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We’re looking forward to seeing you at the CNJG’s 2025 Conference for the Social Sector — Stronger Together: Philanthropy & Civic Engagement on June 18! If you haven’t registered yet, please take a moment and register today for this important event. I also encourage you to invite your trustees, nonprofit partners, and colleagues to register.
Our spring Signature Convening brings together New Jersey’s philanthropic and nonprofit leaders for a day of shared learning, exchange, and community building. We’re deeply proud of the topics we’ve showcased over the years, and this year is no exception. We tackled the 2020 Census in 2019, and why it counts for the people of our state and the well-being of our communities. We uplifted the future of work and the role of philanthropy in 2021, with visionary conversations about equitable labor practices and new ways of working. The 2023 conference widely introduced Doing Good Better — a systems change initiative in partnership with the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits to reimagine how philanthropy and nonprofit partners work together.
We’ll open the day with our Spark: Civic Pulse session featuring a range of dynamic New Jersey leaders driving civic engagement across our state. The morning breakout sessions will accentuate the future of civic engagement: innovation, inclusion, and collective action; while the afternoon sessions are aimed at mobilization with civic tools, voices, and pathways to change. Our keynote speaker, Dale Anglin, Director of Press Forward, will explore and reinforce how civic engagement and democracy starts at the local level, and builds thriving, informed, and engaged communities.
This year, we’re absolutely thrilled to highlight the important issue of civic engagement and what it looks like in practice throughout our communities and across multiple disciplines. We stand in extraordinary times, and these discussions are more crucial than ever. CNJG is well positioned to elevate and amplify these conversations for, and on behalf of, New Jersey’s social sector.
I hope you’re intrigued and excited by the topic as well, and I invite you to join us as a sponsor for this very special convening of sector leaders. We have four categories of sponsorship available:
- Champion Sponsor - $8,000 – 2 available
- Collaborator Sponsor - $6,000 – 3 Available
- Connector Sponsor - $5,000 - 3 Available
- Colleague Sponsor - $3,000 – 2 available
Click here for the full sponsorship package.
Please feel free to reach out to me or my colleague, Development Associate Fortunata Cuomo via e-mail if you have questions or want to learn more about how you can support this exceptional gathering. We can also customize a sponsorship package for you, and if you’re not able to sponsor, we hope you can underwrite the event with a contribution.
Thank you to our sponsors to date: PSEG, Sixers Youth Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kearny Bank, the Stone Foundation for New Jersey, PKF O’Connor Davies, and The Palace at Somerset Park. Thank you also to NJM Insurance Group for a donation in support of the event.
Your support makes all the difference.
Warmly,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
The 2020 Census is coming and it counts — in more ways than one.
The Census isn’t just a population tally. State and local governments, businesses, nonprofits and foundations, rely on Census data to allocate funding, define where services are delivered, and promote economic development. The information is valuable for health care, education, housing, transportation, and business. It helps determine congressional representation, political participation, and other fundamentals of community wellbeing and American democracy.
A full, fair count is crucial, but it isn’t guaranteed.
The Census disproportionately misses people of color, young children, and the rural and urban poor. Our state and nation have too much at stake for the social sector to stay on the sidelines.
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers’ 2019 Spring Conference brought together foundation and nonprofit leaders throughout the state to learn what their organizations can do to make sure New Jersey is counted.
The Conference featured national and state experts who shared information and tools to meet the many challenges communities across the state will face to be counted. We heard serious concerns regarding access to the Census, hard-to-count people, and potential funding cuts and changes in the process that could hamper participation.
Speakers offered a number of opportunities for action and partnership, from spreading awareness about the importance of 2020 Census in your communities and networks to funding outreach efforts from grass-roots organizations. The Conference raised and answered the most important questions about the Census and what needs to be done for a complete and accurate count. Now, the social sector must build the capacity to meet this once-in-a-decade obligation to engage at the deepest level.
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers looks forward to continuing conversations, partnerships, and action around the 2020 Census. Please explore our resources from the conference below and visit our webpage Philanthropy’s Role in the 2020 Census to learn more.
AGENDA
Opening Plenary: Census 101
A comprehensive update on all things census, including how the Census Bureau is getting the word out, what is guiding the planning for 2020, and what still needs to be done before Census Day.
