-presented by the Council of New Grantmakers, New Jersey Center for Nonprofits, Gathering Ground, Grunin Foundation, Pro Bono Partnership, Nonprofit Professionals of Color Collective, and Support Center.
Recent Supreme Court affirmative action rulings and sweeping government executive actions are targeting diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and access initiatives in the public and private sectors. Please join us for this web briefing, the first in a series, which will cover the latest legal developments and offer suggestions for nonprofits to chart a course in this landscape, remaining true to their missions and the people and communities they serve, while mitigating risk to their organization.
Presenter: Lloyd Freeman, Esq., Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Buchanan Ingersoll
Cost: Free for all funders
Note: this session will not be recorded.
This program is co-presented by the Council of New Grantmakers, New Jersey Center for Nonprofits, Gathering Ground, Grunin Foundation, Pro Bono Partnership, Nonprofit Professionals of Color Collective, and Support Center.
This new report from CNJG and partners examines the response of foundations, corporations, and other institutional donors to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Numbering nearly 600, these funders have so far committed more than $380 million for relief, recovery and building efforts. The hard data and reflective observations in the report contribute to the growing body of knowledge that helps foundations and corporations be strategic and effective with their giving when disaster strikes.
Two years after the historic storm, Philanthropy & Hurricane Sandy: A Report on the Foundation & Corporate Response breaks down the allocation of dollars contributed thus far and offers perspective on the role of private giving in disaster response and lessons to be taken from this one. The report was published by the Foundation Center in partnership with the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and Philanthropy New York, and with support from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.
“Throughout the past two years, our exceptional nonprofit and funder community has taken on challenges they never imagined,” said Nina Stack, president of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers. “These organizations continue to develop innovative solutions that other communities will learn from and build upon in future disasters.”
In addition to the report’s numerous funders, CNJG wishes to thank the PSEG Foundation for supporting this project.
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 recordings of each are below.
Immigration Webinar
Health Webinar
Environment Webinar
Education Webinar
Housing Webinar
Media & Journalism Webinar
Arts Webinar
PolicyWorks for Philanthropy is a multi-year initiative that seeks to build the capacity of regional associations of grantmakers’ staff, board and volunteer leaders to engage policymakers. Our vision is that policymakers will recognize regional associations of grantmakers as among the most valued voices and expert resources on issues critical to philanthropy and society. There are 28 regional associations participating in this initiative.
Our commitment is based on the belief that:
- Policy work is essential to achieving our missions and helping our more than 3,000 foundation members
- As a network serving foundations in 39 states, the PolicyWorks community offers the best and only coordinated national system for building effective relationships with elected and appointed officials at all levels of government.
Building and maintaining relationships with policymakers is essential to the philanthropic sector
Building and maintaining relationships with policymakers is essential to the philanthropic sector’s ability to: educate policymakers about the work, value and impact of foundations; advise policymakers about potential legislation or regulation that could harm the sector and decrease much needed philanthropic dollars; gain policymakers’ support for legislation that could support the growth and effectiveness of philanthropy; and build partnerships with policymakers to achieve policy reforms that improve the quality of life for those foundations seek to serve.
For questions about PolicyWorks, please contact CNJG’s liaisons, Theresa Jacks and Policy Committee CoChair Bill Engel.
The Office of the Governor has taken extraordinary steps to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and protect the health and well-being of New Jerseyans. Among the Governor’s executive orders includes the creation of the State Coronavirus Task Force, closing schools and issuing a shelter-in-place directive. While these orders are paramount and designed to ensure the overall health of our state’s residents, they are impacting our communities. This includes the need for services such as emergency childcare, tax relief, extra SNAP benefits, additional resources for unemployed workers and small businesses, housing and rental assistance, and increased support for healthcare workers.
Join Deborah Cornavaca, Deputy Chief of Staff for Outreach to Governor Murphy, for an overview of how the administration is addressing a range of numerous and complex issues related to mitigation, protecting our state’s most vulnerable, and working with partners on-the-ground. This discussion will help us understand the range of unmet needs and other services that will be filled by nonprofits, identify possible opportunities for the philanthropic community to collaborate with state government, and how the overall social sector might better utilize resources and tools during these unprecedented times.
Learn how funders and grantees can help fill gaps, keep people informed as trusted community partners, and share insights on the most critical needs facing the state.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members and Nonmember Grantmakers
This program is open to Grantmakers only.
