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What does an age-integrated society look like and how can funders be part of the movement to strengthen aging initiatives in the philanthropic sector? Join this special conversation with Lindsay Goldman, CEO of Grantmakers In Aging, a community of funders mobilizing money and ideas to strengthen policies, programs, and resources for all of us as we age. Lindsay will share insights on how aging intersects with funding priorities including health, caregiving, social connection, and housing.

Lindsay Goldman serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Grantmakers In Aging (GIA), a position she assumed in January 2021. She draws on nearly 20 years of experience in program development and administration, direct service, philanthropy, and health and social policy. Most recently, Lindsay was the founding director of the Center for Healthy Aging at The New York Academy of Medicine. Specializing in public-private partnerships to create age-inclusive environments, Lindsay oversaw a portfolio that included the award-winning Age-friendly NYC, Health & Age Across All Policies NYS, and IMAGE: The Interactive Map of Aging. Earlier in her career, Lindsay was responsible for strategic planning and allocations to support older adults in New York and Israel while working for the UJA-Federation of New York. She also directed the Health Enhancement Partnership at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and received a Best Practice Award from the National Council on Aging in 2008. She began her career at Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC, where she coordinated an intergenerational mentoring program in the Bronx. She holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MSW from NYU.

Emily Hinsey is the Director of Programs. In her capacity, Emily coordinates the programmatic work of the organization, including the webinar series, member meetings, funder networks on housing, serious illness, caregiving, technology, rural health, and multisector plans for aging, and grant-funded projects. Prior to beginning her work with GIA in 2017, Emily was the Administrator and Project Development Manager at Aging & In-Home Services of Northeast Indiana, where she advised on the organization’s accreditation and new business development. Emily began her career as the Prevention Coordinator at the Open Arms Domestic Violence Center. Emily serves on the Fort Wayne Mayor's Age-Friendly Council. Emily holds a BA in Social Work from Bluffton University.

This program is open to all interested attendees.

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by Tai Cooper and Jeremy Johnson

“When I Become Mayor, We All Become Mayor”
When Ras J. Baraka won the mayoral election for New Jersey’s largest city last year, expectations were high. The former South Ward councilman, one-time principal of Central High School and son of the famed poet-activist Amiri Baraka championed a populist vision. During the campaign, he famously told residents, “When I become Mayor, we all become Mayor!”

In the days leading up to, and following the election, the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers recognized an opportunity to work intensively with the incoming mayor. CNJG had previously established a nonpartisan, City Hall-based Newark Philanthropic Liaison office, in collaboration with then Mayor Cory Booker in 2007.

Following the transition, Mayor Baraka and CNJG built exciting new bridges.

For example, the Mayor included the grantmakers’ recommendations for collaboration as an appendix to his strategic plan, The Blueprint for a New Newark.

“We felt this transition was a time for funders to ‘lean in,’” said Nina Stack, President of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers.   “The grantmaking community spent seven years organizing ourselves to work collectively with the City of Newark.  Under Mayor Baraka, we saw an opportunity to build on old investments and create new ones.”

Prioritizing Five Pillars
It’s impossible for philanthropy to be a panacea for all of Newark’s challenges.  But the Mayor’s team appreciated the value that philanthropic partners brought to the table. Fueled with support from CNJG members, including the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Newark Philanthropic Liaison office, in concert with the Mayor’s Chief Policy Advisor, set about to convene, connect, and leverage partnerships and resources for Mayor-identified pillars.

Among dozens of issues, the Mayor has cited five initiatives as worthy of philanthropic engagement and top of mind attention.  So far in 2015, $3 million in private support is helping seed strategies that show promise for Newark residents.

1. Public Safety

Mayor Baraka has long understood violence to be a public health issue.  He has won praise for a constant rhythm of neighborhood events, summits, and youth presentations to address violence.  Local funders have rallied around several prongs of the Mayor’s initiatives.   For example, CNJG members funded a cross-sector retreat to coalesce multiple public safety partners working in the city.  That retreat has led to the creation of the Safer Newark Council, committed to inter-connected solutions to reduce violent crime and improve perceptions of safety.

An accompanying funder-supported initiative is the Newark Community Street Team.  The team comprises 15 outreach workers in the South Ward Model Neighborhood Initiative.  They are assisting approximately 100 individuals to stabilize their lives and turn away from a life of crime, through mentoring, life skills, and case management.

2. Education – Communities Schools/Read and Believe

As a former principal, Mayor Baraka has been outspoken on the critical role of education in Newarkers’ lives.  His appointment of Dr. Lauren Wells as Chief Education Officer in the Office of Comprehensive Community Education has helped inaugurate long-term and short-term public-private efforts.

Dr. Wells has written how “community schools” help mitigate the impacts of poverty on students and provide an environment that can greatly improve schools.  Launching community schools will necessitate early support from the funding community. Encouraging discussions are underway among neighborhood residents, funders, and education leaders.

Read and Believe, a literacy-focused initiative, imagines a city that takes on literacy as a communal cause. The umbrella campaign includes, among several programs,My Very Own Library.  CNJG members, including the Foundation for Newark’s Future, as well as Rutgers, individual donors and Scholastic’s Summer Reading Challenge, enabled MVOL to serve 27,000 Newark Public School students in grades K-8 students.  Each child selected four free books to take home for summer break.

3. Centers of Hope

The Centers of Hope are nine community-based centers in all five of Newark’s wards that allow access to City services, wellness and enrichment opportunities where people live and work.  Four centers have opened thus far, some focusing on young women, special needs, entrepreneurship, and municipal ID access.  All offer a variety of after school, athletic, arts and culture, educational, environmental, healthy living, free WiFi and recreation programming to engage children and families.

4. My Brother’s Keeper Newark

The Mayor’s My Brother’s Keeper Newark initiative is part of a nationwide, White House-led campaign to empower boys and men of color and strengthen the systems that ensure their success.  MBKN’s goals are dependent on cross-sector partnerships, data-mining, and a combination of policy and direct-service projects.  CNJG members have provided seed funding for the MBKN’s initial roundtables, forums, and on-ramping initiatives.  Most notable was a “Young Men of Color and Law Enforcement” forum at Central High School, designed to address issues that damage the relationship between African-American and Latino youth and law enforcement.  The White House has recognized MBKN as a leader among the national communities that are building greater supports for young men of color.

5. Summer Youth Employment Program and Postsecondary Access

One of the biggest success stories of the year was the dramatic increase in the number of teenagers employed in the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program.  Newark went from 1,500 last summer to over 2,600 youth who got jobs.  The growth was prompted by a partnership between the Mayor’s office, funders, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC).  One thousand of the teens were enrolled in jobs that provided not only a paycheck but also learning opportunities for coding, urban landscaping, and an NCLC Summer Learning Institute on the campus of Essex County College.  Financial empowerment and banking support for these first time workers, made possible from the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, was an added bonus.

The New York Times recently praised Mayor Baraka for defying expectations. Working collaboratively with residents, institutions, and funders, the Mayor is driving the change that makes Newark a city we all can believe in.

Tai Cooper is Chief Policy Advisor to Mayor Ras J. Baraka.  Jeremy Johnson is the Newark Philanthropic Liaison, a position funded by the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers as a joint venture with the Mayor.

This program delves into the latest federal policies introduced at the national level and their specific implications for the state of New Jersey. This series will unpack how these policies affect various sectors such as immigration, healthcare, environment, education, housing, media and journalism, and arts and culture within New Jersey. Kevin Douglas, Senior Director of National Programs, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), Amy Torres, Executive Director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ), Johanna Calle, Director at the Office of New Americans (ONA) at the New Jersey Department of Human Services, and Stephanie Greenwood, Senior Strategy Officer for Victoria Foundation will share how the latest federal policies are affecting immigration.

Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.

Kevin Douglas (he/him/his) joined GCIR in 2019 and is the Senior Director of National Programs. He leads GCIR’s public policy work, manages the Advancing Economic Justice Community of Practice, and shapes strategic programming and funder resources. Previously, he served as Co-Director of Policy and Advocacy for United Neighborhood Houses of New York, where he led campaigns securing hundreds of millions of dollars in public investment for community services. He was recognized as one of New York Nonprofit Media’s 40 Under 40 and a Next Generation Leader by the Human Services Council. He also co-founded the giving circle 100 New Yorkers Who Care and has served on several boards, including the New York Immigration Coalition. Kevin holds an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania.

Amy Torres (they/them or she/her) leads the charge for immigrant rights as the Executive Director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ). Since 2021, Torres has deepened NJAIJ's policy advocacy and grown its movement building programming. NJAIJ is now the largest immigration coalition in the state. Notable achievements include winning the East Coast's first statewide ban on immigration detention, New Jersey's inaugural language access law, and NJAIJ’s Advocacy Academy, a first of its kind training program that leverages case studies from successful New Jersey racial justice campaigns to empower the next generation of emerging organizers and activists. Prior to their role at NJAIJ, Torres led policy and advocacy efforts for the nation's largest AAPI social services organization. They have held positions from grasstops to grassroots in executive boards, academia, and local organizing. Torres credits their relentless pursuit of fairness, justice, and inclusion to their upbringing in a tight-knit immigrant family in West Texas. As a leader, Torres is anchored by the Filipinx value of 'kapwa' - a sense of self through others, and an unbreakable interconnection and responsibility to one’s community.

Johanna Calle is the Director at the Office of New Americans (ONA) at the New Jersey Department of Human Services. In this role, Ms. Calle works on identifying, developing, and executing policies and strategies to advance efforts to welcome and empower immigrant communities in the state. She will go over the work of the ONA and the work they are doing to support immigrant populations in our state, including overseeing programs around language access, refugee resettlement, and legal services.

Stephanie Greenwood serves as the Senior Strategy Officer for Victoria Foundation’s Economic Justice portfolio in Newark, NJ.  She combines over twenty years of experience in public policy, advocacy, coalition-building, project management, and grants administration in the nonprofit, public, and philanthropic sectors. She brings a background in policy and resource mobilization for housing and environmental justice and a deep personal commitment to place-based, intersectional equity and justice to her work. She has the most fun working in big coalitions that are accountable to social movements and that push toward a healthy, just, regenerative economy that works for all of us. Before joining Victoria, she worked for the City of Newark for eight years with leadership roles in both housing and sustainability. Stephanie holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a Masters of Public Affairs from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. 

Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.

Webinar Video

Programs in this Series:
March 13: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Immigration
March 20: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Health
March 27: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Environment
April 3: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Education
April 10: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Housing
April 17: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Media & Journalism
April 24: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Arts

Resources
GRIC: Fighting for our Future: Immigrant Rights and our Multiracial Democracy Recommendations for Philanthropy in 2025

We’ve all heard the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Partnerships and collaborations are how we don’t go it alone.

Just last week, one of our partners via United Philanthropy Forum, (our philanthropy-serving organizations network), Northern California Grantmakers offered an online briefing for funders throughout the nation to understand how the latest round of wildfires are impacting communities in the state, and what philanthropy can do. Good partners work together to galvanize support on issues of importance.

Partially because of our partnership as a member of the Forum, we are able to engage Phil Buchanan, President of The Center for Effective Philanthropy to give the keynote at the upcoming CNJG Annual Meeting & Holiday Luncheon. The CNJG staff heard Phil speak at the Forum's Annual Conference in July, and were inspired by his words. Good partners create opportunities to learn and grow.

Our partnership with the Center for Non-Profits is an exceptional example of two organizations working different sides of the same street to improve the whole community. A considerable portion of the partnership’s work over the years has been focused on addressing systemic issues prevalent in the social sector. We’ve tackled the overhead myth, government contracting, the true costs of providing programs and services, and more.

The upcoming Annual Meeting Pre-Meeting Workshop will continue this legacy of partnership and addressing systemic issues. President of the Center, Linda Czipo, and Tim Delaney, President of the National Council of Nonprofits will help us consider how to overcome power dynamics between funders and nonprofits, and how funders can create trusting and transparent relationships with grantees. We’ll also explore strategies to incorporate full cost funding – a key systemic issue that once solved - strengthens the effectiveness of grantmakers and grantees' work. Good partners stand shoulder to shoulder doing the hard work to make meaningful change.

When I asked google how to describe a good partnership – it came back with words like supportive, open, respectful, effective, genuine… And while these adjectives are spot-on requirements for a good partnership, we should also note that partnerships are hard and require constant care and attention. And so we are constantly vigilant to nurture, maintain and grow our partnerships. The value of working in partnership with others has long been a powerful strategy in the social sector. Nonprofit organizations understand that partnerships can be highly effective given the right mix of trust, communication, and an understanding of the unique strengths each partner brings to the table. Our partnerships clearly reflect this important mix.

Another type of partnership is the one between our member sponsors and our Signature events. Thank you to our sponsors of the Annual Meeting & Holiday Luncheon: Signature Sponsor – Novartis, Sustaining Sponsor – The Prudential Foundation, Speaker Sponsor – New Jersey Health Initiatives, Gift Sponsor – The Princeton Area Community Foundation, Program Sponsor – Novo Nordisk, Pre-Meeting Workshop Sponsor – Sixers Youth Foundation and Devils Care Foundation, Performance Sponsor – The Provident Bank Foundation, Contributing Sponsor – Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Supporting Sponsor – The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation, with additional support provided by NJM Insurance Group. We greatly appreciate the generosity of our sponsors. We could not do this work without you. Good partners support one another.

The Council’s work relies on partnerships with a vast number of other organizations and entities. Among them: You and other CNJG members, colleague philanthropy-serving organizations, nonprofit associations, national affinity groups, government leaders, corporate stakeholders, communities throughout our state, and so many more either known or yet to be engaged.

