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CNJG's President's Reports
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts awarded more than $28 million in grants to support over 700 arts organizations, projects, and artists throughout the state. The grants were approved earlier today at the Arts Council's 56th Annual Meeting.
“It has been an honor to witness the ongoing dedication and boundless creativity of our state’s arts sector,” said Secretary of State Tahesha Way. “I am proud to work closely with the State Arts Council as they grow and innovate, finding new ways to best serve the artists, arts workers, and organizations that continue to engage and inspire communities throughout the state.
Impact 100 Garden State, an all-women organization for collective giving and a fund at the Community Foundation of New Jersey, has entered a record-breaking year as it celebrates its 10th anniversary of giving. The organization has announced:
- 364 members, the biggest number ever
- $364,000 to give in grants in 2022, the highest amount ever
- An 85% renewal rate and 64 new members, despite the challenges of the pandemic
- Two special 10th Anniversary Grants of $20,000 each, one in the area of Arts & Culture and the other in the category of Environment, Preservation & Recreation, to be awarded in October 2022.
At its Annual Awards Meeting on June 9th, Impact 100 Garden state awarded $100,000 in grants.
By the end of 2022, Impact 100 Garden State will have awarded more than $2.8 million to nonprofits in its service area of Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Union Counties.
“As we celebrate our tenth year of grant-making, I continue to be amazed by the collective womanpower of our members, which makes these grants possible,” says Impact 100 Garden State President Debby Seme. “Our ability to make a significant impact in our communities begins with individual members’ donations and continues through outreach to nonprofits, membership recruitment and engagement, grant evaluation and grant oversight. We couldn’t be more proud to support these outstanding organizations.”
CECP’s Giving in Numbers™is the unrivaled leader in benchmarking on corporate social investments, in partnership with companies. It is the premier industry survey and research, providing standard-setting criteria in a go-to guide that has defined the field and advanced the movement. CECP has the largest and most historical data set on trends in the industry, shared by more than 585 multi-billion-dollar companies over nearly 19 years, representing more than $312 billion in corporate social investments over that time span. The report is embraced by professionals across all sectors globally to understand how corporations invest in society, with topics ranging from cash and in-kind/product, employee volunteerism and giving, and impact measurement.
Kessler Foundation approved approximately $2 million in grants in 2021 to support initiatives that promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace. The Foundation allocated funding for three categories: Foundation-Directed Grants, Community Employment Grants, and Special Initiative Grants. Since 2005, the Foundation's Center for Grantmaking has awarded more than $50 million to nonprofit programs that expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities striving to work, adding diversity to American workplaces, and boosting productivity.
Kessler grantmaking has lead to improved job skills and paid employment for thousands of individuals with disabilities.
The Foundation's contributions have led to improved job skills and paid employment for thousands of individuals with disabilities, according to Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SLP, senior vice president for grants and communications at Kessler Foundation. "Our grants support inventive initiatives that open new pathways to increasing inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace," she added.
The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) joined more than 1,000 community foundations nationwide to celebrate National Community Foundation Week from November 12-18, 2023. During the week, the NNJCF, a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey, announced on National Philanthropy Day that $53,803 in grant and scholarship awards were made in 2023. These grants and scholarships were recommended by a Grants Committee and reviewed and approved by the NNJCF’s Board of Trustees.
“During our 25th anniversary, we are delighted to support several organizations responding to the needs in their communities and making an impact,” said NNJCF Executive Director Leonardo Vazquez. “We thank the Foundation’s donors and supporters for making these grant and scholarship awards possible.”
The Grantmakers Concerned for Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) present this program coinciding with Women’s History Month. Bringing in leaders who work at the intersections of these identities, this webinar will provide an overview of the most pressing challenges faced by low-paid immigrant women as well as the diverse strategies groups are employing to address them. GCIR will focus on economic empowerment, we will explore how on the ways philanthropy can support the immediate needs of these communities while building long-term worker power that transcends migrant status and gender identity.
Registration:
There is no cost for this webinar.
You will need to log in or create an account on GCIR's website to register for this program.
Please register for this program by 5pm PT on Wednesday, March 26th.
Impact 100 Jersey Coast, a local women-led philanthropic collective, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the announcement of $348,000 in grant funding available in 2025.
Since its founding in July 2015, the organization has awarded $3.6 million to nonprofits serving Monmouth and Ocean counties.
This milestone year includes three $100,000 Core Grants, three $10,000 Mission Awards for finalists, and four $4,500 Ignite Grants—a newer initiative designed to support smaller grassroots organizations with annual budgets under $100,000.
“We are thrilled to welcome 348 members for 2025,” said Co-President Lori Missig. “That number reflects the strength and generosity of our collective, and we’re proud to support more nonprofits than ever.”
As The Westfield Foundation marks its 50th anniversary, it proudly announces a $225,000 grant from the Bertha E. Bogaert Fund to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Union County (BGCUC) to support a new Teen Center at their recently secured and renovated facility in Plainfield.