Webinar Video
We will hear from four organizations which have varying focuses and strategies, but share the same goal to help struggling New Jersey communities fight against the growing impact of the coronavirus. Join us for an overview of the purpose and progress of these COVID-19 funds and assistance programs.
We’ll hear about the ALICE Recovery Fund from CEO Kiran Gaudioso and Senior Vice President Theresa Leamy from the United Way of Northern New Jersey and the PHL COVID-19 Fund from Kate Houstoun, Managing Director for Capacity Building at the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. These funds support two different locals and populations reeling from coronavirus crisis. The ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) population is especially vulnerable to economic disruption and illness during this pandemic. The PHL COVID-19 Fund focuses on the 5 southern counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, and Cumberland.
We’ll also hear from Tim Sullivan, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, who will outline how they are working with philanthropy and nonprofits to develop funds and programs that support our communities during this difficult time. We’ll round out the webinar with a presentation from Wayne Meyer, President of New Jersey Community Capital, who will discuss the Garden State Relief Fund, and its focus on providing low interest loans to nonprofits and small business which have been disproportionately affected by this crisis.
Register now to keep up to date with the latest COVID-19 funds and programs helping to address critical needs and provide equitable relief throughout New Jersey.
Cost: Free for CNJG Member and NonMember Grantmakers.
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
Webinar Video
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
Campbell Soup Co. and the Campbell Soup Foundation on Tuesday announced a new round of 42 Community Impact Grants totaling nearly $1 million to organizations making an impact in the communities where Campbell has operations.
The grants provide support to nonprofit organizations operating in Campbell communities whose work aligns with one or more of the focus areas of the foundation: increasing food access, encouraging healthy living and nurturing Campbell neighborhoods. The latest round brings Campbell’s fiscal 2022 grantmaking total to more than $2 million.
Community Impact Grants were launched in 2019 to expand the geographic reach of the foundation’s funding to more communities where Campbell has operations and to engage more employees in the grantmaking process. This year’s grantees include 40 organizations in 30 Campbell plant and office communities and two national organizations supporting local chapters in multiple Campbell communities. The grants will provide funding for a range of important community work, including nutritious meal programs, outdoor science and nutrition learning labs, community recreation, youth athletic programs and more.
“Campbell is committed to building vibrant communities and making a positive impact in the neighborhoods where our employees live and work,” said Kate Barrett, Campbell’s director of community affairs and vice president of the Campbell Soup Foundation. “The Community Impact Grants program empowers our employees to give back by nominating organizations making a meaningful impact in their hometowns.”
Feeding America estimates that an additional 17.1 million Americans may go hungry due to the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. Join us to explore how COVID-19 is exacerbating food insecurity in New Jersey and how philanthropy can support solutions that reduce hunger in the wake of this crisis. Cathy McCann, Chair Emeritus of NJ VOAD and former COO of the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, will open up the program with an overview of the issue, what food insecurity looks like during this particular disaster, and long-term needs that will need to be addressed during recovery.
We’ll then hear from Carlos Rodriguez, CEO of the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. Carlos will present what he is seeing on the ground, challenges that local food banks and pantries are experiencing, and how philanthropy can help to combat food insecurity in the short, mid, and long-term phases of this crisis.
To close out the webinar, Adele LaTourette, Director of Hunger Free New Jersey, will outline state and federal responses to increased need during COVID-19, share advocacy efforts to address food insecurity issues, and offer solutions to help spur change.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members and NonMember Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
Webinar Video
CNJG’s Finance and Investment Affinity Group exists to keep foundation executives informed as they manage the investment of their corpus. Growth of foundation assets and the active exchange of sound investment strategies is the focus of each program.
After a positive year for both stock and bond markets that caught many investors off guard, grantmaking organizations and their boards may be wondering whether 2024 will be a repeat of 2023, or a reversal. Join us for a breakfast presentation and Q&A where we will discuss J.P. Morgan’s views across traditional and alternative asset classes for the year ahead.
Michael Garvey is a Managing Director and the East Region Head ofJ.P. Morgan’s Outsourced Chief Investment Office. In this role, he manages the OCIO team’s largest geography by AUM. Michael and his team work with endowments, foundations and institutional family offices across the country to develop investment strategies, build customized separately managed portfolios and invest across long-only and alternative investments for some of the most sophisticated investors around the world.
