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New Jersey’s philanthropic community mourns the loss of Jeffery Vega, who passed away January 28.
Jeff joined CNJG’s Board in 2016, and during his tenure served as First Vice Chair and Board Chair, and participated on multiple committees, affinity groups, and co-chaired the Trenton Area and Mercer County Funders affinity group. Jeff shaped and cultivated the direction and focus of CNJG through his supportive and proactive leadership. His direction and guidance during the pandemic helped CNJG not only stay the course, but continue to grow and thrive.
“Working with Jeff was a joy and a privilege,” CNJG President and CEO Theresa Jacks said. “Jeff guided us through the pandemic, a leadership transition, a strategic planning process, the approval of equity principles, and CNJG’s first-ever policy agenda with a steady hand, fierce commitment to equity, unwavering dedication to the membership, and the perfect combination of visionary thinking, wisdom, and kindness.”
His CNJG legacy includes the 2023 Strategic Plan, the creation of the Racial Equity Committee, CNJG’s first policy agenda, the New Jersey Principles for Philanthropy, and leading a dynamic and diverse board.
Jeff was the President and CEO of Princeton Area Community Foundation since 2015. Before joining PACF, Jeff was President of New Brunswick Tomorrow.
You can read more at the Princeton Area Community Foundation’s tribute page and announcement of Jeff’s passing.
We hope you had a wonderful summer, and found time for relaxation, rejuvenation, time with family and friends, and fun!
As we transition to autumn, this is the time of year when we seek nominations for the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers’ Board of Trustees. If you are interested in serving on the CNJG Board of Trustees, or know someone who would make a good trustee, we encourage you to complete the application form and send it, along with a brief biography, to Board Liaison and Office Manager, Dana Schwartz by Friday, September 12, 2025.
The ideal candidate for trustee has actively participated on a CNJG committee or task group, or served as co-chair of a Council affinity group, or helped plan a CNJG program or served as a speaker at a CNJG program, or attended Foundations on the Hills, or engaged in another activity that supports the Council. If that sounds like you or another colleague member, please consider completing the application.
The Governance Committee will review trustee nominations and applicants and submit our recommendations to the CNJG Board of Trustees at the October Trustees’ meeting.
The Board will present a slate of candidates to CNJG members at our Annual Meeting. Please mark your calendar for the CNJG Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering on Wednesday, December 10, at The Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick. Registration will be opening soon.
In the meantime, we hope to see you at an upcoming CNJG program.
Best,
Justin Kiczek and Kate Barrett
CNJG Governance Committee Co-Chairs
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers’ 2023 – 2027 Strategic Plan reimagines the future for CNJG. As a result of the extensive strategy development process, the plan includes a renewed vision, mission, core values, and goals. The work is informed by previous efforts, and current issues and trends impacting philanthropy and society.
The 2023 - 2027 Strategic Plan is a roadmap for the next five years, built upon CNJG's past strategic plans and learnings. We look forward to executing this plan, the additional learnings and opportunities it will bring, and delivering on these goals to move us into the future.
Private and public foundations can play an important role in advocacy by engaging in advocacy themselves and funding their grantees to advocate on their issues. After this workshop with Bolder Advocacy, your foundation will have a clear understanding of the kinds of advocacy activities you can safely engage in and best practices for grantmaking to give your grantees the most flexibility under the law for their advocacy efforts. Not sure how to make the case for funding advocacy? Uncertain whether you can fund grantees that lobby? Wondering whether your public or private foundation can speak out on a particular issue? This training answers these questions and more! The workshop is designed for foundation staff and trustees.
Participants will learn:
- Why public and private foundation should support advocacy;
- An overview of activities that constitute advocacy and public policy work;
- Various advocacy roles for foundations;
- The tax code’s definitions of lobbying;
- Activities that are exceptions to the definitions of lobbying, including those which private foundations can engage in;
- Rules for private and public foundation grants to nonprofits that lobby, including general support, specific project, and multi-year grants; and
- Grant agreement language that permits support for policy work.
