Site Search
- resource provided by the Forum Network Knowledgebase.
Search Tip: Search with " " to find exact matches.
This advocacy and civic engagement toolkit is designed for community and public foundations that want to educate and encourage their grantees about getting involved in civic and policy activities to increase organizational capacity and impact. While its primary focus is on the grantmaking activity of these foundations, the toolkit also addresses rules and guidance for policy involvement by foundation officials acting on behalf of their foundations.
Directors & Officers liability insurance provides financial protection for a foundation and its directors, officers, employees, and volunteers in the event of a lawsuit. CNJG offers its members the D&O liability insurance program provided through Aon Association Services, underwritten by The Hartford and endorsed by the United Philanthropy Forum. A discount is available to foundations with current membership with CNJG.
Fiduciary Liability and other coverage is also available to members at a discounted rate. Coverage is available in all states. Brokers can access the Forum’s D&O program through Aon Association Services.
Learn more using the documents below, on the Aon website or by contacting Jason Tharpe, program administrator at Aon Affinity, at 202-429-8561. To obtain the discount, foundations should let Aon know they are a member of CNJG, a member of the United Philanthropy Forum.
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.
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.
More than a decade ago, the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and Philanthropy New York spearheaded a project to develop common application and report forms to help streamline the grant application process and ease the often time-consuming grant preparation process.
This application is a four-page form, which includes directions for use, a sample cover sheet, and the common grant proposal guidelines.
The separate Common Report Form follows closely the format of the New York/New Jersey Area Common Application Form.
Information for Grantmakers:
One of the core values at the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project (with whom CNJG partnered on a trust-based grantmaking learning series in the summer of 2021 – read about Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) encourages funders to streamline their requirements for paperwork from nonprofits. Accepting the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Report Form is one way. Another is to accept reports from nonprofits that they submitted to a different funder.
Recent articles from Vu Le at NonprofitAF.com (We need to have a serious talk about character limits on grant applications and Trust-based grantmaking: What it is and why it’s critical to our sector), Joan Garry in the Chronicle of Philanthropy (A Plea from Community Nonprofits for Investment Equity and less Bureaucracy), and the research project by the Technology Association of Grantmakers (Grant Applications Share 39% Similarity According to New Research by TAG) in the summer of 2021 have re-focused attention on the concept of a common grant application.
CNJG encourages our members to review the application and report form, and consider accepting these forms (or using these questions on your online application / report form) from your current or potential grantees.
CNJG surveyed our members in August 2021 asking if they accepted the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Application and report form. CNJG members can download that report (link forthcoming).
Information for Grantseekers:
Before sending this (or any) application to any funder, be sure to check their specific funding guidelines and application requirements. Some funders require preliminary, additional, or supplementary information. Some funders only accept their own application form. CNJG members are under no obligation to accept either the common grant application or common grant report form.
Additional notes when using the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Application Form:
- Please check with each individual funder if they accept only their own form, the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Application form, or some other form.
- Funding area guidelines still apply. Research each organization’s funding areas to be sure your proposal fits within their guidelines before submitting your application.
- Any funder that has agreed to accept the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Application may request additional information at any stage in their application process.
- Every funder has different deadlines and timetables. Refer to each organization's funding and/or reporting guidelines.
- Do not submit the NY/NJ Area Common Grant Application or report form to the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers. Submit your application directly to the organization from which you are requesting support.
- Questions should be directed to the organization from which you are requesting support.
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.