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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.
A CNJG corporate member asked for help with the scenario in which a corporate policy of not supporting religious organizations in their grantmaking, causes problems helping during a disaster in an urban or rural area, when the program that is delivering the disaster relief is based within a church. They want to work with those programs (a church serves as the program’s fiscal sponsor) who support efforts for hunger, homelessness, substance abuse recovery, racial equity, etc. as long as they do not discriminate and do no limit it to their own congregations. The request for policy samples to work around this religious organization hurdle as long as there is no discrimination or funding the actual church’s worship, was compelled by CNJG staff and is listed here.
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers joins the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation’s Funders Census Initiative, the United Philanthropy Forum, and philanthropy-serving organizations around the country in asking our members to commit to supporting and encouraging a fair and accurate census.
“Census Day,” April 1, 2020, is here and the time to act is now.
More than $800 billion annually in federal assistance to states, localities and families is distributed based on census data; yet historically, the census has missed disproportionate numbers of people of color, young children and the rural and urban poor, leading to inequality in political power and inaccessibility to public funding and private investment for these communities. Going into 2020, additional communities, including immigrants, refugees, unmarried women and the LGBTQ community are at risk of being missed.
Of that $800 billion, $17.56 billion distributed to our state is based on census data. Furthermore, in the 2010 census, return rates for New Jersey’s cities were very low: 55% in Newark, 50% in Irvington, 55% in Orange, 55% in Atlantic City, 56% in New Brunswick, 59% in Trenton, 60% in Paterson, and 61% in Camden. These communities are among those labeled Hard-to-Count (HTC). Being hard-to-count can lead to unequal political representation and unequal access to vital public and private resources for these groups and their communities. Our state has so much at stake, and we need to ensure a full, fair and accurate census. Without accurate census data, the communities you care about could see less investment in their vital public and private resources.
The Fund for New Jersey has created a website, which includes interactive maps to find Hard to Count areas, resources, and news. The Fund reminds us that almost everything we know about our communities comes from information collected during the census and its related surveys. Read The Fund for New Jersey’s policy paper, Toward a Fair and Accurate Census 2020 and a Timeline for Philanthropy, and download their checklist for outlining a number of ways philanthropy can support Census 2020.
The 2020 Census is facing unprecedented challenges, including years of underfunding, a climate of fear, and the challenges of the first “high tech” census.
Ways to Help
- Review the Funder Menu of Options created in partnership by United Philanthropy Forum and the Funders Census Initiative (FCI 2020) to help funders identify what they can to do.
- Join the Funders Census Initiative Working Group. As a working group member, you’ll have access to the core listserv for funders to connect on their work at the national, state and local levels. There is no cost, and you don’t need to be a FCCP member to join.
- Sign up to get ongoing updates from the Census Bureau, including America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers, the latest news, Tip sheets, and Stats for Stories. You can also partner with our Census Regional Office.
- Talk to your grantees about the importance of a full and accurate 2020 Census, and what it means for their community and their work. Encourage them to get involved by sending them this message, and sharing this write up for use in their e-communications.
- Advocate for a fair and accurate census, and for the resources to support a complete count in your community and statewide.
- Share information on your website; via mailings, e-blasts and social media; and at your board and staff meetings to inform people why the census matters to your community and your grantees.
- Join the Census 2020 NJ Coalition, a statewide outreach and awareness campaign to coordinate nonprofit and community-based efforts to ensure an accurate 2020 Census count in New Jersey. The Coalition is working together with the State of New Jersey Complete Count Commission and the U.S. Census Bureau to make sure the public has clear, accurate information about the importance of the upcoming Census.
- Keep the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers up to date on what you are doing. Please contact Theresa Jacks, Deputy Director for more information.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of a fair census count. When census information is not accurate, it threatens to muffle the voices of undercounted groups and regions, and undermine the basic political equality that is central to our democracy. Institutions across the country, including local and state governments, businesses, nonprofits and foundations, routinely rely on data from the census to allocate funding, define where services are delivered, and promote economic development. Thank you for your commitment to making sure that everyone counts!
Websites to Visit
- The Census Project
A broad-based network of national, state, and local organizations that supports a fair and accurate 2020 Census and comprehensive American Community Survey (ACS — the modern version of the census “long form”). Participating stakeholders represent a diverse range of American sectors that rely on objective data for decision-making and promote civic engagement: business and industry; civil rights advocates; state and local governments; social service agencies; researchers and scientific associations; planners; foundations; and nonprofits focused on housing, child and family welfare, education, transportation, and other vital services. - Funders Census Initiative
A project of the Funders Committee for Civic Participation, a philanthropy-serving organization spearheading Census-related work and information for funders. - United Philanthropy Forum
The largest network serving philanthropy in America, consisting of regional and national philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs). Through the Census 2020 Project, the Forum is working with members to mobilize regional funders to advocate for policy improvements for the 2020 census, and to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of a fair and accurate census count to philanthropy. CNJG is a member of the Forum. - United States Census Bureau
The Bureau's mission is to serve as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy and is the federal government’s largest statistical agency. The Decennial Census is the once-a-decade population and housing count of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas as required by the U.S. Constitution. The results of the decennial census determine the number of seats for each state in the U.S. House of Representatives and are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts and to distribute more than $675 billion in federal funds each year. - NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development
NJ's governmental department that works with the Census Bureau to conduct the census in New Jersey. - Advocates for Children of New Jersey – Census 2020 NJ
- The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights – 2020 Census
Resources to Use
- 2017 CNJG Conference – Luncheon Keynote: The Linchpin – Why the 2020 Census Matters
- Mapping Hard to Count (HTC) Communities for a Fair and Accurate 2020 Census
- The Census Project: Fact Sheets and Reports
- The Census Project: Monthly Updates
- Census.gov: Community Outreach Toolkit
- NJ Complete Count Commission
- 2020 Census Operational Timeline
- Response Outreach Area Mapper
- Census Solutions Workshop Toolkit
- Map Showing Contact Strategies for Hard to Count Communities
- 2020 Census Complete Count Committees
- Get Out the Count Toolkit
Webinars to Watch
- What Funders Need to Know About Census 2020 Operations
- Johnson Center Podcast: This One Counts
- Brennan Center for Justice: The 2020 Census: What's at Stake
- Census Day 2019 Press Briefing (4/1/2019)
- FCI Briefing Series: Census 2020 Messaging Testing Results – presented by Color of Change
- FCI Briefing Series: Census 2020 Messaging Testing Results – presented by National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
- FCI Briefing Series: Census 2020 Messaging Testing Results – presented by Asian Americans Advancing Justice
- FCI Briefing Series: Census 2020 Messaging Testing Results – presented on Messaging Studies with the Census Bureau
- FCI Briefing Series: Census 2020 Messaging Testing Results – presented by National Congress of American Indians
- FCI Briefing Series: Census 2020 Messaging Testing Results – presented by the Arab American Institute and American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
- FCI Briefing Series: Census 2020 Messaging Testing Results – presented by San Joaquin Valley Health Fund: Census Research Project
Articles to Read
- CityLab: Ex-Census Director: Citizenship Question Is 'a Tremendous Risk' (2/27/2018)
- ProPublica: The Trump Appointee Behind the Move to Add a Citizenship Question to the Census (3/7/2018)
- FiveThirtyEight: A Million Children Didn’t Show Up In The 2010 Census. How Many Will Be Missing In 2020? (3/19/2018)
- Governing: A Census Citizenship Question Wouldn't Just Impact Blue States (3/28/2018)
- ScienceMag: 2020 census gets huge budget boost, but addition of citizenship question worries critics (3/27/2018)