This will be a virtual session; connection details will be provided upon registration.
This program is for members of the following philanthropy-serving organizations: Maryland Philanthropy Network, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, Florida Philanthropic Network, Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, Philanthropy Wisconsin, NY Funders Alliance, and North Carolina Grantmakers.
It’s always a mad dash to the end of the year, and this year is no exception.
But before we close out the year, CNJG members and special guests will gather next Thursday, December 14, at the 2023 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering, to learn together at the pre-meeting workshop, welcome new members, attend the annual business meeting of members to elect trustees and recap our year, enjoy conversation and networking over lunch, and hear a dynamic discussion related to an important topic for New Jersey’s philanthropic sector. The Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering is always a great opportunity to see longtime friends, meet new colleagues, and network with other funders!
Our theme this year couldn’t be more timely - collaboration. The fireside chat, Sustainable, Effective, and Equitable Collaboration – A Conversation that Centers Community, will feature Nidhi Sahni, Partner and Head of US Advisory Group, Bridgespan, and Lucy Vandenberg, Executive Director, Schumann Fund for New Jersey. And the learning doesn’t stop - we’ve also curated several resources to help inform your collaborative efforts.
Thank you to our Annual Meeting sponsors, Signature Sponsor – Prudential; Collaborating Sponsor - Victoria Foundation; Connecting Sponsors - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Devils Youth Foundation; and Supporting Sponsors – Grunin Foundation, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Princeton Area Community Foundation, and WSFS Bank. CNJG thanks the NJM Insurance Group for a donation in support of the Annual Meeting. Sponsorship underwrites our Signature events. It is only through the generosity of our sponsors that we can provide our Signature events. We are grateful for your support.
Thank you for your membership and support in 2023. CNJG supports and elevates New Jersey’s philanthropic community through shared learning, collaborative and trusting relationships, network building, and leadership. We greatly value your membership in the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, and your ongoing support of our work to strengthen philanthropy in the state.
We can’t wait to see you next week! This event is often the place where the first seeds of collaboration and partnership are sown.
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
Narratives shape policy, sway elections, and determine whose voices are heard or silenced. Media is not just a communication tool: it is civic infrastructure, as essential to democracy as roads and schools. Yet the systems that shape our shared understanding are collapsing, consolidating, or being strategically captured.
This four part Media Learning Series designed in partnership with Independence Public Media Foundation is for funders who recognize that the fight for justice, equity, and democracy is also a fight over the stories we tell, and who gets to tell them. Through four dynamic sessions, we’ll explore how media and narrative power underpin every funder’s work, regardless of sector. Participants will move from conceptual understanding to actionable strategies for funding community-driven media and narrative ecosystems that can endure and adapt over time.
Across the series, you will:
Understand how today’s media systems shape public imagination, democracy, and movement building and why current funding approaches often fall short.
See how community led narrative work fuels organizing, shifts policy, and builds long-term power.
Learn how to assess and invest in the media and information needs of the communities you serve.
Leave with concrete steps, peer connections, and tools to begin or deepen your media funding practice.
SESSION LISTINGS:
Session 1 – Wednesday, 10/8, 12-1 PM via Zoom
Who Tells the Story?: Media, Power, and Philanthropy’s Role in Shaping the Narrative
Session 2 – Wednesday, 10/22, 12-1 PM via Zoom
How Narrative Fuels Organizing, Movement-Building, and Policy Change
Session 3 – Wednesday, 11/5, 12-1 PM via Zoom
Building Community Information Power from the Ground Up
Session 4 – Wednesday, 11/19, 12-2 PM In-person (location TBD)
Taking Action, Learning, and Adjusting: Building a Media Funding Practice that Lasts
We encourage you to attend the entire series, as each series will build on the last. However, we welcome you however you can show up. Recordings and resources will be available after each meeting. The stakes are high and the moment to act is now. Funders who engage today can help ensure that tomorrow’s media landscape reflects the full diversity, truth, and resilience of our communities.