Presenter: Jeff T. Behler, Regional Director, US Census Bureau - New York
What Philanthropy Can Do for the 2020 Census
Explore ways in which the philanthropic sector can leverage resources to ensure the most accurate census information, so the voices of undercounted groups and regions are heard in the decade to come.
Presenters: Gary D. Bass, Ph.D., Executive Director, Bauman Foundation
Vanita Gupta, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Moderator: Maria Vizcarrondo, President and CEO, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
Session 1: Challenges to a Fair Count
Two experts in civil and voting rights law will walk us through what the citizenship question really means for the census count, and the potential impact it will have on already hard-to-count communities.
Presenters:
Ryan P. Haygood, Esq., President & CEO, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
Ezra Rosenberg, Co-director of the Voting Rights Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Facilitator: Bob Atkins, Director, New Jersey Health Initiatives--Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Session 2: Where are the Kids? The Undercount of Children
Children are one of the largest undercounted populations in the Census. In this session, we will learn what your organization can do to prevent an undercount in 2020, and why an accurate count is essential for our children’s futures.
Presenters:
Peter Chen, Policy Counsel, Advocates for Children of New Jersey
Alana Vega, Kids Count Coordinator, Advocates for Children of New Jersey
Facilitator: Melissa Litwin, Early Childhood Program Director, The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation
Panel Discussion: Opportunities for Action
Nonprofit, foundation, and government leaders invite your organization to step up for the 2020 Census count. Panelists will provide concrete examples and resources to get involved now.
Panelists:
Kiki Jamieson, President, The Fund for New Jersey
Betsy Plum, Vice President of Policy, New York Immigration Coalition
Inge Spungen, Executive Director, Paterson Alliance
The Honorable Tahesha Way, New Jersey’s 34th Secretary of State, Department of State
Moderator: Linda M. Czipo, President & CEO, Center for Non-Profits
Luncheon Plenary: Call to Action for the 2020 Census: A Once-in-a-Decade Opportunity to be Counted
Another undercount for 2020 means another ten years of relying on inaccurate data to inform our state’s political representation and funding for vital resources. For too long, the census has missed disproportionate numbers of people of color, young children and the rural and urban poor, and with new challenges in 2020, participation of hard-to-count populations may be hindered further. With the count only a year away, now is the time for the philanthropic sector to step up and get New Jersey counted.
Speaker: Arturo Vargas, Chief Executive Officer, NALEO Educational Fund
CNJG thanks our conference sponsors and supporters: Signature Sponsor – PSEG; Collaborator Sponsors – The Fund for New Jersey and JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Connector Sponsors – New Jersey Natural Gas and Wells Fargo; Colleague Sponsors – FirstEnergy Foundation and Subaru of America Foundation; Exhibitor Sponsors – Glenmede and PKF O’Connor Davies; and Venue Sponsor – The Palace at Somerset Park.
Conference Photos
Additional resources, articles, and videos about the Census may be found on our webpage - Philanthropy's Role in the 2020 Census.
From the Commonfund, these white papers on investment policy statements, spending policy, board governance and risk tolerance, together with their most recent studies of investments at private and community foundations, operating charities and nonprofit healthcare organizations are made available though CNJG's Investment Forum for Foundations and Endowments.
On this webinar, speakers focused on mental health during this difficult time. Our speakers included Steve Margeotes from Main Street Counseling, Sonia Rodrigues-Marto from Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, and Ron Chaluisan from the Newark Trust for Education on their social-emotional learning work in schools. We were then be joined by Aisha Glover of the Newark Alliance who is working with the City of Newark, Partners in Health, and the MCJ Amelior Foundation to help to coordinate the city's contact tracing initiative.
Speakers
Steve Margeotes, Executive Director, Main Street Counseling
Sonia Rodrigues-Marto, Program Director, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care
Ron Chaluisan, Executive Director Newark Trust for Education
Aisha Glover, President & CEO, Newark Alliance
Cost: Free for CNJG Members/ $35 for Non Member Grantmakers
Webinar Video
TD Bank has announced the launch of a $100 million equity fund to support minority-owned small businesses.
The fund will enable specialized small business investment companies (SSBICs) and community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to provide small business loans and technical assistance that give businesses the capacity to scale and adapt long-term. The commitment includes $75 million of capital through an SSBIC initiative to be launched later this year and $25 million specifically earmarked for Black- and Latinx-owned small businesses, funded through CDFIs.
"The pandemic has highlighted the depth of disparities that exist in communities of color, especially as it relates to small businesses, which serve as the backbone of our economy," said TD Bank president and CEO Greg Braca. "The equity fund will ultimately infuse capital and help stabilize these small businesses. But it's also about contributing to job creation, stimulating economic development, revitalizing these vibrant communities, and, just as important, breaking the cycle of disinvestment [that] systemically prevents communities of color from thriving. Small businesses are the heart of our communities — especially communities of color — and it's up to us to help them succeed."
The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey announces the approval of $1,448,727 in new grants, bringing its total granting for 2021 to a total of over $7 million.
New funding includes an award of $153,475 to the Newark Community Street Team for the agency’s new Trauma Recovery Center. The grant continues HFNJ’s support of the Street Team and its recognition of violence prevention and violence-induced trauma as an important public health issue.
A third year of support, in the amount of $186, 877, went to Playworks, Inc. for its work building a healthy school climate for youth in Newark’s Public Schools. In addition, $99,000 went to Easter Seals of NJ for expanding physical and mental healthcare by providing counsellors and case workers with expertise in signing for deaf and hard-of-hearing populations in greater Essex County. A grant of $99,300 was awarded to the Kessler Foundation for the development of home-based stroke rehab protocols using virtual reality.
Newark Arts has announced the awardees of its annual ArtStart mini-grant program. Seventeen winning proposals were granted a total of $50,000 for the year 2021-2022. The ArtStart program supports organizations and individuals who create and curate music, dance, theatre, film, visual and/or literary art projects to benefit the residents and neighborhoods of Newark, New Jersey.
This year marks the 20th for ArtStart, which was designed to nurture arts and cultural activities throughout the city of Newark, especially for youth and underserved populations.
“Issuing $50,000 in ArtStart grants this year and nearly $600,000 over the years is a critical part of Newark Arts’ mission,” said Regina Barboza, Interim Executive Director, Newark Arts. “These investments help to provide in-community access to the arts in every ward, from music and dance programs to filmmaking and visual arts.”
The Princeton Area Community Foundation has awarded a $275,000 grant to fund a program to teach school staff throughout Mercer County how to identify students exposed to stressful or traumatic experiences and how to engage all students in a way that promotes healing from the mental health effects of the pandemic.
The Foundation for Educational Administration’s Healing Centered Engagement initiative will be funded with a $137,500 grant from the Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund and an additional $137,500 from a Community Foundation fund-holder who wishes to remain anonymous.
“We want to thank the generous donors whose support made it possible for the Community Foundation to create the COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund, as well as the anonymous fundholder, who is providing significant funding for this much-needed program that will help so many of our schoolchildren,” said Sonia Delgado, Community Foundation trustee and chair of the Committee on Impact.
The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they will be making a $50,000 donation to benefit the Sickle Cell Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) on behalf of the Sixers Youth Foundation.
This donation will be presented to CHOP by Marjorie Harris, Sixers Youth Foundation chairwoman, and Elton Brand, 76ers General Manager and Sixers Youth Foundation board member, during tomorrow’s 76ers game against the Miami Heat.
“At the Sixers Youth Foundation, we’re passionate about partnering with organizations who share our commitment to bettering children’s lives,” said Marjorie Harris, Chair of the Sixers Youth Foundation. “We’re honored to support CHOP in their mission of finding a curative therapy for sickle cell disease, something that impacts thousands of children in Philadelphia and around the world. With this donation, we hope to accelerate the amazing work that CHOP is doing, which will undoubtedly improve outcomes for children and enable them to lead happier, healthier lives.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to students, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) awarded eight scholarships to students attending colleges across the nation.
The assessment and research organization, presented more than $80,000 in scholarships to students this year through two of its scholarship programs, ETS CARES Scholarship and the Trenton Central High Scholarship. The Trenton Central High scholarships are renewable up to four years, assuming the students maintain a 3.0 GPA.
"We are so proud to support you on this journey--your future matters to us," ETS President and CEO Amit Sevak told the students at an awards ceremony held in their honor on July 14. "These scholarships are part of our commitment to give back, especially here in our state of New Jersey. I also want to recognize the ETS staff because without their incredible generosity, these scholarships and our other work in the community would not be possible."
The New Jersey Historic Trust, an affiliate of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), today approved a total of $15,758,315 in grant recommendations from the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund to save and promote historic sites throughout the state. Sixty-five preservation planning, heritage tourism, and capital projects are included in this year’s list of recommendations.
“The New Jersey Historic Trust is committed to its mission of saving and telling New Jersey’s history,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “This round of grant recommendations for preservation planning, heritage tourism, and capital projects will help to preserve historic structures, documents, and artifacts that tell the stories of New Jersey’s history to future generations.”
Of the 65 grant award recommendations, 27 will help fund preservation planning projects such as condition assessments, historic structure reports, archaeological investigations, and construction documents; one grant will help fund heritage tourism initiatives to improve the visitor experience at historic sites; and 37 grants will fund capital preservation projects on sites listed in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. All grants awarded to nonprofit organizations or entities of municipal, county and state governments require a match from the recipient.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held a public meeting on December 13th, during which 22 New Jersey organizations received grants through the Council’s new Creative Aging Initiative grant program. Senior centers, libraries, and arts organizations will provide customized arts experiences for people aged 55 and older, helping to enhance overall wellness, build community, and diminish issues of isolation.
With a focus on lifelong learning in the arts, the Creative Aging Initiative grants will provide $10,000 to a variety of New Jersey nonprofits engaging in creative aging work. Each of this year’s grant recipients will provide two (2) eight-day residencies for New Jersey seniors – at no cost to the participants. This new program was built upon the success of a Creative Aging pilot project the Council concluded earlier this year.
Speaking on the importance of this new grant program, the Council’s Program Officer for Arts Education & Lifelong Learning, Samantha Clarke, said: “Arts education and lifelong learning have been longstanding priorities at the State Arts Council. We look forward to providing new opportunities to reach older adults through the Creative Aging Initiative grant, and we’re especially excited to be working with both arts organizations and community-based organizations in this important work.”
The Fund for Women and Girls (FWG) at the Princeton Area Community Foundation has awarded $215,000 in grants, including support for five local nonprofits that are working to help new mothers, mothers in recovery, single parents, families with young children and children who have been removed from their homes.
More than 20 years ago, the FWG was created as a fund of the Community Foundation to focus its funding on organizations that work to improve the lives of vulnerable women and children in the region. With a philosophy of collective philanthropy, members donate to the Fund, and then meet annually to recommend grants to support nonprofits aligned with the fund’s goals.
“These nonprofits are doing incredibly important work in our communities, and this funding will make a meaningful difference in the lives of women and children,” said Carolyn Sanderson, Chair of The Fund. “Thanks to the generosity of our members, we have awarded more than $1 million in grants to more than two dozen nonprofits over the last six years. We can do so much more together than any of us can do individually.”
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on Tuesday announced the recipients of the 2022 Creative Catalyst Fund awards. A total of 114 grants will be awarded to individual artists and artists’ collectives, with an average award of $3,200; and 34 grants will be awarded to small and midsized arts organizations with an average award of $10,100.
Baraka created the fund in January 2020 as a multiyear initiative providing the local community of artists and small and midsized arts organizations up to $1 million annually for at least three years. The fund has awarded a total of $2.35 million in grants in its first three years. Grantees use the funds to help pay for operating costs, space rentals, staff, programming costs, supplies and equipment, and COVID-related expenses.
“Newark has a long history as a center of the arts, and our administration has supported the arts in word and deed, creating great works like the second-longest public mural on the East Coast. We are proud, privileged and humbled to write a new chapter by supporting this year’s grantees. Their works will define the voice and talent of a new generation of Newark artists for our present and future,” Baraka said.
The FirstEnergy Foundation has granted two New Jersey nonprofits with $20,000 "Gifts of the Season," aiding in their mission to make lives brighter within the Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) service area.
Cornerstone Family Programs, based in JCP&L's northern New Jersey region, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County, based in the central New Jersey region, both offer afterschool programs that focus on providing safe, empowering environments for local students.
"We're proud to support these organizations because their missions align with our commitment to a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, included and respected," said Lorna Wisham, president of the FirstEnergy Foundation. "The winners were chosen by FirstEnergy External Affairs employees who identified organizations in their local areas that do extraordinary work to strengthen the community and enhance the lives of vulnerable and underserved populations."
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) will distribute $211,743 in funding to 18 organizations in its latest round of grant funding awards. Of these, 8 awards are Incubation Grants, which help organizations plan, research, prototype, experiment or expand existing programs. The 10 remaining awards are Action Grants, which help organizations implement humanities-based programs, which may be new or existing.
Notably, this round marks the first time since launching the Incubation and Action Grants in 2016 that NJCH received more applications and letters of intent for Incubation Grants than for Action Grants. NJCH received 42 total applications, of which 22 were for Incubation Grants, and 20 were for Action Grants.
“Incubation Grants serve the Council’s goal of increasing organizational capacity in the humanities sector by giving institutions the time and resources for program planning and development. We consider them a particular strength of our grants program since funders often do not provide this type of funding opportunity,” said Dr. Carin Berkowitz, NJCH executive director. “There’s real value in providing organizations the opportunity to spend more time thinking and planning programs, and we’re proud to provide that.”
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held its first public meeting of 2023 on February 28, where nearly $2 million was awarded to 140 New Jersey artists through the Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship program.
The Fellowships are competitive awards to New Jersey artists in 12 rotating disciplines granted solely on independent peer panel assessment of work samples. The anonymous process is focused on artistic quality, and awards may be used to help artists produce new work and advance their careers. New Jersey artists applied for awards this year in the categories of choreography, crafts, music composition, photography, playwriting/screenwriting, poetry, and sculpture. This program is carried out in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts.
At the Council’s Annual Meeting last July, the Council voted to authorize an unprecedented investment of $2 million in the Individual Artist Fellowship program. Through that commitment of funding, this year’s Fellowship cohort is the largest one the Council has added to its distinguished list of Fellows in over 30 years. In order to further support the increased number of artists applying to the program, the Council developed a new level of awards in addition to the Fellowship Award. For the first time, the Council announced Finalist Awards. The Finalists Awards are given to those applicants who scored highly, but just below the cutoff to receive a Fellowship.
The United Way of Passaic County (UWPC) has announced a $295,984 investment in emergency food and shelter providers in the community. The program, funded by FEMA and administered by the United Way of Passaic County, is especially critical given the high rate of inflation and the end of federal emergency SNAP benefits.
The funds will go to local organizations such as CUMAC, Oasis, St. Paul’s Community Development Corporation, Center for Family Resources, Catholic Charities, New Hope Ministries, Paterson Salvation Army, Passaic Salvation Army, Paterson Task Force and Eva’s Village.
"We partner with organizations in the community to provide needed and impactful services to the community. These organizations stepped up during COVID and are continuing to step up as residents face increased rates of food and housing insecurity," United Way of Passaic County CEO and President Mary Celis said. "We are grateful for the great work these agencies do in Passaic County, and we are so thankful for the thousands of United Way donors whose ongoing support makes our community impact work possible."
TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank has awarded a total of $7 million to 37 non-profits across the bank’s footprint through the 17th annual Housing for Everyone grant program. Grants ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 will support organizations that work to deliver rental assistance, rehabilitate affordable rental housing properties, and build organizational capacity to address resident sustainability for the long-term.
As individuals and families across the country struggle with inflation and an exponential rise in rental costs, affordable housing providers face increased hardship given the growing demand for affordable rental units and emergency rental assistance.
“The affordable housing crisis continues to burden the most vulnerable members of our communities and the organizations committed to supporting them,” said Paige Carlson-Heim, Director of the TD Charitable Foundation. “At TD, we’re committed to doing our part to help create a more sustainable and inclusive future for everyone, and that includes providing access to safe, affordable homes. This year’s grant recipients are mission-critical to that work, and the TD Charitable Foundation is proud to support them in their efforts to create a positive impact and a pathway to housing stability in the communities we serve.”
With a resounding endorsement, The Westfield Foundation recently voted in three new board members: Toni Janota, Michael Moye and Dr. Cheryl Lundy Swift, all of Westfield. At the same time, the organization recognized the service of outgoing members: Tim Boyle, Stan Gersch and Rich Elbert.
“We express our deepest appreciation for the invaluable contributions of Tim Stan and Rich and their unwavering commitment during their tenure!" said outgoing president Larry Darrow.
Our new board members had the privilege of witnessing our Q2 grants meeting in early May where we funded over $100,000 to community programs. Some notable grants this quarter: providing a new mode of transportation for the Westfield Community Center, renovation funds for The Our House Foundation’s New Providence Day Program site, and continued support for the Presbyterian Church of Westfield’s mission to supplement local in-need families with nutrient-dense food.