- Governing: A Census Citizenship Question Wouldn't Just Impact Blue States (3/28/2018)
- TheIntercept: COUNT DOWN: How the Trump Administration Is Botching Its Only Trial Run for the 2020 Census (3/31/2018)
- ScienceMag: Trump officials claim they can avoid 2020 census problems caused by controversial citizenship question (4/13/2018)
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Foundations Push Census Turnout in Worrisome Times (5/7/2018)
- ScienceMag: More money, more worries: 2020 census plans continue to generate controversy (5/15/2018)
- The Census Project: Senate Appropriators Strongly Urged to Support House Level of Funding for 2020 Census in FY19 Appropriations (6/5/2018)
- The NonpPofit Times: Nonprofits Already Eyeing 2020 Census, $800 Billion At Stake 6/6/2018)
- NPR: Documents Shed Light On Decision To Add Census Citizenship Question (6/10/2018)
- The Census Project: June 2018 Census Project Update (7/10/2018)
- City Lab: A Visual History of the U.S. Census (7/29/2018)
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Every Person Counts: Why the Census Must Be Rescued (7/31/2018) - Subscription access
- Inside Philanthropy: Census 2020: How Is Philanthropy Responding to the Citizenship Question? (8/2/2018)
- The New York Times: Why the Government Wants to Know Your Citizenship Status (8/4/2018)
- Insider NJ: Rice Bill to Create NJ Complete Count Commission for 2020 Census Signed into Law (8/25/2018)
- Pacific Standard Magazine: Census Bureau Economists Provide More Evidence Against the Citizenship Question (8/31/2018)
- NJ Spotlight: State's Complete Count Commission Knows NJ Can't Afford a Sloppy Census (9/6/2018)
- NorthJersey.com: Paterson looks to ease immigrants’ fears that could depress its Census count. (9/19/2018)
- Governing: With 2020 Census Looming, Governments Face Many Unknowns (11/2018)
- City Lab: Would Top Census Officials Hand Over Citizenship Status Data? (11/20/2018)
- The Washington Post: Senate confirms new Census Bureau director as 2020 survey approaches (1/3/2019)
- NPR: Senate Confirms Trump's Census Bureau Director Nominee Steven Dillingham (1/9/2019)
- Press of Atlantic City: Census Complete Count Commission holds first meeting (1/10/2019)
- NPR: Judge Orders Trump Administration To Remove 2020 Census Citizenship Question (1/15/2019)
- GW Institute of Public Policy: Counting for Dollars 2020: The Role of the Decennial Census in the Geographic Distribution of Federal Funds (2/13/2019)
- The Census Project: Census Experts Commend Updated Study Showing Almost $9 Trillion Next Decade from Feds to States Depends on 2020 Census (3/8/2019)
- Nonprofit Quarterly: 3rd Judge Rejects Census Citizenship Question as US Supreme Court Date Looms (3/8/2019)
- NJ TV Online: NJ commission works toward ‘complete count’ for 2020 census (3/22/2019)
- NPR: What You Need To Know About The 2020 Census (3/31/2019)
- NJ Spotlight: NJ Urged to Put More Money and Speed into 2020 Census Preparations (4/1/2019)
- Inside Philanthropy: Census 2020: Inside Efforts to Make Sure Rural Communities Count (4/4/2019)
- Governing: In the Trump Era, Muslim Immigrants Distrust the Census (4/8/2019)
- Brookings : A year before the 2020 census, experts share four key insights (4/23/2019)
- NextCity: How Cities Plan to Save the Census (4/26/2019)
- Nonprofit Quarterly: Who Will Be Counted in the US Census? (4/29/2019)
- NJ Spotlight: Is NJ Prepared to Spend $9M - $1 per Person - to Ensure Accurate Census Count? (4/30/2019)
- Nonprofit Quarterly: Legal Advocates Speak Out about the Dangers of Weaponizing the Census (5/1/2019)
- NJ Spotlight: Census 2020: Innovation Could Boost Participation - But it Won't Come Cheap (6/11/2019)
- Science: In killing citizenship question, Trump adopts Census Bureau’s preferred solution to a thorny problem (7/11/2019)
- Governing: Citizenship Question Permanently Blocked From 2020 Census (7/17/2019)
- Federal Times: Why the 2020 census will have fewer personnel and offices (7/19/2019)
- CNBC: Experts are worried the census will once again undercount kids younger than 5 (7/29/2019)
- American Library Association: Libraries and the 2020 Census (8/1/2019)
- NJ Spotlight: Relief that $125M for upgrades to NJ libraries finally on the horizon (8/6/2019)
- NJ.gov: The State of New Jersey announces a grant program to support efforts to make sure that everyone in New Jersey is counted (9/6/2019)