Presented by Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia
What are the biggest needs and challenges New Jersey communities face as result of the pandemic?
- It starts with the basics: food and shelter, medical equipment such as masks for long-term care facilities, and digital access for remote education and medical screenings. For many immigrants and the undocumented community, this challenge is even greater.
- Parents of school-age children need support in navigating remote education and childcare challenges -- and balancing them with employment needs.
- People who’ve lost their jobs need to know how to find the right support services, and those services need to be accessible -- no technology or language barriers.
- Schools are having to re-imagine how they can open in the fall – if they can – with appropriate social distancing that requires changes to infrastructure and schedules.
- Organizations need support to retrofit their public spaces so they can serve the public safely.
How is CNJG leading efforts to prepare the philanthropic sector for an effective response?
- CNJG helped create the Disaster Philanthropy Playbook after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and uses many of the lessons learned then to inform response and recovery plans for COVID.
- Almost immediately, CNJG began providing funder briefings, webinars, and other forms of information to the philanthropic community.
- With our members, CNJG created the COVID-19 Funder Learning Community for the numerous response funds that are serving New Jersey was established to:
- Get timely updates on the latest pandemic developments
- Share information about what services and help are needed most -- and where
- Explore potential strategies for effective grantmaking that matches resources to needs and avoids duplication
- Learn best practices from each other
How is the pandemic affecting New Jersey nonprofits?
- The COVID-19 crisis is having a significant and alarming financial and programmatic impact on the nonprofits relied on to care for those in need. According to the Center for Non-Profits Rapid Response Survey:
- 83% cancelled programs or events and correspondingly lost revenue
- 77% have budgetary implications related to strains on the economy
- 52% have increased demands for services
- 40% experienced a disruption in supplies or services provided by partners
- 37% have an increase in or sustained absences of staff and volunteers
- 31% have had layoffs or furloughs
- Many nonprofits lack the digital infrastructure needed to employees’ and volunteers’ sudden switch to remote work and many volunteers who do important work are no longer available.
How is New Jersey’s philanthropic sector responding to the needs of nonprofits and the people they serve?
- Many funders have streamlined the grantmaking process so nonprofits can either refocus grants or receive new funding expeditiously to provide immediate relief for those facing the most pressing situations.
- Many funders are reducing what they ask of nonprofit partners – for instance postponing reporting requirements, deferring site visits, and eliminating other demands on their time so they can focus efforts during this challenging time.
- Some are providing low- or no-interest loans or outright grants to small businesses and nonprofits to retrofit their facilities to keep essential workers and the people they serve safe.
- Several community foundations and other nonprofits have established NJ COVID-19 relief funds that make it safe and convenient for donors to give, and that direct resources to where they are needed most.
- The sector is committed to grounding its work in the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's key principles of grantmaking:
- Resilience, to improve communities holistically and make them stronger than before a disaster.
- Equity, to take historical injustices into account and inform investments.
- Sustainability, to take into account a long-term view and factor in uncertainty.
- Civic participation that equips and empowers those often left out to influence what happens in their communities.
How is CNJG responding to longstanding equity issues that the pandemic exposes and makes worse?
- Together with the Center for Non-profits in New Jersey, we put out a statement on behalf of the state’s philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, urging everyone to speak out against racism and discrimination in all forms.
- CNJG established a Racial Equity Task Force to eliminate any structural racism in New Jersey’s philanthropic community.
- Most of the larger COVID funds engaged community-based practitioners to assist in decision-making on grant awards, and CNJG is creating a local advisory group for the Learning Community.
What steps are being taken to make sure grants aren’t duplicative and that money is going where it’s needed most?
- CNJG encourages the philanthropic sector to use a shared mapping tool that shows how much money is being awarded and where. This tool helps grantmakers make informed decisions and helps to eliminate gaps in historically under-funded communities.
- The COVID-19 Funder Learning Community is a vehicle for building relationships and sharing information about what each funds is doing to support relief and recovery across the state.
What’s the best way for people to donate money for relief and recovery?
You can find a list of these New Jersey Relief and Recovery funds and their contact info here.
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
CNJG is helping track philanthropy’s response to the coronavirus pandemic by continuing our “Get on the Map” Campaign partnership with Candid who has launched a new coronavirus map in response to funders requests.
It is critical to be transparent and share this information with other funders to help inform your philanthropy in the coming weeks and months. The information gathered will be publicly available and updated daily at candid.org/coronavirus. Knowing where money is going and how, and having the latest information from organizations, facilitates thoughtful collaboration and decision-making in times of crisis.
You can see a list of grants meant to benefit New Jersey, or
A link to highlight grantmaking by funders in New Jersey.
You can also use different filters to, for example, see grantmaking by funders in Bergen County.
They are also working on making their response funds page filterable by geographic area served. A list of the current New Jersey response funds is available here.
As you can see from any of these “live” maps, the information they have collected is not complete, and this is where we need YOUR help!
Please visit our Share Your Giving Data webpage for information about how to share your data.
If you have any questions on how to submit your data, about the map, or how to include your response fund, please contact Craig Weinrich, CNJG’s Director of Member Services. Thank you in advance for your assistance in getting a more complete picture of New Jersey’s philanthropic response to COVID-19.
CNJG provides this information free to the philanthropic community. If you are not a CNJG member, please join so you can take full advantage of the many benefits of membership and help underwrite the cost of services like this.
During 2023, CNJG gathered benefits information from our members to generate our 2023 New Jersey Philanthropy Benefits & Salary Summary Report. Members tell us that this report is one of the most important and effective benchmarking tools for our field. A statistically significant number of members completed our Benefits Report. We are grateful to those that completed the survey, which is a major investment of time, to help us gather this useful data.
The report consists of two sections:
CNJG Benefits Survey
CNJG and our members want specific data about the benefits offered to their employees, board, and more. Therefore, CNJG created our triennial Benefits Survey that gathered this comprehensive data specific to New Jersey’s grantmaking community.
For the second time in this survey’s history, we asked for board and staff demographic data. As more attention is focused on racial equity in our work, it is helpful to benchmark this data in graphical form. We hope it sparks conversation at your organization.
Council on Foundations (CoF) Salary Survey
The salary survey was administered by our partners, the Council on Foundations. This annual nationwide effort by CoF (with the assistance of other Philanthropy-Serving Organizations across the country) benchmarks the salaries of employees at foundations, corporate giving programs, and other philanthropic organizations. CNJG encourages any and all members to complete this survey each year.
Salary information from CoF presents national, mid-Atlantic, and New Jersey data for over 40 staff positions. Salary ranges are only given for positions with five or more reporting organizations. To report on more New Jersey salary data, we hope more members will complete this annual survey.
CNJG reminds our members and other foundations across New Jersey to complete both surveys when they are available – CoF’s is EVERY YEAR, and CNJG’s is every three years. The more data we and CoF can gather, the better and more accurate the results will be for the philanthropic community both in the state and nationally.
Download the 2023 New Jersey Philanthropy Benefits & Salary Survey Summary Report here. You must be a member of CNJG and logged in to access the report.
CNJG's past Summary Reports may be found on our website:
2020 New Jersey Philanthropy Benefits & Salary Survey Summary Report, released in January 2021
2017 New Jersey Foundation Benefits & Salary Summary Report, released in September 2017
2014 New Jersey Foundation Benefits & Salary Summary Report, released in February 2015
2011 Mid-Atlantic Foundation Benefits & Salary Summary Report, released in June 2012
Membership in the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers offers foundation leaders and grantmakers the opportunity to deepen their experience with the organization by serving on a Board committee. Committee members lead, recommend, and develop policies that help shape our organization. The commitment level for each committee varies and includes an expectation that members will participate in regularly scheduled meetings either in person or via Zoom, and other planning calls as needed, as well as be willing to participate in independent projects as they arise. Members usually join those committees best suited to their professional strengths. Individual members of the CNJG staff team are assigned to each committee.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee advises the Board of Trustees in overseeing the selection and performance of the Council’s independent auditors, conducting periodic RFPs for auditor services, the quality and integrity of the Council’s financial reporting, its fiscal controls and tax and regulatory compliance, and compliance with legal and accepted standards. An audit or finance background/experience is desirable for some of the members of this Committee.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee advises the Board of Trustees with all financial policies and strategies, including but not limited to: consultation and review of the annual budget(s), reviewing and monitoring financial reporting, approving and monitoring investments, and developing and approving significant financial policies. A background in finance and financial operations is desirable for some of the members of this group.
Governance Committee
The Governance Committee acts as a nominating committee for vacant board seats and board officers, develops a board slate each year, recommends by-law changes, develops board membership criteria on an annual basis, recommends and develops best practices and expectations for trustees and the board chair, and undertakes any other board governance-related issues.
Member Engagement Committee
The Member Engagement Committee works with the staff to recruit, retain and engage members. Committee members assist in identifying new prospects, setting up and participating in introductory meetings, and keeping prospective members informed of upcoming CNJG programs. It also collaborates with staff members to develop the structure and strategy of membership recruitment and retention activities, as well as recommending changes and/or updates to criteria for membership in CNJG to the Board.
Policy Committee
The Policy Committee advises the Board and Council on public policy matters as appropriate, develops recommendations on specific legislation or proposed regulatory activity, implements the Council’s policy agenda, engages in government relations activities, and actively collaborates with partners to move forward the CNJG’s policy agenda and favorable legislation and regulations to support the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors.
Racial Equity Committee
The Racial Equity Committee was first formed as a taskforce in 2020 as a reaction to systemic and structural racism embedded within the United States, and CNJG’s commitment to raising awareness and instigating change in New Jersey’s philanthropic community. In June 2023 the taskforce was designated a committee of the Board by the Board, and is committed to infusing racial equity throughout CNJG’s programming and structures. In 2024 and 2025, the committee will focus efforts on creating tools and resources to move forward the New Jersey Principles for Philanthropy, CNJG’s equity principles.
Signature Programs Committee
The Signature Programs Committee helps plan and recommend topics, speakers, etc. for CNJG's Signature events including the Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering, and Spring Colloquium or Spring Conference. When called upon, its members may assist with other (non-affinity group) meetings or events throughout the year.
I can't believe October is already here! We are deep in planning for the CNJG 2024 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering, and I'm thrilled to invite you to be a part of this special event!
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, December 11, as we come together at the APA Hotel Woodbridge with over 150 Council members and special guests to celebrate the holiday season, welcome new members, and host a brief business meeting to elect trustees. It's also the perfect time to connect with colleagues and friends, old and new, while participating in a thought-provoking discussion about the ever-important topic of leadership in philanthropy.
This event is the one time each year where New Jersey’s philanthropic community comes together to connect, network, learn, and celebrate our collective work. It's a time to reflect on our impact, recharge with new ideas, and plan for the year ahead. Guided by the CNJG Signature Program Committee’s vision for this event, our focus this year is on leadership: Inspiring Change through Leadership: Maximizing Philanthropic Impact. Our morning workshop will explore the New Jersey Principles for Philanthropy – our equity principles emboldening leadership in action, followed by our keynote presentation featuring Amalia Brindis Delgado, Chief Strategy Officer, Panta Rhea Foundation, focused on transformative leadership transitions. It's a topic that feels more important than ever, and I can't wait for the conversations it will inspire.
The Annual Meeting is truly a highlight of the year. In addition to your participation, I invite you to consider supporting the Annual Meeting of Members through a sponsorship, grant, or contribution. Whether you've sponsored before or are considering it for the first time, this is an incredible opportunity to show your support for CNJG, while also raising visibility for your organization. We offer a variety of sponsorship options to fit any level of interest, and we're happy to tailor a package to meet your needs. Your support would help underwrite this vital event, ensuring it continues to serve as a place where our sector can grow stronger together. It's a valuable opportunity not only to give back to CNJG, but to highlight your commitment to the philanthropic community and its ongoing work in New Jersey.
If you'd like more information regarding sponsorship, please reach out to me via e-mail.
A big thank you to our sponsors to date - we couldn't do this without you! Special thanks to Signature Sponsor – Prudential; Contributing Sponsors – Devils Youth Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Supporting Sponsor – Grunin Foundation; and Colleague Sponsor – Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
Thank you for your continued engagement with CNJG. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon and can't wait to see you at the CNJG Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering in December. Until then, enjoy the beauty of fall!
Warmly,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
Philanthropy can be defined in many ways. The word comes from the Greek, meaning "love for humanity." Modern definitions include the concept of voluntary giving by an individual or group to promote the common good and improve the quality of life.
Here in the United States, the term "philanthropy" is also used to describe the granting of money to nonprofit organizations by foundations and corporations. This type of giving is often called organized philanthropy or grantmaking.
This popular, fast-paced video offers a realistic — and often humorous — glimpse of how the public views philanthropy, using a series of "people in the street" interviews shot in the Twin Cities plus interviews with local donors. Discover the true, and often not so true, meaning of philanthropy.
Co-produced by the Minnesota Council on Foundations, The Minneapolis Foundation and the Minnesota Community Foundation and The Saint Paul Foundation.
"Co-Creation" is a case study about the Connecticut Early Childhood Funder Collaborative, a project of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy. The case study, written by Patricia Bowie, examines co-creation, an emerging systems change collaboration model which grew out of a funder-and-state partnership. This unique partnership led to the creation by executive order of a new and independent Office of Early Childhood, which was formally approved by the Connecticut State Legislature in 2013. The companion piece, "Taking on New Roles to Address 21st Century Problems," looks at co-creation from the perspective of a regional association of grantmakers.
The Connecticut Early Childhood Funder Collaborative comprises 14 funders from around the state who bring many years of experience in supporting and operating programs that serve the needs of children and families.
President Obama's Hurricane Sandy Task Force released this rebuilding strategy to serve as a model for communities across the nation facing greater risks from extreme weather and to continue helping the Sandy-affected region rebuild. The Rebuilding Strategy contains 69 policy recommendations, many of which have already been adopted, that will help homeowners stay in and repair their homes, strengthen small businesses and revitalize local economies and ensure entire communities are better able to withstand and recover from future storms.
You will have an opportunity to learn about the collaborative process that resulted in this first version of the framework. In addition, you will hear from peers and practitioners who contributed to the development of the framework. Don't miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the framework's design principles and how they foster equity, transparency, and responsible AI adoption.
Speakers
Jean Westrick, Executive Director, TAG
Gozi Egbuonu, Director of Programs, TAG
Who Should Attend
Grantmaking Executives
Philanthropy Tech Professionals
Program Managers
Technology Leaders
AI for Good Enthusiasts and Advocates
COST: Free for CNJG Members and Non Member Grantmakers
Jean Westrick, Executive Director
Technology Association of Grantmakers
Jean Westrick is the Executive Director of the Technology Association of Grantmakers, a nonprofit organization that cultivates the strategic, equitable, and innovative use of technology in philanthropy. Westrick brings two decades of experience building communities, leveraging technology, and leading innovative and programmatic strategies. Prior to being named Executive Director of TAG, Westrick was the Director of IT Strategy and Communications at The Chicago Community Trust where she led change management efforts for the foundation’s $6M digital transformation initiative. Also, while at The Trust, Westrick directed On the Table, an award-winning engagement model designed to inspire resident action that was replicated in 30 cities nationwide. A longtime advocate for equity in STEM education, expanding technology access and increasing science literacy, Westrick holds a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University and a Master of Science from DePaul University.
Gozi Egbuonu, Director of Programs
Technology Association of Grantmakers
Gozi Egbuonu is the Director of Programs at the Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG), a nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate the strategic, equitable, and innovative use of technology in philanthropy. Prior to TAG, Gozi was an Impact Officer at Network for Good’s (now Bonterra) capacity-building program called Jumpstart. Through her advocacy for philanthropic investments in the technological capacity of talented nonprofit leaders and organizations throughout the United States, Gozi helped generate more than $500,000 in capacity-building funds to help nonprofits become more sustainable. In addition to helping generate lasting impact for nonprofits, Gozi created meaningful content and events aimed at educating philanthropic communities on the power of trust-based partnerships between grantmakers and nonprofits. Committed to using technology to improve lives and advance social change, Gozi is researching the use of medical technology to improve healthcare delivery while earning her doctorate in behavioral health from Cummings Graduate Institute. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washington and Lee University, a Master of Arts from Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology, and a Master of Science from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
From Moment to Movement: Upending Traditional Philanthropy
Dates & Time:
Monday, December 13 - 2:00 to 3:30 pm -- Annual Meeting Workshop
Tuesday, December 14 - 12:30 to 2:00 pm -- Business Meeting & Keynote Presentation
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers thanks everyone who attended our 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering.
The 2021 Annual Meeting, From Moment to Movement: Upending Traditional Philanthropy, tackled how we can implement practices based in trust, confront uneven power structures, and advance equity in the philanthropic sector.
Our Annual Meeting Workshop on December 13 explored how two foundations, The Claneil Foundation and Weingart Foundation, are using general operating support, multi-year funding, and transparent communication and feedback to build strong, effective relationships with nonprofit partners. Afterwards, funders discussed where they want to move the needle in their own organization, and the major barriers to implementing those changes.
On Day 2, we heard an inspiring keynote presentation from Marcus Walton, President and CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO). Marcus kicked off the keynote by sharing critical insights for building trust within and outside your organization. He then engaged in a candid conversation with CNJG President and CEO Maria Vizcarrondo, and answered questions from attendees, on how to reach communities, rethink traditional grantmaking practices, and advance racial equity within philanthropy and New Jersey.
Philanthropy needs to change to meet this moment. Breaking away from ingrained structures and replacing outdated “best practices” with strategies based in trust and power sharing is a long and challenging road for many grantmaking organizations. There will be growing pains. But, during this year’s Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering, we heard about effective strategies from courageous leaders that have made these changes possible. Join us in 2022 as we continue to rework, reimagine, and operationalize new practices that better serve our partners and communities.
CNJG members can view recordings from the event and additional resources when logged in.
The Sustained Collaboration Network has published a comprehensive guide for funders and nonprofit to guide organizations through the various step of collaborations. Ranging from Executive Transitions, to Mergers and Aliiances, to even an organization deciding to close its operations, the guide offers insights, strategies, and templates to navigate tough choices and keep any discussion moving forward. About the Sustained Collaboration Network: A national network of sustained collaboration funders has one goal in mind: Helping nonprofits, large and small, get the help and support they need to collaborate. Dedicated to bringing technical support and funding to nonprofits from acquisitions and mergers to strategic partnerships and collaboration – they walk nonprofits and funders through the entire journey.
Responding Post Sandy: Philanthropic Relief & Recovery
Superstorm Sandy officially came ashore in New Jersey on October 29, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. and its aftermath continues to be felt in communities throughout our state. Not 24 hours after the storm made landfall, CNJG began planning a series of actions to help inform funders what to be prepared for, share information and discuss strategies. CNJG's support of the philanthropic community as it navigates the shifting landscape of disaster recovery, continues.
CNJG has been working closely with their philanthropic members in New Jersey and their philanthropic colleagues from around the nation who have experience in disaster philanthropy, as well as working cooperatively with the Governor’s Office on Recovery, FEMA, NJ State Police Office of Emergency Management, NJ Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, NJ’s Long Term Recovery Group Leaders, and NJ’s leading nonprofit organizations.
Post Sandy Funder Briefings
Beginning one week after Sandy struck New Jersey CNJG launched a weekly conference call series for grantmakers to hear from policymakers, disaster relief/recovery experts and colleagues who have been through similar catastrophes. Grantmakers heard from nearly 70 guest speakers including policymakers, disaster relief and recovery experts, and statewide and national foundation leaders that have experienced similar catastrophes. The briefings provided an opportunity to connect directly with local leaders and state officials addressing the many needs of our communities. Grantmakers learned about issues related to both disasters in general and Sandy recovery in particular. Topics included housing, mental health, social justice, universal design, FEMA’s National Disaster Recovery Framework, and an array of environmental issues. All of the calls were recorded and also transcribed into concise written summaries and are available on our website.
Series 1 ran from November 2012 -- March 2013
Series 1 Audio Recordings
Series 1 Written Summaries
Series 2 ran from September 2013 -- November 2013
Series 2 Audio Recordings
Series 2 Written Summaries
Series 1 & 2 Written Compendium
Funders’ Briefing Post Sandy Recovery at 18 months
With support from the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation and OceanFirst Foundation, CNJG presented a specific briefing on housing, hunger and mental health recovery efforts and needs 18 months after the storm. We heard personal stories from families that were displaced and their long struggle to rebuild and recoup. We heard insights from service providers on the long term effects of Sandy. Several Long Term Recovery Groups described some of their ongoing challenges, but also shared what was working.
CNJG’s response to Superstorm Sandy also included
Coastal Communities Site Visit Tours
CNJG offered its members a rare opportunity to tour several of the disaster-affected communities in Monmouth and Ocean Counties and to hear from those on-the-ground. Throughout the day, twelve guest speakers representing all areas of the effort, including individuals from FEMA, local and state government, Long Term Recovery Group leaders, city and state planners, environmental professionals, social services personnel, and faith-based leaders, among others spoke to a group of 60 philanthropic leaders. Building upon the first successful Coastal Communities Site Visit Tour, CNJG offered a similar program focusing on communities in northern New Jersey – specifically the hard hit areas in Essex, Hudson and Bergen Counties. In addition to hearing from a wide range of local officials, Long Term Recovery Group Leaders, urban planners, and environmental experts, the site visit included a tour of a PSEG sub-power station which was flooded.
Statewide Conference
Bringing together an incredible community of funders, providers and practitioners for a day of exploration, shared learning and discussion at the Spring 2013 Conference for the Social Sector - Our Shared Road Ahead: Sandy and Beyond on June 10. The Conference provided participants with an important opportunity to hear about the lessons learned by social sector colleagues and experts around the country who have grappled with how to create effective long-term philanthropic responses to catastrophic events in the absence of a readily available guide.
Superstorm Sandy Philanthropic Investments Scan
Philanthropy & Hurricane Sandy: A Report on the Foundation & Corporate Response is a report released in October 2014 by CNJG and partners that 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, this report 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.
Special thanks to our philanthropic partners that have supported various aspects of the Council’s work beginning immediately after Hurricane Sandy struck through our ongoing work today, including: the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Citi, Fund for New Jersey, The Henry & Marilyn Taub Foundation, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, JCP&L, JPMorgan Chase, Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, The Merck Company Foundation/Merck & Company, Inc., PSEG Foundation, Provident Bank Foundation, Rita Allen Foundation, Subaru, TD Bank, United Way of Essex and West Hudson, Verizon NJ, and the Victoria Foundation.
The Disaster Philanthropy Playbook, a comprehensive resource of best practices and innovative approaches to guide the philanthropic community in responding to future disasters, is now available for use at www.disasterphilanthropy.org/disaster-philanthropy-playbook/.
Designed as a multimedia, interactive website, the Playbook will be an “evergreen” resource designed for continued updates and knowledge-building. Community planning, civic rebuilding, legal services, housing, addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, working with local, state and federal government, mitigation and preparedness are some of the common issues faced by communities post disaster that are covered in detail in the Playbook.
The Disaster Philanthropy Playbook is a joint project of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Council of New Jersey Grantmakers in association with the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers.