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This piece captures five key insights to guide organizations as they develop ongoing Measurement, Learning, and Evaluation plans to achieve greater social impact:
- Theory of Change amplifies your impact—helping you focus on the linkages between, and assumptions underlying, your strategies and outcomes.
- Progress toward long-term goals is observable in interim measures.
- Setting targets along the way forecasts your trajectory and provides feedback that tells you if you’re moving in the right direction.
- Impactful measurement needs to align with the rhythm of your work and provide the right data at the right times.
- The payoff of measurement is in the practice, and putting that practice to use greatly increases your odds of success.
When confronted with measurement and evaluation, some turn first to the expensive and time-consuming practice of “gold standard” experimental designs requiring comparison groups to definitively prove whether an intervention delivers the expected results. While measurements of this type are reasonable in certain situations, they are often a stretch for the real world of social innovation and are limited in their timeliness, strategic value, cultural applicability, and validity for measuring the changes sought.
You can get more for less—by deploying measurement based on social science rigor and valuing adaptability and learning. In other words, social innovation is best measured in real time and in ways that can be seamlessly woven into the rhythm of the business cycle and the daily practices of those responsible for funding, managing, and implementing social change.
New Jersey Community Capital, the state’s largest community development financial institution, announced Tuesday that it has donated a total of $50,000 to the municipalities of Newark, Paterson, Camden, Trenton and New Brunswick.
Each of the five municipalities will receive $10,000 in funding for specific community organizations or initiatives focused on economic development, youth programs, public health and more. The donation is part of NJCC’s commitment to this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration theme: “It starts with me: cultivating a beloved community mindset to transform unjust systems.” NJCC CEO Bernel Hall said the organization feels the donations will have great impact.
In honor of the life, legacy and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, New Jersey Community Capital invites you to join it in furthering NJCC’s mission of promoting equitable opportunities for all.
“We’re thrilled to be able to build on Dr. King’s mission and integrate it into our work throughout New Jersey and support such well-deserving community organizations and impactful programming,” he said. “These cities are doing crucial work to make New Jersey the best it can be, and partnering with them to do even more will provide better outcomes and opportunities for residents.” Hall said NJCC’s charitable giving corresponds to its work across the state to finance the predevelopment, acquisition, construction, rehabilitation and mini-permanent needs of affordable housing units for ownership and rental opportunities. NJCC’s lending takes a holistic and equitable approach by financing projects that use the diverse pillars of a community, including small businesses, commercial office and retail spaces and early childhood education centers.
The Princeton Area Community Foundation has awarded a total of $250,000 in grants to local nonprofits for summer initiatives that reach children and teens, including many whose families would not otherwise have access to affordable, high-quality programs when school is not in session.
The grants, funded through the Community Foundation’s Community Impact program, will support 26 summer programs that provide a wide variety of ac
tivities for young people, including arts instruction, academic enrichment, social-emotional learning opportunities, swimming and sports lessons. Many programs also provide transportation and meals. Some initiatives include bilingual instruction. Some are geared toward populations that may be difficult to reach, such as tweens and teens.
For many families, summer programs serve as safety nets that help working parents. But for many families, the programs are often out of reach, because of affordability or accessibility.
“Summer programs help reduce learning loss and provide much needed support for many working families who otherwise would not be able to enroll their children in quality, summer activities during the summer months,” Nelida Valentin, Community Foundation vice president of grants and programs, said. “These grants help nonprofit partners sustain terrific initiatives that serve some of our most vulnerable children, particularly teens and tweens in this region. We also want to thank our generous donors, whose support of our Community Impact grants program helps make these grants possible.”
The Disability & Philanthropy Forum invites you to register for the 2024 Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series. All of our 2024 webinars will be open to the public. This collective learning journey will focus on why a disability lens is essential to addressing key social justice issues. Each webinar will engage philanthropic leaders in conversation with disability advocates about how we can move toward a more equitable, inclusive future for all.
Disability Rights Activism and Organizing: April 11 - 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
Grantmaking for Disability: LGBTQIA+ Funding: May 9 - 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
Disability Pride, Joy, and Visions for the Future: July 11 - 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
Disability and the Care Economy: September 19 - 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
Disability-Inclusive Hiring: October 10 - 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
Disability in Indigenous Communities: November 14 - 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
All webinars are open to the public, so feel free to share with anyone you know that's interested in learning about disability inclusion, rights, and justice.
CART will be provided. If you require another accommodation to fully participate in the webinar, please note it in your registration, or contact us at [email protected].
What does the family philanthropy landscape look like? How has it changed across the last decade, and what do those changes mean for the field?
Join National Center for Family Philanthropy to discuss the findings of the Trends in Family Philanthropy 2025 report.