- Nextgov: Census is Asking the Public to Help Fight Misinformation Ahead of 2020 (9/11/2019)
- US News: How Cities Can Make the 2020 Census a Success (9/12/2019)
- Federal News Network: Census Bureau stands up ‘fusion center’ to combat misinformation during 2020 count (9/12/2019)
- NPR: Census Bureau Fights To Prevent Spread Of Misinformation (9/13/2019)
- Reddit: Everything you wanted to know about the 2020 census (but didn't know who to ask) (10/13/2019)
- NJ Spotlight: Efforts Underway to Maximize Census Count in New Jersey (10/18/2019)
- NJ Spotlight: Census Bureau Needs 45K Temporary Workers in NJ for 2020 Count (10/23/2019)
- NJ Spotlight: Working to Overcome Census Limitations to Make New Jersey’s Count Count (12/12/2019)
Two different CNJG members queried the CEO listserve on how/when/how to return to the office following the COVID-19 pandemic. CNJG staff compiled the answers from the responding members removing identifying information of the respondents.
Summer always brings to mind those great “summer reads.” This has been an “occasional series” of CNJG eNews during the summer, over the years. In addition to this year’s curated list – I’m thrilled to share recommendations from a few CNJG Board members and the CNJG team!
CNJG Board of Trustees’ Secretary, Maisha Simmons, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, recommends Heather McGhee’s The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How we can Prosper Together. There’s also a podcast series, and the book has been adapted for young readers.
The Work: My Search for a Life that Matters by Wes Moore is the top pick from Board member, Jasmyne Beckford, The Prudential Foundation. Jasmyne reflects, this book helped her think about how she can live a life that creates impact for generations both personally and professionally.
CNJG Board member Justin Kiczek, F. M. Kirby Foundation, recently read Getting Beyond Better: How Social Entrepreneurship Works. “As our foundation holds both stewardship and entrepreneurship as core values, it helps me understand how social entrepreneurs start their journey and scale their solutions.”
In honor of Black Philanthropy Month this August, I’m excited to feature a few great reads created to inspire and inform your philanthropic journey. Thank you to Manager of Communications Shakirat Odunsi for curating this list:
- Madam C. J. Walker's Gospel of Giving: Black Women's Philanthropy during Jim Crow highlights Walker’s visionary approach to philanthropy and community-building, emphasizing the vital role of Black women’s giving in advancing social justice. Freeman’s work sheds light on how Walker’s philanthropy was an extension of her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to racial and gender equality.
- Ford Foundation’s Darren Walker reimagines Andrew Carnegie’s vision of philanthropy for the modern era in From Generosity to Justice: A New Gospel of Wealth, urging philanthropists to go beyond charity and address systemic inequalities to foster justice and lasting change.
- Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds encourages readers to embrace adaptability and resilience by using emergent strategies – small-scale actions that create large-scale impact. Author adrienne maree brown challenges traditional models of organizing and invites us to envision a more just and equitable world through collaboration, creativity, and deep connections with others. It’s a guidebook for those seeking to shape the future and navigate the complexities of change.
- Isabel Wilkerson explores how entrenched hierarchies based on race and class impact every aspect of our lives in Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Through compelling narratives and meticulous research, she reveals how this hidden system continues to perpetuate inequality and injustice, challenging us to confront these deeply rooted structures and work toward true equality.
From the CNJG team, Director of Member Services Craig Weinrich is currently reading How We Give Now: A Philanthropic Guide for the Rest of Us by Lucy Bernholz. This book demonstrates that philanthropy is about much more than money. Bernholz posits that even giving our data willingly to companies is an act of philanthropy. This is a great intersection to the Spring Colloquium conversation around AI, and ongoing discussions about how we can expand our definition of philanthropy as guided by our Strategic Plan.
Chanika Svetvilas, Manager of Programs and Learning recommends Against Technoableism by Ashley Shew and Imagination A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin. Not too long ago I read Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, which prompted me to really consider what each of us should focus on in our day-to-day work, and what we need to let go. It’s a practical, insightful guide that led to several “aha” moments. All three books challenge us to think very differently about our world and what’s possible.
And finally, a recently discovered read I’ve gifted to family and friends, All the Colors of Life by renowned artist Lisa Aisato; this will lift your spirits as you find yourself paging through it and experiencing it over and over again.
Happy Summer Reading!
On a different note, I hope you will join us at the Summer Joint Policy Forum – Nonprofit and Philanthropic Champions for New Jersey on August 13, at The Heldrich in New Brunswick. I look forward to seeing you there, and hearing what’s on your summer reading list!
Sincerely,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
In this briefing on housing and homeless, you will hear about the changes of federal policy on housing and their impact in New Jersey, you will hear from a panel who will discuss the potential effects of state policy changes on homelessness and housing, including the administration of housing choice vouchers. Potential funding cuts can lead to staffing reductions on housing and homeless services. The uncertainty faced by agencies regarding their funding and the need for legal support can create fear and confusion among agencies in New Jersey. Panelists will discuss what funding strategies and ways to support grantees. At the state and local levels, there is also a need for funders to support policy advocacy and legal assistance.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
Adam Gordon, Executive Director, Fair Share Housing Center, coordinated strategy of organizing, litigation, and policy development to advance racial, economic, and social integration throughout New Jersey and the United States. Since joining the organization in 2006, he has worked to implement New Jersey’s Mount Laurel Doctrine, which has created over 70,000 affordable homes in historically exclusionary communities. He also litigated the largest federal fair housing case in U.S. history and has worked to make federal disaster recovery policy more equitable. Under Gordon’s leadership, FSHC secured passage of the first statewide Fair Chance in Housing Act to limit discriminatory tenant screening policies, a landmark $305 million fund to accelerate affordable housing development, and major legislation to strengthen enforcement of the Mount Laurel Doctrine. Gordon is a co-founder and former Board Chair of Next City.
Elisa Harrigan is the Policy Strategist for the Fund for Housing and Opportunity. She is a disrupter, change agent, and bridge-builder in the philanthropic space. She has an extensive track record centering impacted communities and applying an intersectional equity lens to her work. Elisa brings almost 20 years of experience and expertise to FHO as an influential voice for housing justice in governmental, philanthropic, and nonprofit arenas. The Fund for Housing and Opportunity is a nationwide collaborative working to protect renters and prevent homelessness. FHO brings funders together from across sectors and perspectives to support organizations on the frontlines of housing justice.
Taiisa Kelly, CEO, Monarch Housing Associates, has experience in housing development working with federal, state and local funding sources to secure financing for special needs housing projects. Mrs. Kelly is a dedicated advocate for social justice who has assisted Monarch in expanding services to include strategic planning, grant writing, system oversight, project monitoring, grant administration, innovative program development, and data analysis. Since becoming CEO in 2019, Ms. Kelly has worked to expand and innovate the housing development focus of the agency. Monarch is developing new partnerships to support the creation of housing for marginalized communities with an eye towards innovations in development. Under Ms. Kelly’s leadership Monarch is focused on integrating racial equity into all aspects of homeless planning and housing development with the intent of ending homelessness in New Jersey. Ms. Kelly was inducted into the NJ Housing and Economic Development Hall of Fame in 2023, and was named as one of the 2021 Best 50 Women in Business by NJBIZ Magazine. Mrs. Kelly serves on the Boards of Directors for Nourish.NJ and for the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (HCDNNJ). She is a Member of United Black Agenda Committee and of the Enterprise Community Leadership Council and Enterprise Community Loan Fund Board, as well as a Commissioner on the Newark Commission on Homelessness. She additionally serves on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation JEGNA Council, the New Jersey State of Affordable Housing (NJSOARH) Advisory Committee.
