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In March 2024, Governor Murphy signed into law significant reforms to the ways that New Jersey enforces municipal affordable housing obligations under the state Supreme Court Mount Laurel doctrine. The new law creates enhanced affordable housing opportunities for New Jersey’s low-and moderate-income households, while seeking to streamline the affordable housing development process by setting clear guidelines for determining housing obligations. It is expected to reduce legal costs and judicial involvement. Join Adam Gordon, Executive Director and Emily Devenney, Grants and Development Manager of the Fair Share Housing Center for a conversation about what this new legislation means for philanthropy.

Since the revival and improved enforcement of the Mount Laurel Doctrine in 2015, New Jersey has seen a considerable increase in affordable housing production. However, there remains a substantial shortage of affordable homes in the state, particularly for very low-income residents. The legislation aims to address this gap by ensuring that every municipality contributes its fair share of affordable housing.

Key features of the legislation include a streamlined process for determining affordable housing obligations, codification of methodology for calculating these obligations, increased transparency in the housing development process, and the repeal of the state Council on Affordable Housing (COAH). Additionally, the legislation prohibits wealthy towns from avoiding their housing obligations through regional contribution agreements.

Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers

Adam Gordon is the Executive Director of FSHC and leads FSHC’s 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 the Mount Laurel Doctrine which has created over 70,000 affordable homes in historically exclusionary NJ communities, litigated the largest federal fair housing case in American history, and worked to make federal disaster recovery policy more equitable. Under his leadership FSHC has secured the passage of the first statewide Fair Chance in Housing Act to limit discriminatory tenant screening policies and a landmark $305 million fund to accelerate affordable housing development. Gordon holds a B.A. and J.D. from Yale University.

Emily Devenney joined Fair Share Housing Center as the Grants & Development Manager in January 2024. She comes with experience in fundraising and community organizing, and strong connections to South Jersey, where she was born and raised (and likely will never leave). Emily has a B.A. in Economics and a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Certificate in Fundraising from Villanova University.

Webinar Video

Resource:
2023 Dismantling Exclusionary Zoning Report

CNJG joined over 350 delegates from across the country for Foundations on the Hill on February 23-26. The event included a policy conference followed by meetings on Capitol Hill. Our delegation was a nice mix of newcomers to FOTH and those with years of experience.

Joining me this year were Board Chair Craig Drinkard; Sharnita Johnson, Victoria Foundation; Board Secretary Kortney Swanson Davis, Forman Acton Foundation; Board members, Jeremy Grunin, Grunin Foundation, and Lucy Vandenberg, Schumann Fund for New Jersey; Bill Engel, The Union Foundation; Carrie Bersak and Jessica Nugent, The Burke Foundation; Sharif Braxton, EQUIP NJ; Naeema Campbell, The Fund for New Jersey; Alma Garcia and Hellen Zamora-Bustos, Equity Ahora (formerly New Jersey Health Initiatives); Jessica Johansen and Shelley Skinner, The Tepper Foundation; Sharese York, Smith Family Foundation; Nelida Valentin, Princeton Area Community Foundation; and Renee Woodside, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey.

For the last few years, we’ve also been joined by Linda Czipo, President and CEO, New Jersey Center for Nonprofits. Linda’s voice elevates our conversations and helps ground them in the work nonprofits do every day. 

Speaking with one voice, we urged our legislators to sign on to the bipartisan Charitable Act (H.R.801/S.317). Congressman Kean co-signed the bill on March 3, 2025. We also took the opportunity to share with our Congressional delegation how changes in federal policy and various executive actions are impacting nonprofits and the communities we collectively serve. 

In advance of FOTH, the Center surveyed NJ nonprofits for the New Jersey Nonprofits Trends and Outlook 2025 Report – just released this morning! As part of their survey, they also asked for on-the-ground stories of impact in the face of federal funding freezes and actions from the executive branch. Here’s a sampling of what they heard and what we shared at FOTH:

“As of 2/12/25 our agency had not received over $1.5 million owed on federal contracts for work performed in December and January, and on 2/11/25 we furloughed 46 employees … There are currently 1,000 children in NJ who need services in the database for unaccompanied minors where our program staff are assigned cases…If staff are furloughed or laid off these children will not receive services.”

“It was terrifying--a payroll week. We were afraid that we would not be able to pay contractors for work they had already done. Our refugee assistance programs, which had just expanded, lost funding. We were afraid that we would not be reimbursed for $100,000 in disbursements … we had to let go 2 brand new staff members.”

“[Organization] receives federal funding administered by the state and counties (Aging funds and Ryan White funds). If we lose those funds, we will not be able to serve seniors in Ocean and Union County or people living with HIV in 8 counties in NJ.” 

“Our federal grants comprise of about $900,000 in total. These funds are our main lifeline for our mental health counseling and sexual violence programming. Especially those who are already marginalized, underserved and/or at risk are more vulnerable to the funding uncertainties than any other groups…”

FOTH is always an opportunity for us to discuss issues of interest to philanthropy, advocate for policy and legislation that strengthen the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors and build relationships with legislators.

This year, we also had a moral obligation to ring the alarm and make sure our representatives understood how communities are being impacted by a wave of reckless and destructive policy decisions. 

Earlier this morning, the Center presented their webinar, "The State of NJ’s Nonprofit Sector", providing a high-level review of the related report. Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents reported that at least some of their funding comes from federal grants or contracts which account for more than 4,500 jobs. These findings tell us that people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake. 

The webinar provided a concise list of what funders can do during these especially challenging times: 

• Check in with nonprofit partners.
• Provide flexible funding.
• Simplify applications and reporting processes.
• Connect nonprofits to information/guidance (Start here with Resources to Navigate Uncertainty).
• Fund advocacy.
• If possible, please increase your payout.

These recommendations align with Doing Good Better and so much of what we’re hearing from CNJG members and the broader philanthropic sector. 

As foundation leaders dedicated to our New Jersey communities, please consider the full range of strategies your organizations can employ during these truly unprecedented times. Manager of Communications Shakirat Odunsi will collect stories from you, our members, about how you are changing/adapting your grantmaking and work in the face of the dramatic policy shifts that are happening in the executive branch. I also encourage you to share those stories directly with your CNJG colleagues via the listservs.

My colleague Linda ended the webinar with, “We are not alone. We can do this together!” And I’ll add - in fact, we must do this together.

In solidarity,

Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers

Community foundations are beginning to deepen and shift how they work, adopting an anchor mission that seeks to fully deploy all resources to build community wealth. Moving into territory relatively uncharted for community foundations, they are taking up impact investing and economic development — some in advanced ways, others with small steps. This report offers an overview of how 30 representative community foundations — including The Seattle Foundation, the Vermont Community Foundation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation — are working toward adopting this new anchor mission.

This Democracy Collaborative report was written by Marjorie Kelly, Senior Fellow and Director of Special Projects and Violeta Duncan, Community Development Associate.

Learn how you can register for events online, search the member directory for organizations and colleagues who have the same interests, and update your profile.

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.

Steering Committee

Jorge Cruz, Executive Director, LISC Greater Newark
Linda Czipo, President & CEO of the New Jersey Center of Nonprofits
Jackie Edwards, Executive Director, Parents Inc of NJ
Victoria Fernandez, Director of Thriving Communities, Grunin Foundation; and Co-Founder, Nonprofit Professionals of Color Collective
Tyneisha Gibbs, Founder and Principal Consultant of 144th & Vine; and Co-Founder, Nonprofit Professionals of Color Collective
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
Bridget Phifer, Chief Executive Officer, Parkside Business & Community in Partnership
Rosalía Velázquez, Director of Strategic Partnerships, New Jersey Center of Nonprofits

Advisory Group

Keith R. Adams, Executive Director, NJVOAD
Carin Berkowitz, Executive Director, New Jersey Council for the Humanities
Elsa Candelario, Professor of Professional Practice, Latino/a/x Initiatives for Service, Training, and Assessment, Rutgers School of Social Work
Jane Cohen, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy
René O. Deida, Director, Corporate and Community Engagement, Prudential Financial, Inc.
Hans Dekker, President, Community Foundation of New Jersey
Craig Drinkard, Co-Executive Officer, Victoria Foundation
Bill Engel President, The Union Foundation
Andy Fraizer Executive Director, Community Foundation of South Jersey
Laurie Goganzer, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Monmouth County
Jeremy Grunin, President, Grunin Foundation
Bob Guarasci, Founder & CEO, New Jersey Community Development Corporation
Susan Hoskins, Executive Director, Friends Foundation for the Aging
Sharnita C. Johnson, Vice President of Strategy, Impact and Communication, Victoria Foundation
Elaine E. Katz, Sr. Vice President, Kessler Foundation
Eddie LaPorte, Director, New Jersey Office of Faith Based Initiatives
Taneshia Nash Laird, President and CEO, Newark Symphony Hall
Tammy Rice Herman, Director of Grants & Strategies, New Jersey State Council on the Arts
John Thurber, Partner, Br'Island Group
Keith Timko, Executive Director & CEO, Support Center
Sandra Toussaint, President & CEO, United Way of Greater Mercer County
Allison Tratner, Executive Director, New Jersey State Council on the Arts
Mark Valli, CEO, NORWESCAP
Margaret Waldock, Executive Director, Duke Farms
Catherine Wilson, President & CEO, United Way of Greater Newark

Doing Good Better, a partnership of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits, is a community of funders and nonprofits taking action against the power imbalances and racial inequities in philanthropy, nonprofits, and government.