This grant continues a decade-long partnership between The Westfield Foundation and BGCUC, with total support now exceeding $625,000. The new Teen Center will offer a safe, inclusive, and empowering environment for teens—providing leadership development, gang prevention programming, mental health resources, and career exploration. A new trade education initiative will feature a professional recording studio and media center, designed and built in collaboration with local tradespeople and BGCUC members, to give youth ages 13–18 hands-on experience and workforce readiness skills.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts awarded more than $29 million in grants to support nearly 1,000 arts organizations, projects, and artists throughout the state. The grants were approved earlier today at the Council's 59th Annual Meeting in Trenton, which featured a special performance by Hadassah Broughton, the 2025 NJ Poetry Out Loud State Champion.
State funding for the Arts Council comes from a portion of the revenue generated through the State’s Hotel/Motel Occupancy Fee, and supports arts activity in all 21 counties. As the largest funder of the arts in New Jersey, Council funding supports critical operating grants for nonprofits, and key initiatives in arts education, creative aging, and economic and community development.
A CNJG member queried our listserves for sample questions (not included in the grant application) you might ask grantees or potential grantees during site visits. CNJG compiled these responses, and other documents members use.
The National Center for Family Philanthropy and Youth Philanthropy Connect, a program of the Frieda C. Fox Foundation, have joined together to bring new resources to the field of philanthropy focused on engaging the next generation of donors and family members. Igniting the Spark: Creating Effective Next Gen Boards is the first publication of its kind, offering a comprehensive overview of the growing practice among family foundations and donor advised fund holders of using next generation boards.
The issue brief outlines creative options for involving children as young as 8 in family philanthropy. It is supplemented by case studies of seven foundations using next gen boards and other approaches for engaging youth in philanthropy. Throughout both resources, the voices of next gen donors describe what works — and what doesn’t — providing family members and staff with guidance and insights new to the field.
TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, awarded 32 local organizations from Maine to Florida nearly $5 million through its 15th Annual Housing for Everyone grant competition. The Housing for Everyone program has awarded more than $32 million in grants to over 500 community organizations since 2005.
The 2020 competition focused on supporting organizations that provide direct rent relief and supportive services to individuals hit hardest by the pandemic. To commemorate the 15th anniversary of Housing for Everyone, the TD Charitable Foundation increased the total amount of grants to be awarded by 30%, from $3.75 million to $4.9 million. Grants ranging from $125,000 - $250,000 were awarded to organizations working to help COVID-impacted households remain in safe, affordable rental units.
"The economic instability created by the pandemic has exacerbated the challenges faced by many renters, a large percentage of whom have experienced job loss and lack healthcare insurance," said Paige Carlson-Heim, Director of the TD Charitable Foundation. "It's estimated that up to 34 million people who rent are at risk of losing their homes when eviction moratoriums and other renter protections expire. The TD Charitable Foundation is proud to support this year's Housing for Everyone grant recipients as they play a key role in helping to combat this statistic in their local communities."
The New Jersey Historical Commission board has approved $5.2 million in Fiscal Year 2026 (FY 26) grant funding benefitting 93 historical organizations, museums, historic sites, archives, libraries, individuals, and county re-grant agencies across the state.
The $5.2 million in FY 26 funding will support the New Jersey Historical Commission’s General Operating Support (GOS) program, which covers an array of operational expenses for qualified history organizations; Projects and Co-Sponsored Projects, which includes New Jersey-based historical research, exhibits, programs, and archival work; and the County History Partnership Program (CHPP), which provides all 21 counties with funding for local history groups statewide.
The funding for FY 26 takes on even greater importance as the state’s history community plans and prepares programming for the upcoming America 250th commemoration in 2026.
“From promoting civic engagement, expanding economic vitality, and broadening the knowledge of the state’s exceptional cultural resources, this funding strengthens that commitment by providing critical support to advance awareness of New Jersey’s past,” noted Lt. Governor Tahesha Way, who oversees the NJHC in her role as Secretary of State. “The result will be a strong, inclusive, and proactive history community ready to maximize its programmatic impacts for the 250th in 2026.”
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers invites members – and prospective members – from across the state to gather for an evening of connection and community. Rooted in CNJG’s mission of fostering shared learning, collaborative and trusting relationships, and network building, this event invites philanthropic peers to connect, converse, and cultivate meaningful connections in a welcoming and convivial setting.
The afternoon will include a brief welcome from CNJG leadership and our hosts followed by open time to mingle, share stories, and strengthen the trusted relationships that form the heart of our community. A tour of the arboretum grounds will be available for those interested.
Whether you are looking to reconnect with long-time colleagues, meet new peers from across the state, or cultivate new ideas that may spark future collaborations, this social offers the chance to deepen relationships that sustain and strengthen New Jersey’s philanthropic sector.
About the Arboretum: Once a country estate, Reeves-Reed Arboretum is now a 13.5 acre public garden listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. Its estate and gardens represent design trends by prominent late 19th and early 20th century landscape architects, including Calvert Vaux, a partner of Frederick Law Olmsted. More information can be found here.
There is no cost to attend this event.
Light refreshments will be provided.
CNJG thanks Investors Foundation and the Maher Charitable Foundation for underwriting the costs of the social