Lucy Vandenberg is the Executive Director of the Schumann Fund for New Jersey. She leads the Fund’s mission to empower low-income children and families of color to thrive. Lucy ensures that Schumann Fund’s investments positively impact opportunities for affordable homes and healthy communities, early childhood and education, and child welfare and youth justice in Essex County and statewide. From 2013 through 2021, Lucy served as Senior Program Officer for The Fund for New Jersey and managed a $3 million grant portfolio that included lead poisoning prevention, public education, public media, racial justice, immigration, and the environment. Previously, Lucy served as Executive Director of the New Jersey State Council on Affordable Housing. She worked with municipalities to provide their fair share of affordable housing resulting from New Jersey’s landmark Mt. Laurel Supreme Court decisions. Earlier in her career, Lucy served as Senior Policy Advisor for Housing and Urban Revitalization in Governor James E. McGreevey’s administration, and as the Associate Director of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey.
Janel Winter, Assistant Commissioner leads the Division of Housing and Community Affairs, which includes the State’s public housing authority serving more than 40,000 households annually; home energy assistance programs serving more than 200,000 families annually; affordable housing production programs; the Office of Homelessness Prevention; the Office of Eviction Prevention; weatherization and lead remediation and abatement programs; neighborhood revitalization programs; and a variety of other community of other community development initiatives. She has managed the distribution of $2 Billion in federal Covid-related funds to address rental and utility arrears and community revitalization and development throughout the State. Prior to joining DCA, Janel led the Office of Housing at the NJ Department of Human Services and served as Associate Director at the Corporation for Supportive Housing/CSH. Before returning to her home state of NJ, Janel worked at various direct service homelessness and housing agencies in Chicago.
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
In this arts briefing, Nadia Elokdah, Vice President and Program Director for Grantmakers in the Arts, will discuss the unique opportunity for arts grantmakers to support advocacy and influence policy through their funding decisions and why the arts should be included in decision-making processes. She will also cover the importance of arts funding in building narrative power and driving cultural change. Vanessa Ramalho, Director of External Relations of ArtPride New Jersey, will highlight the challenges faced by arts and cultural organizations in New Jersey and their intersections with community issues relating to the ongoing changes in federal policy. She will also share how ArtPride New Jersey is leveraging its statewide reach to develop collaborative advocacy strategies to influence and help shape policies informed by the needs and voices of the arts sector and the communities they serve. Vanessa will explore ways that funders might shift their focus and priorities to better meet the needs of organizations that are navigating increasing financial uncertainty as a result of federal policy changes.
Nadia Elokdah is an urbanist and design strategist with more than a decade working at the intersection of public systems and cultural practice. She currently serves as Vice President & Director of Programs at GIA. Most recently she served as special projects manager with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs coordinating the City’s monuments commission. Prior, she served as coordinator in the development of the City’s first cultural plan, CreateNYC, in which she coordinated and led hundreds of engagements with a broad cross-section of the public, as well collaborating in the writing and production of the plan. She is devoted to civic engagement through culturally responsible, inclusive, and equitable design practice, exemplified in collaborations with the International Design Clinic, in.site collaborative, and Monuments Lab. Nadia is a trained architect and designer, researcher, professor, and published author, including Identity Crisis, a cultural exploration of urban planning through the hammam. She currently serves as steering committee member of the Women of Color in the Arts (WOCA) Non-Black POC Solidarity! into Action Committee, National Coalition for Arts Preparedness & Emergency Response (NCAPER) Programming Working Group, and an advisory board member for Unsettled.
Vanessa Ramalho, Director of External Relations, supports ArtPride’s advocacy and government affairs work, leading efforts to move forward legislative priorities that support the sustainability of the arts in New Jersey. Vanessa also builds relationships with constituents throughout the state — from community members to arts organizations, and local and state representatives — to support the cultivation of a thriving arts ecosystem. With nearly 20 years of experience in the nonprofit arts & cultural sector, Vanessa has led community education, fundraising, and grassroots advocacy projects across a range of organizations, including the Sadie Nash Leadership Project, the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS (APICHA), Project KISS of New York Presbyterian Hospital, The Princeton Ballet School, the Asian Arts Initiative, and the Center for Babaylan Studies.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
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
Webinar Video
Novartis benchmarked Employee Crisis Programs, and asked fellow corporate funders via the corporate funders listserve to answer the questions below.
- If you have an Employee Crisis Program, what is the name
- Do you manage the program internally or thru a 3rd party? If you use a 3rd party, can you share their name/website and any good/bad experiences.
- Do you only support disasters or other hardships as well?
- What is the average percentage of your employees that apply for aid?
- What is your minimum and maximum funding?
- What is the average amount of aid?
- Do you provide aid directly to the employee and/or vendors?
- Do you allow employees to donate to your fund? If so, how do you promote awareness and what is the employee donation participation rate? Do you match these donations?
- Where does the program reside (CSR, Foundation, HR)?
- Please share guidelines and applications, if possible.
- Please share any other insights.

CNJG's President's Reports
This resource guide includes various virtual volunteer opportunities, additional resources, and best practices for corporate volunteer programs during the coronavirus pandemic.
This resource will be updated, as CNJG and corporate members collect new information and opportunities to share with colleagues.
A CNJG member queried our listserves on what online grants management system members use and would recommend for a small foundation. CNJG compiled these responses, and listed the different systems that members do use.
How the government can partner with impact investors to unleash new capital, talent and energy for maximum impact.
A working glossary of terms to help shape a common language for work in Community Capacity. This glossary is intended to help promote philanthropy's roles in building community capacity by defining core concepts and closely related terms.

This includes insights and tips related to board governance, legal compliance, grantee communications, fiscal responsibility, public disclosure, and many other key areas of foundation governance and operations. It is intended to serve as a practical resource to assist foundations in their grantmaking.
CNJG’s community foundation services (through the United Philanthropy Forum) breakdown into three categories:
1. a national listserv for CEOs
2. two in-person boot camp trainings
3. discount on the On-Line CF Express Training
National Listserv for Community Foundation CEOs
CNJG’s listserve for Community Foundation CEOs connects to a national listserv for the CEOs of community foundations. This active listserve allows community foundation CEOs to communicate easily via email with community foundation CEOs from across the country, to pose questions, engage in conversations and more. The service is being made available to our community foundations members as a benefit of your membership with CNJG and is operated by the Untied Philanthropy Forum, which is CNJG’s national network.
If you are interested in participating in this national community foundation listserve, please contact Craig Weinrich.
Community Foundation Boot Camps
The United Philanthropy Forum offers two or more Community Foundation Boot Camps a year that are made available to CNJG members at the member rate as a benefit of CNJG membership. The two-day Community Foundation Boot Camp program offers a comprehensive overview of the structure and operations of a community foundation. The program is an ideal in-depth introduction to community foundations for new community foundation staff, community foundation board members, or more experienced community foundation staff looking for a good refresher.
On-Line CF Express Training
The Forum is partnering with Kansas Association of Community Foundations (KACF) to offer a $400 discount on KACF’s On-Line CF Express Training. The online training and certificate program focuses on core essentials over a 15-module series that covers nearly every aspect of community foundation work: from asset development and quality grants programs design to fiduciary and policy matters. Plus, enjoy 24-hour-access to the easy-to-navigate short (5-15 min) modules in any order from the comfort of a home or an office, in private, or as a group training.
Watch the CF Express Training Promo Video and view a sample module (password: mod15) to learn more. To take advantage of the discount, sign-up at https://cfexpresstraining.com and enter discount code: Forum2018. You can also reference the following attachments for more details.
This PowerPoint presentation developed by Southeastern Council of Foundations provides an excellent overview to the pros and cons of different philanthropic structures for Corporate entities, including Corporate Foundations, Corporate Giving Programs, and working through Community Foundations.
Native Voices Rising is a joint research and re-granting project of Native Americans in Philanthropy and Common Counsel Foundation. This report focuses on the practices and challenges of community organizing and advocacy, focusing on the need for increased investment in and sustained support for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities.