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In April, we celebrate Global Volunteer Month, and for corporate volunteer programs this represents a wonderful opportunity to engage your employees through volunteerism. Over the past three years, there has been a whirlwind of change around these volunteer programs, moving away from in-person to virtual volunteer events, and a rethinking by many companies about how these programs now work with remote employees. 

Join your fellow corporate CNJG members for an online discussion (via Zoom) about your volunteer programs; how they’ve changed, and how they continue to evolve as we emerge from the pandemic. We will hear from Rowena Madden from the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism on a state-level view of volunteerism, and then we will have a dedicated time to hear from your corporate peers from across the state on their programs, and a time for you to share what your company is doing. We encourage every attendee to participate in this discussion. You may wish to share your answers to these questions or others that come up in the conversation: 

• Does your corporate giving align with volunteerism efforts? 
• How are volunteers/volunteer programs part of your grantmaking?
• Does your company observe “Global Volunteer Month”?
• How are you leveraging skills-based volunteerism?
• How do you recognize your volunteers?
• Do you measure and track volunteerism? If so, what program do you use? For what purposes?
• Does your company support ways for employees to serve on nonprofit boards?
• Are your volunteer programs expanding this year?
• What system(s) do you use to track volunteers?

Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.

Helpful Websites for Corporate Volunteer Programs
BoardSource 
Points of Light Foundation
Taproot Foundation
YouGIveGoods
and also “Amazon.com drives”

Inspiring Change through Leadership: Maximizing Philanthropic Impact

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 - 9:00am to 3:00pm
Luncheon, Keynote Presentation & Workshop
Location: APA Hotel Woodbridge, 120 Wood Ave S, Iselin, NJ 08830

The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers thanks everyone who attended our 2024 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering. On Wednesday, December 11, over 130 Council members and special guests gathered to celebrate the holiday season, welcome new CNJG members, convene our annual business meeting, and feature a dynamic discussion related to the vital work of philanthropy.  

The Council’s 2024 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering was the place where CNJG members and New Jersey’s philanthropic community came together to share ideas about the important work they’re doing. It also provided a valuable opportunity to connect with colleagues.  

This year’s theme, Inspiring Change through Leadership: Maximizing Philanthropic Impact, featured keynote speaker Amalia Brindis Delgado of the Panta Rhea Foundation.  

The Annual Meeting included a workshop that explored the New Jersey Principles for Philanthropy. An overview of the Principles was presented, followed by a panel of fellow CNJG members who discussed how they are already using the Principles within their organizations. Attendees also had time to discuss how they could leverage the New Jersey Principles for Philanthropy to make changes within their own organizations.

Annual Meeting Photos

This self-assessment/reflection tool is intended for foundations and funders committed to or interested in Doing Good Better. Doing Good Better is inspired by, and builds on, years of nonprofit and community advocacy, the principles of “Trust Based Philanthropy,” and numerous other resources. We hope this tool will open up the opportunity for dialogue and reflection with your board, staff and funded agencies. Your response can serve as a baseline for future measurement of your organization’s progress towards Doing Good Better, stronger philanthropic/nonprofit partnerships, and heightened community impact.

This assessment is intended as a self-reflection tool, rather than a recommendation for any specific policy within a particular funding institution. It has four sections, one for each Doing Good Better goal. For most funders, a single individual in grantmaking or senior leadership will be able to complete the full assessment; others may need additional support from other departments to respond. While filling out the assessment, we encourage you to consider how self-reporting bias may show up in your answers. Also, notice where a question challenges you and get curious about why.

To make the most of this tool, we recommend that you first review and consider the Doing Good Better goals before starting this assessment. We also encourage your board and staff to go through the goals as you reflect on your responses.

• Goal 1: Center Equity
• Goal 2: Provide Flexible Funding
• Goal 3: Provide Reliable Funding
• Goal 4: Reduce Paperwork Burden

DOWNLOAD THE SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL

On a recent Saturday, the Jeremy Johnson, the Newark Philanthropic Liaison and over 150 arts lovers, historians, and community leaders gathered to reflect on the past, acknowledge the present, and imagine the future of the historic Newark Symphony Hall. The liaison shares his observations from the conference.

Newark Symphony Hall, the aging national treasure on the south end of Broad Street in downtown Newark, comprises a 2800-seat main auditorium, a 1,000 seat-auditorium/banquet hall, a 200-seat black box theatre, a dance studio, a new TV studio, and much more.

Its history is unsurpassed. The place has hosted every imaginable superstar since 1925, from Toscanini to Marian Anderson to Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash, Judy Garland and Newark's own Sarah Vaughan. It's going to take millions (estimates ranged from $40M to $100M or more) to restore it to its former glory.

The planners are on the right track, engaging experts, philanthropists, historians, residents, educators, government and corporate leaders, and arts and nonprofit groups. However, to justify the outlay of millions in public-private funds during these economic times, Newark Symphony Hall (NSH) will need to frame this nascent campaign beyond that of the restoration of another culturally important edifice.

Sure, the arts and history will play an important role in its rebirth, but for this effort to be truly achievable, sustainable and worthwhile, NSH should consider:

1. Jobs, jobs, jobs. Can the renovation, preservation, retrofitting and weatherization of NSH be implemented as a job training laboratory for Newark workers to gain skills in "green" trades? This experience can then be exported to the broader community where workers can help green energy-inefficient homes and buildings throughout Newark and the region. NSH, which has a long-term lease with the city, could join forces with the Mayor in attracting public and private investment for green job development and energy-saving initiatives. Natural allies in this effort would be Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District (LPCCD), which is achieving inroads with green job training, or the Obama-endorsed YouthBuild, which has a strong outpost in Newark.
2. Education. Through the Amistad Commission, the state now requires that African American history be taught as in integral part of United States History. Such history resonates at NSH. Think of Paul Robeson, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone or Marian Anderson, who performed more at NSH than any other hall during her first years of touring--she was the first black artist to perform at NSH in the 1940s. School systems could be encouraged to subscribe to annual NSH tours and learn of this rich history, providing ancillary income to NSH while also instilling invaluable lessons to our youth.
3. Space usage. Think creatively about use of the Hall's enormous spaces. Possibilities could range from the creation of New Jersey's largest green roof to rental possibilities for space-starved charter schools and after-school programs.
4. “Think big” was the advice of Larry Goldman, President and CEO of NJPAC. Could NSH be re-imagined as the nation's largest LEED-certified renovated historic theater, designed on a template of green-job apprenticeships for urban residents?
5. Secure the right leadership. Philip Thomas, NSH's estimable executive director and the growing board, mustn't fall prey to provincialism nor favoritism as it outlines a formidable mission, development, and operational plans for this initiative. Call on leadership from within the community but also from beyond it. This project is regional and even national in scope and it should be approached as such.
6. Finally, leverage partnerships. Tap the expertise of higher education institutions. Rutgers historian and Newarker Clement Price, who spoke at the convening, is a terrific example. Historic and cultural agencies are obvious partners, but also seek out federal and state sources, such as departments of labor, transportation, energy, education, human services, bureau of justice, and organized labor. Thomas stated there may be some private dollars to help initiate early studies and linkages. This is good news, for these can leverage the larger resources and community engagement needed to ultimately make the Newark Symphony Hall dream come true.

United Philanthropy Forum is committed to advancing racial equity in philanthropy. We provide space for our members to connect, learn and share together on how to effectively address racial equity in their work as philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs), and works to share our members’ learnings with the broader philanthropy field. As part of these efforts, we are pleased to share case stories from our members about their racial equity work.

Case Story

Funders Together to End Homelessness: A Racial Equity Learning Journey

Funders Together to End Homelessness began its racial equity journey in 2016. Its case story explains how the PSO named racial equity in its strategic plan and embarked on a learning journey together with its board, staff, and members to normalize the conversation about structural and historic racism and how it contributes to disparities in the homelessness system. The story also describes how Funders Together created a two-year community of practice, called Foundations for Racial Equity (FRE), that has been a critical part of its journey, and how its codified its racial equity work through the creation of its Commitment to Racial Equity. 

Read Funders Together’s Case Story

Listen to Funders Together’s CEO Amanda Misiko Andere talk about her organization’s racial equity journey on an episode of the ForumNation podcast. 

Case Story

Southeastern Council of Foundations: An Experiential Racial Equity Journey

In early 2018, the Southeastern Council of Foundations (SECF) along with its board undertook a racial equity learning journey in order to develop an Equity Framework that would describe and define SECF’s character, what it stood for, and what its leaders were willing to fight for. The decision to develop the Equity Framework was the culmination of years of work. SECF’s case story explains how the organization used data to inform the development of its Equity Framework, created an Equity Task Force to lead the effort of developing a Framework, and engaged board, staff and Task Force members in a racial equity learning journey. 

Read SECF’s Case Story

Listen to SECF’s President & CEO Janine talk about her organization’s racial equity journey on an episode of the ForumNation podcast. 

Adopted by the CNJG Board of Trustees October 20, 2023

Each principle begins with a common understanding followed by developmental steps for members beginning to look at these principles as well as the aspiration for each principle. These principles are intended to promote continuous learning, vulnerability, and reflection for how philanthropy can evolve from its historical roots to a more trusting, accountable, and equitable model.

The principles include:
1. Ethical Leadership
2. Stewardship
3. Values
4. Equity & Justice
5. Community Engagement
6. Public Voice
7. Continuous Learning
8. Transparency & Accountability

1. Ethical Leadership

Understand:
We believe that ethical leadership is required to build and maintain community trust in philanthropy. This is achieved through adherence to laws, good governance and community- informed decision-making.

Begin:
We serve our partners and communities in a way that engenders trust. We adhere to all applicable laws and take seriously our fiduciary duties. In order to maintain trust, we seek to continuously improve our governance, decision-making processes and organizational culture.

Aspire:
We actively engage the community in our governance and decision-making, balancing donor intent and community need. We strengthen community trust by including new and diverse voices on our governing bodies and decision-making teams.

2. Stewardship

Understand:
As philanthropic entities established for charitable purposes, we operate with a privileged tax status. We recognize that, in addition to money, foundation assets include investments, relationships, human resources, connections and networks, knowledge and expertise, and stature.

Begin:
We recognize our roles as funders, employers, economic entities and community members. Through each of these roles, we use the wide range of assets held by philanthropy to create positive benefits and impact with our communities.

Aspire:
We use all of our assets to build equity and strengthen communities, as defined by the communities, themselves. We use all available tools such as values-based investing, impact investing and giving beyond any minimum requirements, to generate community benefits.

3. Values

Understand:
Having clear and transparent goals, missions and values allows us to be purposeful in philanthropy and facilitates accountability with communities and stakeholders.

Begin:
Our missions and goals are clearly stated and are transparent to the community. We hold ourselves accountable to them. We periodically examine our missions and goals for relevance, impact and alignment to our values.

Aspire:
We seek to understand and incorporate the values of our stakeholders and the communities we serve into our missions, values and goals. The community participates in examining our mission, values and goals for relevance, and holds us accountable to them.

4. Equity & Justice

Understand:
We recognize two truths. Philanthropy is created to promote the welfare of others. Our commitment to equity requires us to dismantle disparities in access to power, money and resources. At the same time, philanthropy is a system that is built on historical structural inequities and systemic racism. These inequities create a resource gap and power differential between philanthropy and the community.

Begin:
We are in a unique position to promote equity and justice. We seek to understand how intersectional inequities and racism manifest in our philanthropy and our communities. We work to become anti-racist individuals and organizations. In order to advance equity and justice, we listen to the community, honor their story and rely on their lived experience to inform our grantmaking.

Aspire:
We acknowledge our privilege in resources and resulting power. We commit to increase power sharing with our community, especially with communities that have been historically marginalized. We believe in trust and shared power in decision-making, which increases community access to philanthropic resources. This increases equity and makes progress toward dismantling racism and eliminating systemic inequities.

5. Community Engagement

Understand:
Philanthropy works best when it builds long-term community relationships rather than focusing on short-term transactions. Positive impacts increase when we hold mutually respectful, direct relationships with the community. As a result of community engagement, philanthropic efforts become more relevant and donors/grantors more accountable to our community.

Begin:
We listen to the desires of the community and we interact with the community in culturally appropriate, meaningful and respectful ways. We engage in continual and reciprocal listening and learning, cultural curiosity and humility. In our relationships, we respect the community’s time and resources and strive to give more than we receive.

Aspire:
We take time to understand our relationships with the community, align our aspirations and actions, and adjust our work, as needed. We solicit community critique and feedback. We strengthen our grantmaking through power sharing, joint decision-making and funding of solutions defined and led by the community.

6. Public Voice

Understand:
Philanthropic organizations and individual donors enjoy power and influence that we must use responsibly, both individually and collectively, for the greater good. Our public voice augments our grantmaking to demonstrate partnership in communities and to advance our goals.

Begin:
We form our public voice by listening humbly to those with lived experience on issues we seek to influence. We use our collective voice to share knowledge, educate ourselves and others, and impact change on issues that advance equity and strengthen our community.

Aspire:
We amplify the voice of communities that have been historically marginalized. We use our collective voice to impact change in public policy and public opinion on issues important to our communities. We use our resources to amplify community voices and support grassroots organizing and advocacy.

7. Continuous Learning

Understand:
We have unprecedented access to information from local and global sources including science, research and community networks. Our communities offer rich information about the human impact of policies and resource distribution. We are obligated to use various information sources to actively learn and strengthen our practice and allow for vulnerability and openness to the evolution of our work.

Begin:
We are curious about our work and engage in activities that help us to consider new viewpoints and address individual biases. Through a range of learning activities including research, self-assessment, evaluation, professional development and community engagement processes we seek and use information that improves our grantmaking and expands our understanding of the community.

Aspire:
With the community, we engage in ongoing learning and jointly define funding priorities. We respect many cultural ways of learning and knowing and work to achieve individual and organizational cultural competency. We promote continuous learning with our teams and alongside our grantee partners. We improve our work by offering and using peer feedback and being open and vulnerable in the process.

8. Transparency & Accountability

Understand:
Transparency builds trust and strengthens our accountability to the community. By being transparent, we are accountable to our mission, values and goals.

Begin:
We exhibit transparency by being clear, consistent and timely in our communications, decisions and commitments. We share information publicly in order to meet regulatory requirements and uphold community expectations, in the context of our missions. We demonstrate accountability by learning from community feedback and critique.

Aspire:
We consider state and federal regulatory requirements to be the minimum standard of transparency. We excel at transparency and accountability by engaging the community in decision-making and external evaluation of our work

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