We will explore:
The changes in philanthropic focus for many family philanthropies
How grantmaking practices are evolving, and whether community needs are coming to the fore
How philanthropies are learning about new ideas and approaches
The changes in family dynamics, shifts in how the next generation are being engaged, and the factors that sustain and impede family engagement
Changes in the make-up of boards
What the findings suggest about future trends
Speakers include:
Miki Akimoto, Chief Impact Officer at the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) and Erin Hogan is a Managing Director and Philanthropic Market Executive for Bank of America’ Philanthropic Solutions
There will be time at the end of the session for Q&A.
About the Trends report
The Trends survey captures and tracks leading trends in the field of family philanthropy. Conducted every five years, this research identifies emerging issues, changes in funding priorities and governance practices, innovative approaches to giving and decision making, and anticipated future giving patterns and practices among US-based philanthropic families nationally. Ultimately, it aims to equip donors with data they can apply to their decision making.
"Find people who will make you better."
—Michelle Obama
The day has arrived. It is my last day serving as President and CEO of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers. In a few days, I will step over to your side of the aisle in my role leading the Champlin Foundation.
As I said at that beautiful and overwhelmingly wonderful farewell gathering last week, it has been an extraordinary gift and a profound privilege to serve in this role these past 13-plus years. And I feel very good about leaving this precious network in the hands of the exceptional team of Pat Foo, Theresa Jacks, and Craig Weinrich, along with the very capable interim leadership of Jon Shure and Connie Ludwin.
I’ve been struggling with what to say in my farewell message to all of you, the spectacular membership of the Council. First and foremost, I want to express my thanks and gratitude.
Thank you for the deep and wide education I’ve received these past 13 years because of all you do and want to do better. I’ve often said the best thing about this job is that I get to learn a little bit about a lot of different things because the membership has such fascinating and intensely important interests. I have gratitude for the amazing relationships I’ve been able to have with some of the smartest, kindest, most thoughtful, and creative people imaginable.
I also am enormously grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given.
- My year in Lead New Jersey that really laid so much of the groundwork I needed for CNJG’s programming and affinity groups.
- My two-month sabbatical that led directly to our Race, Racism and Ramifications for Philanthropy learning journey.
- The privilege to serve on the board and then chair our national network, the United Philanthropy Forum.
- And, the ability to help the Council make a meaningful difference in our field and our state through initiatives like Facing Our Future, the Disaster Philanthropy Playbook and our post-Sandy work, as well as creation of CNJG’s Guiding Beliefs and Principles.
Here is what is at the heart of all of it though: When a funder joins the Council it means they recognize they cannot do their best work in a vacuum or in isolation. They realize the need to find people who will make them better, just as I reference in Michelle Obama's quote above. They want to be smarter, work more thoughtfully, be truly effective. The Council is at its best when our members come together to learn, share ideas and strategies, collaborate, and be open to innovation. When I was given the gift of leading the Council, my mother would ask me to explain again what it was I would be doing. My response to her became my consistent little “elevator speech" for years to come. “My organization helps those that make grants be the best grantmakers they can be.”
As you all know well, working as a funder can get pretty heady. How does the joke go? Congratulations, you got a foundation job. You’ve now told your last bad joke. The power imbalance is so extreme.
What I’ve learned is that the best funders are the ones that really listen, not talk at their grantees about what they ought to be doing. Respect, faith, and appreciation for the people working in nonprofit charities is the hallmark of their approach. The best funders are the ones that show up as planned, on time for meetings and site visits, that don’t make an applicant jump through endless hoops for a grant -- especially a small grant.
The funders I’ve come to admire most are those that seek to understand a charity’s work and trust the expertise and wisdom of its executive leadership. These funders don’t micro-manage, mansplain, second-guess, or over burden. These funders recognize the power dynamic at play yet seek candid, colleague-to-colleague conversations and problem-solving with nonprofit leaders. They power-up nonprofit colleagues instead of powering over them.
These are just some of the marvelous lessons you’ve shared with me over the years, and I’m grateful to have them as I head into the role of a grantmaker for the largest private foundation in a small but mighty state.
With bountiful thanks and appreciation,
Nina Stack, President
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
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
I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing summer. For many, summer offers a time to move at a slower pace, and perhaps take some time for reflection and recharging. I hope you were able to do some of that at least during your official “away-from-the-office” vacation time.
As summer wanes and we come back to our offices, Governance Committee co-chairs, Craig Drinkard and Justin Kiczek, have extended an invitation – if you are interested in serving on the CNJG Board of Trustees, or know someone who would make a good trustee, please complete the application form, and email it to Office Manager Dana Schwartz, along with a brief biography, no later than September 13, 2023. Read Craig and Justin’s full letter.
The Board will present a slate of candidates to CNJG members at the annual meeting of members. Please save the date - the CNJG Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering is on Thursday, December 14 at the Crowne Plaza Edison. Registration will be available soon.
In reviewing the nominations for board service, the Governance Committee considers participation and engagement in at least one CNJG committee, and/or serving as co-chair of a Council affinity group. Standing committees of the board include Audit, Finance, Governance, Member Engagement, Leadership and Policy, Racial Equity, Signature Programs, and Strategic Plan Implementation. Most committees meet at least twice a year. Committees focus on a specific issue or task, and ensures the board’s overall work is divided into manageable tasks. Committee participation is open to all CNJG members. If you are interested in learning more and/or serving on a committee, please let me know. Committee work allows you to expand your personal network and build relationships with colleagues, demonstrate and develop your own leadership, and gain new knowledge and skills that you might not regularly use in your day-to-day role. You’ll also be contributing to the success and future of CNJG, as well as helping to move forward the 2023 - 2025 Strategic Plan.
If you are already chairing a committee or affinity group, or serving on a committee – thank you for your leadership! We’re so grateful for your dedication and support. If you are interested in joining a committee, please reach out to me. Thank you!
Welcome back from the summer – I hope to see you at an upcoming CNJG program, and at the CNJG 2023 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering on December 14.
Sincerely,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
These news articles show our members responses to philanthropy's role in fighting against racism and injustice. If there items we've missed, please email us, and we'll add it.
Actions and Announcements
Johnson & Johnson: A Message from Johnson & Johnson Chairman and CEO Alex Gorsky About Recent Events in the United States
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Statement from Richard Besser, MD, on Racial Injustice, Violence, and Health In America
Adam Liebling, Director of Grants Management at RWJF, pens this article re-imagining the work of philanthropy
New Jersey Council for the Humanities: Our resolute commitment to equity and justice through the humanities
Overdeck Family Foundation: Standing in Solidarity, and Lifting Up Stories of Impact
Princeton Area Community Foundation: Eleanor Horne and Jeff Vega pen this opinion piece about how they are working towards racial equity and making their community “a better place for all children”
Smith Family Foundation: Protest and Planning Next Step - A Letter to our City and her Allies
TD Bank: A statement on recent events from Bharat Masrani, President & CEO, TD Bank Group
United Way of Ocean and Monmouth Counties: United We Stand
Victoria Foundation: Statement of Condemnation
CNJG’s work throughout this year will be driven by the 2023 – 2025 Strategic Plan, and you’ll see that reflected in the monthly president’s letter.
This month, I want to highlight goal 3 of the strategic plan: amplify our collective voice. As part of this goal, we’ll create our first-ever “social sector-wide policy and advocacy agenda designed to provide leadership for sector-critical issues and causes, including those that advance equity.”
As we celebrate Black History Month, and Women’s History in March, it’s important to remember change starts with advocacy, and philanthropy has a critical role to play. Our recent Advocacy Series for Funders outlined the following: basics for funders, how to involve your trustees in advocacy, and how to evaluate your advocacy efforts.
The Council’s Leadership and Policy Committee met in January to begin exploring what our policy agenda would look like. Guided by the strategic plan, our priorities will closely align with the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits’ Advocacy Agenda.
The Center’s agenda embraces strategies that correlate seamlessly with our own strategic plan: expanding and deepening relationships with policy makers; highlighting the societal importance of the nonprofit community to the well-being of our state; ensuring public policy positions are equitable and anti-racist; as well as working with key partners to advance equity.
CNJG’s policy agenda will also be informed and inspired by United Philanthropy Forum’s 6 policy principles: champion racial equity and justice, support fair tax policy and regulation, enhance charitable giving, defend and strengthen democracy, promote civic engagement, and strengthen the nonprofit sector’s impact.
Back in person this year, both the Forum and the Center’s agendas will factor into our conversations during Foundations on the Hill. This event, scheduled from February 27 to March 1, is an opportunity for philanthropic leaders and advocates to meet with our representatives in Washington to share key issues and communicate the important roles foundations and philanthropy play in serving the public good.
While we’re deep in the planning for FOTH, there’s still time if you would like to join the CNJG delegation. Please contact me as soon as possible.
CNJG envisions a healthy, thriving, and civically engaged NJ where people of all places, racial identities, socio-economic backgrounds, abilities, and identity expressions are valued for their gifts and talents, and we all can reach our full potential and participate generously in the common good. Creating and implementing a policy agenda to guide our work is another way we’ll move forward our vision.
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
When considering how to improve health outcomes for low-income individuals, most people think about providing access to good medical care and keeping the cost of that care as low as possible. What people rarely think about is the connection between good health and quality affordable housing.