Michael Pages is a Senior Banker and Executive Director at J.P. Morgan. He works alongside a team of professionals who share responsibility for advising endowments, foundations and select family offices across the US on a variety of matters including asset allocation, portfolio construction, capital and liquidity strategies and execution. He has deep expertise in the Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) model and is Team Lead.
Agenda
8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
9:00 a.m. - Program begins
10:00 a.m. - Meeting concludes
Cost: $35 for CNJG Members; $70 for Non Member Grantmakers (includes full breakfast)
Please join us as we kick-off our 2024 meetings with a discussion on the Vote 16 campaign. Last August, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice released Let Us Vote: Why 16-and-17-Year-Olds Should Be Allowed to Vote in Local Elections and Beyond, a policy brief arguing that New Jersey municipalities should lower the voting age to 16 for local and school board elections. Last month, the Newark City Council made Newark the first city in New Jersey to extend the vote to 16 and 17 year olds. With a year until implementation, the funding community has an opportunity to discuss how it can support youth serving and youth leadership organizations prepare youth to exercise their new right.
We will also spend the second half of our meeting updating each other on our current funding priorities and identifying possible areas of collaboration for this group. We would recommend that you scan Grantmakers for Education’s Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2023 ahead of the meeting to inform our conversation.
Guests
Ryan Haygood, President and CEO, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
Amanda Ebokosia, Executive Director, the GEM Project
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.
The New Jersey Corporate Philanthropy Network Co-Chairs Etta Denk, NJM Insurance Group and Pat Hartpence, Bank of America invite you to meet your colleagues in the corporate philanthropy sector to discuss important issues in the field today and to plan programs for 2024.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
Webinar Video
Resources
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Charity Navigator
Audit requirements
PNC Corporate Responsibility – Grow up Great
Community Foundation of New Jersey: Community Grants Program
Bank of America Neighborhood Builders
Benevity
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
In this webinar presented by Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, funders will learn from experts on the ground about their efforts to champion universal representation and how philanthropy can resource and support their work.
Universal Representation–as a principle and policy objective–ensures that every person, regardless of immigration status, has access to due process. Having access to legal representation makes a sizeable difference in an individual’s case. For example, asylum seekers are five times more likely to win their case for asylum if they have legal counsel. Yet there continue to be systemic inequities, with upwards of 70% of immigration cases lacking legal representation.
Not having an attorney has also been shown to have significant negative effects on the health and well-being of immigrants and their families. Areas of impact can include loss of income, degradation of mental health, and loss of access to medical care. Although having legal representation does not guarantee the outcome of a case, it can reduce harm and ensure that the dignity of individuals is protected.
Across the nation, organizations at the local and state levels are using a variety of tools and approaches to advance the goal of universal representation. In this webinar, funders will learn from experts on the ground about their efforts to champion universal representation and how philanthropy can resource and support their work.
COST: Free for CNJG Members and Non Member Grantmakers
Learn how to support a disability-inclusive COVID-19 response.
COVID-19 disproportionately threatens the physical, financial, and emotional health of people with disabilities. Individuals with pre-existing health issues are at greater risk of contracting the coronavirus, many in the disability community still lack access to healthcare, and -- according to the National Trends in Disability report from the Kessler Foundation and University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability -- nearly one million working-age people with disabilities lost their jobs.
In this webinar, we’ll hear from Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC/SLP, Senior Vice President Grants and Communication at the Kessler Foundation and Audrey Winkler, Executive Director of JESPY House.
Speakers will explore:
· Unique challenges facing people with disabilities during COVID-19.
· How philanthropy can support workforce opportunities for people with disabilities.
· Efforts to address ableism and create more inclusive policies and practices, on a national and local level.
For a truly equitable recovery that centers the experience of people facing multiple forms of systemic discrimination, we must address the ableism embedded in our systems, institutions, and culture. Join us for this important conversation on how your organization can address ableism in your fight for social justice, and support a more disability-inclusive response to COVID-19.
Cost: Free for CNJG Grantmakers. $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
Webinar Video
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) is presenting a timely program in response to the 2024 Election. In a year in which immigrants have been openly and regularly denigrated for cynical partisan purposes, the 2024 election has immigrants and their families understandably worried. The rising threat of authoritarianism and white nationalism – and the attendant political violence, hate crimes and regressive policies – have compelled community leaders to plan for their futures under any election scenario. Down-ballot races will also have a significant influence on the opportunities and threats that emerge at all levels of government.
Join GCIR, movement organizations, and funders for a post-election debrief and discussion about these new realities, what strategies are already being put into play, and how philanthropy can align its grantmaking to support those efforts while keeping an eye on the long game of building a multiracial and inclusive democracy.
SPEAKERS
· Anu Joshi, National Campaign Director for Immigration, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
· Jasmine Rivera, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC)
· Laura Martin, Executive Director, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN)
· Kica Matos, President, National Immigration Law Center (NILC)
MODERATOR
· Kevin Douglas, Senior Director of National Programs, GCIR
Cost: Free for Members and Non Members
You will need to register for a free web account on GCIR’s website before being able to register (much like the process to register for an account on CNJG’s website).
With support from the Campbell Soup Company, Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation, and the William Penn Foundation, CNJG is pursuing a long-expressed request from several members to create a forum focused on the City of Camden - providing convenings, as well as information and resources for the many grantmakers working in the city. As a precursor to this forum, in April 2009, CNJG convened a group of Camden funders for a briefing with representatives from the Governor’s Office and the Camden Redevelopment Authority at the Campbell Soup Company. After the briefing, CNJG members expressed an interest in continuing the dialogue, sharing information about the philanthropic activity in the city and exploring opportunities for the future.
CNJG launched the Camden Funders Affinity Group in February 2010, inventoried current philanthropic investments in Camden, established an interactive map of funders’ investments, provided a Camden Funders Listserve and disseminated the “Camden Weekly News Round Up” for Camden grantmakers from 2010 to December 2011.
Building on these efforts, CNJG released the 2012 Camden Funders Survey. The survey updates and expands upon the 2006 Camden Funders Survey commissioned by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. We thank the Annie E. Casey Foundation for their support of this initiative.
With support from the Ford Foundation, William Penn Foundation and other local donors, CNJG was also instrumental in assisting the planning and development of the Community Foundation of South Jersey. Today CFSJ focuses its giving on the eight counties in Southern New Jersey, including Camden County.
For additional information, contact Theresa Jacks at (609) 414-7110 x805.
Community colleges offer greater affordability than private or state colleges, are adept at providing flexible education schedules and delivery, and are often deeply tied to the local areas in which they reside. This type of accessibility and inclusivity provides enormous opportunities for students left out of traditional higher education models. And while there is a road to recovery for community colleges post-COVID, they can play a critical role in building a future workforce in local communities and creating a more equitable higher education system for New Jersey students.
During this program, we’ll hear from several community college leaders on the impact of the pandemic on enrollment and learning, the biggest challenges facing higher education right now, and the opportunities they see to close education gaps and improve student outcomes. Join us to learn more about community colleges as a pathway to success for students in New Jersey, and philanthropy’s role in supporting more accessible, affordable, and flexible higher education models.
Speakers include:
Brian Bridges, Ph.D., Secretary of Higher Education, State of New Jersey
Dr. Michael Gorman, President, Salem Community College
Steven M. Rose, President, Passaic Community College
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
Webinar Video
Let’s look back on 2024 and ahead to 2025. Our guest speaker will share an insight on philanthropic trends and what might be on the horizon as the New Year progresses. We would like to have a candid discussion about how we envision we might shift gears and perhaps see programs sunset or create new ones, share budget impacts or maybe creative responses to address the needs of those served by the nonprofits we support. We hope you will join us for our journey.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
Elizabeth A. Barnette is a Managing Director and Senior Philanthropic Strategist with the National Consulting and Advisory Practice at Bank of America Private Bank. In this role, Elizabeth provides customized consulting to endowment and foundation clients’ boards of directors and senior leaders in areas including mission advancement, leadership development, nonprofit governance, and board dynamics. Elizabeth has over 25 years of experience working with nonprofits. Prior to joining the National Consulting and Advisory Practice, Elizabeth was a National Fiduciary Philanthropic Manager at Bank of America Private Bank, managing a team of philanthropic professionals who provided planned giving, administrative, and fiduciary oversight services to more than 500 nonprofit clients including colleges and universities, churches and other religious organizations, community foundations, hospital systems, and arts and culture organizations. Elizabeth has specialized expertise in planned giving, sub fund accounting, donor advised fund administration, and board governance.