We’re thrilled that we can showcase concrete examples of our partnerships up front and center at the CNJG Annual Meeting & Holiday Luncheon. I hope you’ll join us – register here!

“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Words to live by.

In partnership,

Maria Vizcarrondo, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers

On April 24, 2008 a $19 million landmark award was announced that will strengthen Newark public charter schools. The award comprises grants from seven funders including four national family foundations -- the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Doris & Donald Fisher Fund, Robertson Foundation, and The Walton Foundation -- and three New Jersey funders -- the MCJ and Amelior Foundations, Prudential Foundation, and Victoria Foundation.
 
The national funders have pledged $4 million each and the New Jersey foundations have earmarked $1 million each toward the initiative.  “We welcome these generous national foundations to Newark, and we are grateful for the new investment from three of the city’s longstanding philanthropic partners,” Mayor Cory Booker said.

The $19 million is part of a larger $25 million campaign to help expand and strengthen the capacity of Newark’s charter schools.  For further information, visit the website of the newly established Newark Charter School Fund.

Grantmakers Convene Around Prisoner Reentry
A group of 30 grantmakers and Newark officials gathered on April 28 at the offices of the Charles Edison Fund to get a close-up look at the City’s strategies to address the growing issue of prisoner reentry, one of Mayor Booker’s key priorities. Newark faces an influx of 1,500-2,000 men and women every year returning from incarceration. At the same time, 15,000–20,000 individuals are currently on probation or parole in Essex County, the majority in Newark.

Funders seeking to positively impact the city and its residents have a vested interest in helping to improve prospects for the rising number of incarcerated persons returning home. The challenges are complex and intertwined with issues of public safety, job creation and job-readiness, family reunification and fatherhood, access to housing and addiction services, and vigilant case management.

Cornell Brooks, executive director of the New Jersey Institute of Social Justice, gave an overview of the barriers which prevent ex-prisoners from successfully reentering society. Among the most burdensome hurdles are prohibitions on conditional driver’s licenses and inflexible fine payment plans. Such measures effectively close the doors to viable employment options upon release. Another barrier is the effect of exorbitant surcharges on collect telephone calls from prison. The high charges contribute to the erosion of family ties during incarceration, thereby reducing successful family reunification post-release. 

Richard Greenwald, an executive on loan to the City from the Manhattan Institute, cited the importance of creating transitional jobs immediately upon release as a proven means of reducing recidivism. Wanda Moore, Director of the Prisoner Reentry, explained the need to mobilize and organize multiple nonprofit and government partners to better serve ex-prisoners. She described “Opportunity Reconnect,” a one-stop center operated by the City, which is helping link ex-prisoners to case managers, job services, and myriad agencies.  Performance measures and data-communications systems are in the development stage to help the City assess and evaluate its effectiveness at helping individuals successfully return to the community and their families.
 

The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers joins the Funders Census Initiative, United Philanthropy Forum, and philanthropy-serving organizations around the country in asking our members to support and encourage a fair and accurate Census in 2020.

Inaccurate Census information means too many voices go unheard.

It means decisions about funding and services crucial to promoting thriving communities aren’t based on real needs.

And, it threatens the full exercise of democracy itself.

Of particular concern is a controversial proposed question that would ask household members whether they are US citizens. The Council shares with our colleagues across the nation serious concern about this question. The question hasn’t been thoroughly tested, and it is likely to significantly depress response rates and critically reduce overall Census participation.

We encourage you to weigh in on this and other matters related to the Census.

The US Department of Commerce Department (which oversees the Census Bureau) published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comments on 2020 Census data collection operations. The public has until August 7 to submit comments.

There are several things you and your grantees can do to stand up for a fair, accurate Census: 

• Sign on to a letter specifically for foundations drafted by FCI. 
• Write your own letter in support of a full, accurate and just 2020 Census. 
• Submit personal comments by August 7.
• Ask 10 colleagues to do the same.

In case you’re wondering, submitting comments is not considered lobbying. So, private foundations can weigh in on this question, and public charities — including community foundations — can do so without tracking and reporting it as lobbying on their 990s. A recent blog from Bolder Advocacy addresses this issue.

As a regional association and philanthropy-serving organization, CNJG signed on to a letter  organized by United Philanthropy Forum urging withdrawal of the citizenship question from the 2020 US Census.  The letter in part states:

Please feel free to reach out to me or Theresa Jacks, CNJG Deputy Director, for information about the Council’s work on behalf of a fair and accurate 2020 US Census.

Sincerely,

Jon Shure, Interim President/CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers