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Nonprofit Finance Fund's Annual Survey chronicles the challenges facing the nonprofit sector and calls out some of the targeted investments we can start to agree on as a society to salvage the investment we have collectively made in our social infrastructure. We believe that a coordinated intervention now will not only better prepare us for inevitable future economic crises; it can lead to a happier, healthier community for us all.
Sample board committee descriptions, including roles and responsibilities of committee members
These articles have a philanthropic focus. We encourage grantmakers to read, share, and use strategies detailed here.
5/13/22 - ABC News: Two New Jersey towns illustrate the race gap in the COVID pandemic
NJTV: LIVE UPDATES: Tracking the Coronavirus in New Jersey
3/16/21 – Denver Post: On Philanthropy: Pandemic puts nonprofits in peril – what donors can do
8/26 – Center for Disaster Philanthropy: $12 Billion Pledged Worldwide to Fight COVID-19 through June 2020
8/25 – Generocity: Changing Metrics for Impact: The Emergence of a New Donor-Grantee Business Model
8/19 – Good News Network: Generous American Are Giving More to Charities Through The Pandemic, Survey Says
6/8 – Chronicle of Philanthropy: How Foundations Can Make Covid Research Grants More Equitable
6/5 – Governing Magazine: The America Ethos and the Betrayal of Expertise
5/19 – Nonprofit Quarterly: COVID-19 Calls for Philanthropy to Redefine Urgency
5/13 – Nonprofit Quarterly: Will Philanthropy Stand Up for Black America?
5/11 – Nonprofit Quarterly: Deer Eyes, Circle Mind: Reflections on Pandemic & Philanthropy
5/8 – Inside Philanthropy: Pandemic Philanthropy: Moving From Relief to Power
5/5 – NY Times: In Philanthropy, Race Is Still a Factor in Who Gets What, Study Shows
5/5 – Funders Together to End Homelessness: COVID-19 Response and Recovery: Recommendations for Philanthropy to Support Immediate Needs and Long-Term Solutions to End Homelessness
5/5 – Chronicle of Philanthropy: Op-Ed: Flexibility for Grantees Is Not Enough. Let Them Decide Where the Money Goes
5/5 – Chronicle of Philanthropy: Op-Ed: Change Is Too Rapid in Covid-19 Era to Tie Nonprofits’ Hands With Old Rules
5/4 – Bridgespan Group: Racial Equity and Philanthropy: Disparities in Funding for Leaders of Color Leave Impact on the Table
5/4 – Stanford Social Innovation Review: Overcoming the Racial Bias in Philanthropic Funding
5/1 – Stanford Social Innovation Review: For a More Equitable America, Understand Race and Racism as Actions We Do and Can Undo
4/30 – National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: Large Funder Quadruples its giving in response to COVID-19
4/30 – Chronicle of Philanthropy: How the 25 Biggest Grantmakers are Responding to the COVID Crisis
4/30 – Chronicle of Philanthropy: In Covid-19 Crisis, Philanthropy’s Attention Must Focus on People With Disabilities
4/30 – Inside Philanthropy: A Time for Reform: Philanthropy and the Push for Better State Policymaking
4/28 – Newsweek: Why the Coronavirus Pandemic is Philanthropy's Big Moment
4/23 – Bridgespan Group: Want to Support Your Community’s Equitable Recovery from COVID-19? Invest in Child Care
4/21 – Center for Effective Philanthropy: Essential Questions for Foundation Boards in a Time of Crisis
4/20 – LA Times: Charity is off the charts amid the coronavirus. Is that a sign of America’s strength or weakness?
4/20 - Nonprofit Times: Foundations Paying Out, Expect Deep Recession (quotes from Community Foundation of New Jersey)
4/17 - Nonprofit Quarterly: Why Grantmakers Need to Break Their Restriction Habit—Permanently
4/16 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Philanthropy’s Stimulus Plan Must Bolster Democracy
4/16 - Nonprofit Quarterly: How Philanthropy Can Support Black Workers
4/15 - Candid.org: A Call for COVID-19 Grants Data
4/15 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: In This Crisis, Philanthropy Must Tackle 3 Existential Challenges All At Once
4/14 - Bridgespan Group: Four Ways for Community-Focused Philanthropy to Confront the Coronavirus Crisis
4/9 - Inside Philanthropy: COVID and the Count: Funders Confront New Challenges to the 2020 Census
4/9 - Forbes: COVID-19 And Aging: What Can Philanthropy Do?
4/7 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: The Coronavirus Crisis Has Changed How I View What Matters in Philanthropy
4/7 - App.com: Coronavirus: 10 ways to avoid becoming victim of a scam
4/7 - Washington Post: Coronavirus is a Totally Different Disaster for Philanthropies to Handle
4/6 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Small Nonprofits Struggle to Get Payroll Loans in New Federal Program
4/6 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Foundations and Nonprofits See Crisis as Opportunity to Advance Equity
4/3 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: What Philanthropy Can Do Now to Promote Education Equity After the Pandemic
4/2 - Inside Philanthropy: The Hardest Hit: Who is Supporting Communities of Color During COVID-19?
4/2 - Nonprofit Quarterly: Philanthropy, Meet Our Matrix Moment: Which Pill Will You Choose?
4/1 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Grant Maker Dilemma: Spend More Now or Protect Shrinking Endowments?
4/1 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Foundations Adopt Policies to Move More Money Faster, and With Fewer Restrictions
4/1 - NJ Spotlight: A Coronavirus Checklist to Help Keep NJ Residents Informed
3/30 - Nonprofit Quarterly: COVID-19: Using a Racial Justice Lens Now to Transform Our Future
3/26 - NJ.com: City of Newark Creates $6 million fund for Non-Profits, arts organizations, resident, businesses, and homeowners
3/23 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Federal Aid Plan for Nonprofits Needs More Input From Black-Led Organizations
3/20 - Nonprofit Quarterly: A Growing Group of Foundations Pledge ‘No Business as Usual’
3/20 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Senate Bill would create ‘Universal Deduction’ & Expand Loans for Nonprofits
3/20 - Asbury Park Press: Digital Divide in Schools Will Affect Web-Only Lessons
3/17 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Grantmaker Responses for Nonprofits in Need Vary Widely
3/17 - Strategy & Action Philanthropy: 5 Things Funders Can Do Right Now to Help Nonprofits During This Crisis
3/17 - Trust-based Philanthropy Project: Philanthropy Needs To Trust Nonprofits Now More Than Ever
3/16 - Exponent Philanthropy: Market Volatility in the Face of COVID-19
3/16 - Philadelphia Inquirer: Free Wifi from Comcast
3/16 - Inside Philanthropy: Philanthropy Has a Duty to Respond Quickly to the COVID-19 Outbreak. Here’s How We Can Do It
3/16 - NJBiz.com: NJ Government recommendations on March 16, 2020
3/13 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: As Disasters Go, Coronavirus Impact on Philanthropy Unprecedented and ‘Crazy’
3/13 - Bloomberg: Nonprofits Prepare for Worst with Wealthy Losing Billions
3/12 - Forbes: Philanthropy: COVID19 Doesn’t Need to Slow You Down
3/12 - Inside Philanthropy: On the Frontlines of a Pandemic, Local Philanthropy Scrambles to Respond
3/12 - NorthJersey.com: Many seniors face coronavirus fears while cut off from activities and social networks
3/12 - Independent Sector/Chronicle of Philanthropy: A Novel Opportunity to Strengthen Public Trust in the Nonprofit World
3/12 - NJ Spotlight: Sick Leave in NJ, What the Law Provides
3/12 - NJ Spotlight: Experience with Virtual Snow Days Helps NJ School Prepare for COVID-19 Closures
3/12 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Coronavirus ‘Rapid Response’ Funds Proliferate as Threat Grows
3/11 - NJ.com: NJ schools feed 500K kids for free. What happens if coronavirus closes them?
3/11 - Daily Beast: Will Coronavirus make America finally care about the homeless
3/11 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Coronavirus Is Hard on Nonprofits That Rely on Events
3/11 - Nonprofit Quarterly: Nonprofits Who Can’t Cancel: The Ones that Serve Those at Greater Risk of COVID-19
3/10 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: As Coronavirus Threat Continues, Experts Tell Nonprofits to Shore Up Reserves
3/9 - Nonprofit Times: Lessening the Risk of Coronavirus at Nonprofits
3/9 - Nonprofit Quarterly: Community Healthcare Centers Funding at Risk at Time of Health Peril
3/9 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: 6 Steps for Grant Makers to Take Now to Ensure Nonprofits Recover From Coronavirus Spread
3/8 - ROI-NJ: NJ Insurers Announce Coverage Related to Coronavirus
3/8 - Nonprofit AF: A few things for nonprofits and foundations to consider in light of the Coronavirus
3/5 - Washington Post: RWJF CEO Pens Opinion Piece on Coronavirus
3/5 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Coronavirus Giving Tops $1 Billion Worldwide
3/4 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Nonprofits Work to Protect Employees and Volunteers as Coronavirus Threat Grows
3/3 - Candid.org: Funders Respond to Coronavirus
3/3 - CDNet: Tech Tools Offered for Free During Outbreak
3/2 - FSG: COVID-19 – Seven Things Philanthropy Can Do by Lauren Smith, MD, MPH
3/2 - Chronicle of Philanthropy: Nonprofit Conference Attendees Worry About Coronavirus
2/18 - Professional Convention Management Association: Is Your Event (if cancelled) Covered by Insurance?
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.
An overview on the self-dealing law, including definitions, common problem areas, exceptions, penalties, and resources.
Sample bylaws for Community Foundations.
This weekly conference call series welcomed New Jersey-based grantmakers along with national funders and provided an opportunity for grantmakers to hear from a wide range of experts in the field of disaster philanthropy. This series started on September 9, 2013 and concluded on November 4, 2013. The written summaries of each recording are listed below.
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 written summaries of each recording are listed below.
Strategic asset allocation is arguably one of the most important, yet least advanced, aspects of investing. The Investment Strategy Group (ISG) in the Goldman Sachs Investment Management Division has developed a new approach to strategic asset allocation, which leverages the idea that long-term investment returns derive from multiple distinct sources called “return-generating factors.” This multi-factor approach is designed to help investors better understand the key sources of long-term return across asset classes and to increase the precision of long-term risk and return estimates. It also provides investors with a new way to think about portfolio diversification, allowing them to focus not only on diversification across asset classes but also
on diversification across the underlying sources of return.
Despite a field replete with research, analysis, recommended policies and practices — not to mention an abundance of educational programs and frameworks for grantmaking to diverse communities — philanthropic leaders have been slow to advance these values in their foundations. Philanthropy Northwest (PNW) wondered: what is getting in the way? Why are good intentions, buttressed with theory and practical advice, not achieving better results on measures of diversity, equity and inclusion?
With the support of the D5 Coalition, PNW began a year-long study to explore these questions. The study was divided into two parts. They began with personal interviews of 23 philanthropic leaders in the Pacific Northwest. In order to better understand how these organizations incorporated diversity, equity, and inclusion into their work and workplaces, they collected baseline information about their staff composition, leadership styles, and organizational practices/policies.
This report details their findings. It includes an in-depth look at the peer cohort model, in which ten foundation leaders met regularly to discuss these issues and support each other in advancing their own leadership. It also includes practical lessons about shifting organizational cultures towards greater diversity, equity and inclusion — lessons drawn directly from the experiences of peer cohort leaders.
PNW presented this work in a webinar hosted by the D5 Coalition. The webinar recording and slides are below.
"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.
Grantmaking at the Crossroads is a workbook designed to provide foundations with a new grantmaking methodology that works at the intersection of place, population, and issue. It offers a pathway to greater inclusion of communities that are often excluded or marginalized by foundation funding and enables foundations to maintain their focus and priorities while expanding their reach and effectiveness.
The Grand Rapids Community Foundation and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation volunteered to be laboratories for Grantmaking at the Crossroads and have been critical informants for this workbook. Each of these foundations holds an unwavering commitment to ongoing learning; this publication would not have happened without their support and engagement and the financial support of the Arcus Foundation.
Foundations Facilitate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Partnering with Community and Nonprofits, a new report by the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning, confirms that foundations can, in fact, facilitate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through their grantmaking processes and their partnerships with nonprofits—and identifies eight specific practices for foundations to emulate.
The report takes a deep dive into the work of nine foundations that represent a diverse cross-section of types and sizes, and offers useful lessons about how foundations can better partner with nonprofits to be more effective in their work.
This guide was designed to help the state’s philanthropic community understand their ethical, legal, and fiduciary requirements and obligations.
What comes after “strategic...?” If you said, “planning,” you’re not alone. And for many leaders of community foundations, especially small ones who don’t have the time or money for a big process, anxiety is the feeling that follows. If that’s the case, this guide is for you.
It invites you to test-drive some activities to bring your current program, operations and community leadership strategies into focus before you decide whether to create a plan or not. It helps you discover ongoing strategic practices and decide whether to keep them or not. If you already have done a strategic plan, and it is languishing on a shelf, this guide will help you refresh it.
PART A: Good Strategy Takes Practice (Not Just Planning)
PART B: Do Your Discovery
PART C: Jumpstart Your Strategy Narrative
PART D: Bring It Together
Looking To What’s Next
This weekly conference call series welcomed New Jersey-based grantmakers along with national funders and provided an opportunity for grantmakers to hear from a wide range of experts in the field of disaster philanthropy. Series 1 started on November 5, 2012, one week after Sandy struck New Jersey, and continued through March 25, 2013. Series 2 started on September 9, 2013 and concluded on November 4, 2013. The written compendium of the recordings is listed below.