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A CNJG member queried the Health & Aging listserves asking for sample letters of inquiry. This document includes a few responses from fellow members. If you would like to add yours to this list, please email us.
Already, 2025 has been a year unlike any other. The changes in federal policy are coming at a pace we’ve not experienced before. Not even a month in, the new administration immediately issued several significant Executive Orders (EOs), creating uncertainty across the social sector. From attempts to freeze Congressionally approved funding, to efforts banning diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and questionable tactics to slash the federal workforce; funders and nonprofit partners are gravely concerned about how the fabric of our democracy and the systems of constitutionally mandated checks and balances are fraying right before our eyes. To help you cut through the noise, the National Council of Nonprofits is tracking and continuously updating its analysis of the impact of these EOs on nonprofit organizations in real time.
This is the time to shore up relationships with colleagues and nonprofit partners. I’m grateful that in New Jersey, we have a strong partnership with the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits. Advocacy and policy are at the heart of the Center’s mission. They have been at the forefront of keeping us informed about the Office of Mangement and Budget's (OMB) freezing of federal grants and loans. I encourage you to:
- Sign up for the Center’s email list for up-to-date, reliable information.
- Ask your grantees and nonprofit partners to complete the annual NJ Trends and Outlook survey, launched today. This year, the survey is also collecting stories about how executive actions are impacting nonprofit organizations.
On behalf of philanthropy-supporting organizations, United Philanthropy Forum is also mobilizing to serve as a key source for accurate, reliable information with their newly created resource page, “Executive Actions Impacting the Philanthropic & Nonprofit Sectors."
Funders across the country are asking what they can do immediately. As I noted above, leveraging your partnerships and strengthening your relationships is key. Echoing sage recommendations from the Council on Foundations and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, here are other strategies for your consideration:
- Reach out to your grantees and nonprofit partners – don’t wait for them to reach out to you. They need to hear from you and know that you are championing their often-thankless work.
- Offer flexible funding and move funding quickly. Allow your grantees to repurpose their current grant funding to meet the needs of their organization and those they serve. Giving nonprofits every resource and tool they need to be nimble is critical.
- Share your funding opportunities with the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits to post on their revamped funding page.
- Get comfortable introducing your grantees to new partners, other grantees, and potential funders. This is how we build strong, resilient communities of practice and service.
We’re embarking upon untested times. As we celebrate Black History Month and Women’s History in March, it is important to remember that meaningful change starts and ends with partnership, collaboration, and advocacy. Philanthropy has a critical role to play in this equation.
To help you better understand the federal policy landscape, we’re hosting an eight-part Funder Briefing Series: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for
New Jersey, beginning in March. This series will provide an overview of key issues that directly impact philanthropy, and more broadly, the charitable sector. The first session, on March 13 at 4:00 pm., will focus on immigration.
In addition, we will be launching a web page with information and resources to help inform your decision-making, as well as reintroducing our policy infused e-newsletter, CNJG ...for the field. Covering both big 'P' and little 'p' policy issues, the first edition will land in your inbox later this month, providing key updates and relevant articles.
I want to end with some exciting news — Craig Weinrich has been
promoted to Senior Director, Member Experience. Craig has been with CNJG for 11 years, and his leadership and dedication have been invaluable to our community. Please join us in congratulating him on this well-deserved promotion!
And channeling Craig – a quick reminder: it’s time to renew your CNJG membership. Please reach out to him if you have questions.
We look forward to engaging with you in the months ahead. Philanthropy has an important role during these tenuous times. Let’s use our collective power for good.
In solidarity,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
As the year comes to a close, I’ve been thinking about the conversations I have had with many of you over the years, in meetings, at programs, and sometimes in those unplanned moments before a convening. Time, and time again, I hear a version of the same reflection: we can do so much more if we work together.
That idea has stayed with me as we prepare for our Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering on December 10. If you haven’t registered, please register today as online registration closes today at 5 PM. Once online registration closes, you can still register by calling or emailing Office Manager Dana Schwartz at (609) 414-7110, extension 801.
Our Annual Meeting is a time not only to celebrate, but to take stock of what we’ve learned, to reconnect with colleagues who understand the nuances of this work, and to imagine what the impact could look like when we sharpen our focus on the collaborative possibilities ahead.
Our theme this year, Catalyzing New Jersey Communities: Building Local Coalitions, is about how funders can move beyond traditional grantmaking to become impactful coalition builders. Across the state, funders, government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizers continue to find new ways to align efforts, share responsibility, and strengthen local ecosystems. These efforts don’t just expand reach, they deepen trust, and lead to more durable change.
We’ll explore this in depth during our luncheon panel with Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer, New Jersey Department of Children and Families; Atiya Weiss, Executive Director of The Burke Foundation; Edwin “Chino” Ortiz, co-founder of Returning Citizens Support Group; Alma García, Director of Equity Ahora New Jersey, and moderated by Craig Drinkard, CNJG Board Chair and Executive Officer, Victoria Foundation.
Before the Annual Meeting begins, I encourage you to join our hands-on workshop featuring the New Jersey Philanthropy Hub, a partnership initiative of CNJG and the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits, powered by Impala. This powerful data platform brings together a clear, comprehensive view of giving across our state. It’s designed to help funders identify nonprofit partners, understand who else funds in your areas of interest, and conduct due diligence with confidence. It also helps grantees see where funding is flowing and find useful information about funders and other nonprofits. It’s simple, helpful, and designed to support your coalition-building efforts well beyond this convening.
My personal hope is that every attendee leaves with at least one new, meaningful partnership and one concrete strategy for breaking down silos in their funding and grantmaking approach.
Congratulations are in order as several of our members has been tapped to serve on Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill’s transition actions teams and interdisciplinary advisor task force members; this clearly reinforces the immediate significance of the Annual Meeting’s theme. It also ensures that New Jersey’s philanthropic sector will have a meaningful voice in shaping policy priorities and community strategies at the highest levels of the incoming administration.
This representation underscores something important - philanthropy plays a critical role not only in funding solutions, but in lifting and aligning community issues, advancing collaborative approaches that government alone cannot achieve, and advocating for the deep and varied expertise that the social sector brings to the table.
To ensure our sector’s perspective is fully represented in the new administration, I encourage all members to take a moment to complete Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill's Public Input Survey. Please share the survey with your grantees to ensure their perspectives are represented and voiced as well.
Reminder that online registration for the Annual Meeting closes today at 5 PM. Register now to be part of the conversation.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our generous sponsors, whose partnership makes this gathering possible: Signature Sponsor – Prudential; Collaborating Sponsor – Devils Youth Foundation; Contributing Sponsors – Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Pincus Family Foundation, and The Campbell's Company; Supporting Sponsors – Grunin Foundation and WSFS CARES Foundation. Also, thank you to NJM Insurance Group for their donation.
I look forward to seeing you on December 10.
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
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.
A sample document detailing the core values of the Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation including restrictions on participation on nonprofit/grantee boards.
Summer always brings to mind those great “summer reads.” This has been an “occasional series” of CNJG eNews during the summer, over the years. In addition to this year’s curated list – I’m thrilled to share recommendations from a few CNJG Board members and the CNJG team!
CNJG Board of Trustees’ Secretary, Maisha Simmons, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, recommends Heather McGhee’s The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How we can Prosper Together. There’s also a podcast series, and the book has been adapted for young readers.
The Work: My Search for a Life that Matters by Wes Moore is the top pick from Board member, Jasmyne Beckford, The Prudential Foundation. Jasmyne reflects, this book helped her think about how she can live a life that creates impact for generations both personally and professionally.
CNJG Board member Justin Kiczek, F. M. Kirby Foundation, recently read Getting Beyond Better: How Social Entrepreneurship Works. “As our foundation holds both stewardship and entrepreneurship as core values, it helps me understand how social entrepreneurs start their journey and scale their solutions.”
In honor of Black Philanthropy Month this August, I’m excited to feature a few great reads created to inspire and inform your philanthropic journey. Thank you to Manager of Communications Shakirat Odunsi for curating this list:
- Madam C. J. Walker's Gospel of Giving: Black Women's Philanthropy during Jim Crow highlights Walker’s visionary approach to philanthropy and community-building, emphasizing the vital role of Black women’s giving in advancing social justice. Freeman’s work sheds light on how Walker’s philanthropy was an extension of her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to racial and gender equality.
- Ford Foundation’s Darren Walker reimagines Andrew Carnegie’s vision of philanthropy for the modern era in From Generosity to Justice: A New Gospel of Wealth, urging philanthropists to go beyond charity and address systemic inequalities to foster justice and lasting change.
- Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds encourages readers to embrace adaptability and resilience by using emergent strategies – small-scale actions that create large-scale impact. Author adrienne maree brown challenges traditional models of organizing and invites us to envision a more just and equitable world through collaboration, creativity, and deep connections with others. It’s a guidebook for those seeking to shape the future and navigate the complexities of change.
- Isabel Wilkerson explores how entrenched hierarchies based on race and class impact every aspect of our lives in Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Through compelling narratives and meticulous research, she reveals how this hidden system continues to perpetuate inequality and injustice, challenging us to confront these deeply rooted structures and work toward true equality.
From the CNJG team, Director of Member Services Craig Weinrich is currently reading How We Give Now: A Philanthropic Guide for the Rest of Us by Lucy Bernholz. This book demonstrates that philanthropy is about much more than money. Bernholz posits that even giving our data willingly to companies is an act of philanthropy. This is a great intersection to the Spring Colloquium conversation around AI, and ongoing discussions about how we can expand our definition of philanthropy as guided by our Strategic Plan.
Chanika Svetvilas, Manager of Programs and Learning recommends Against Technoableism by Ashley Shew and Imagination A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin. Not too long ago I read Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, which prompted me to really consider what each of us should focus on in our day-to-day work, and what we need to let go. It’s a practical, insightful guide that led to several “aha” moments. All three books challenge us to think very differently about our world and what’s possible.
And finally, a recently discovered read I’ve gifted to family and friends, All the Colors of Life by renowned artist Lisa Aisato; this will lift your spirits as you find yourself paging through it and experiencing it over and over again.
Happy Summer Reading!
On a different note, I hope you will join us at the Summer Joint Policy Forum – Nonprofit and Philanthropic Champions for New Jersey on August 13, at The Heldrich in New Brunswick. I look forward to seeing you there, and hearing what’s on your summer reading list!
Sincerely,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
The COVID-19 public health and economic crisis has changed our world as we know it. As employers moved to remote work, schools shifted to distance learning, and businesses closed completely, it became clear that the impact on residents, nonprofits, and businesses was far greater than anyone could have ever imagined.
In response to the growing and evolving needs of our region, the Greater Washington Community Foundation established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to raise and rapidly deploy funding to local nonprofits providing food, shelter, educational supports, and other critical services.
From the beginning our goal was clear: to address the immediate needs and reach adversely affected communities, particularly low-income households and communities of color. We know all too well that in a crisis like this, these marginalized communities are hit the hardest, and often take the longest to recover.
In times of crises, The Community Foundation is our region’s philanthropic first responder, bringing together individuals and families, philanthropic peers, corporate partners, and local government advisors to address community issues. Building on our rich history of emergency response work, we grounded our COVID-19 response efforts in a similar coordinated approach.
This report chronicles the steps taken, under immense pressure, to develop a coordinated emergency response effort to support a broad range of needs across the region. Once again this effort has demonstrated that working in partnership and close collaboration with our philanthropic peers and local government advisors is an effective way to manage a response to both urgent and longer-term needs.
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.
Join us for Foundations on the Hill, where foundation executives and staff, board members, and philanthropic leaders meet with their federal lawmakers in Washington. Presented by United Philanthropy Forum, the gathering brings foundation leaders together with their elected representatives to discuss key issues of importance to foundations and philanthropy.
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers is delegation captain for New Jersey participants. CNJG will organize and schedule the congressional meetings. This opportunity is a valuable benefit of CNJG membership that helps raise lawmakers’ awareness of the vital work you do and inform them about issues Council members care about. Read about last year’s CNJG Foundations on the Hill visits to see what we accomplished. If you are interested in attending or need more information, please contact Theresa Jacks.
The aim of Foundations on the Hill is to:
- Inform and educate Congress about philanthropy
- Create visibility for foundations and philanthropy on Capitol Hill
- Advocate on issues affecting foundations
- Encourage Congress to view foundations as resources on key public policy issues
- Build CNJG’s relationships with lawmakers and their staff
Why attend?
It is critical that elected officials hear from their foundation constituents. On behalf of New Jersey grantmakers, the Council is pleased to have developed relationships with our representatives over the years as a result of FOTH. A meeting in Washington shows elected officials an extra level of dedication and commitment to your cause and the work of the philanthropic sector.
View the FOTH Agenda
The Council will plan meetings with our US Senators and House members in the afternoon of a day still to be determined.
REGISTRATION
Registration for FOTH is available on the United Philanthropy Forum website.
The registration fee is $297.00 per person Early Bird Special Until January 31st. $397 after Jan. 31st.
CNJG members attending FOTH will need to make their own hotel reservations.
HOTEL INFORMATION
JW Marriott Washington DC
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004
We have a room block at the JW Marriott Washington DC, which is within walking distance of the Hill. The rooms are available for $349/night plus state and local taxes currently at 15.95% and the rooms are available until 5:00 pm ET, Friday, February 07, 2025. Please note that our room block often sells out before the cutoff date, so we recommend making your hotel reservation as soon as possible. You can reserve your room online, or by calling 1 202-393-2000, and asking for the “United Philanthropy Forum” rate.
Join us at the second NJ Corporate Philanthropy Network meeting of the year which will focus on what specific information you should zero in on when searching for any red flags in non-profit 990’s and financial statements. Seasoned Accountants, Sherise D, Ritter and Lovepreet Buttar, from The Mercadien Group will guide us. We’ll also touch on vetting sponsorship requests and hold our traditional round robin where meeting participants can share their burning questions/issues and lessons learned.
Lovepreet Buttar, Managing Director with Mercadien’s Nonprofit and Human Services Group, has extensive experience performing and overseeing audit engagements for various nonprofit organizations, including associations, schools, private foundations, and health and human services organizations. She is passionate about helping these organizations support their constituents and achieve their mission. She is also head of the firm’s Audit and Assurance practice and is responsible for both firm-wide and engagement-specific quality control matters and overseeing training for various for-profit, not-forprofit and government/public entities. In this role, she helps ensure the firm is using best practices that are compliant with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
Sherise (Sherry) Ritter is Managing Director and Co-Chair of the The Mercadien Group’s Nonprofit and Human Services Group, as well as the Advisory Services Group. Serving as a trusted advisor, she meets with all of her clients at least once a year to advise them on topics such as tax planning and preparation, identifying risk areas and formulating solutions, strategy to meet growth goals, and multi-state and unrelated business income taxation and filing exposures. Additionally, she helps her clients with strategic planning, process efficiency and improvement studies, and mergers and acquisitions. She also specializes in the areas of cash flow management, accounting systems design, and board governance training.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
Webinar Video
Resources
Blank 990 Form
990 Forms and their Schedules
The Overhead Myth: Crash Course to Fundraising Transparency
Charity Navigator's Assessment of Finances
New Jersey’s housing, land use, and education policies are at a turning point. Decisions made today will shape how we grow, where we live, and how we prepare the next generation. The Fund for New Jersey and the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs welcome policy experts, community leaders, policymakers, and residents to Princeton University for the fourth and final Crossroads NJ Conversation on these critical issues. The discussion will focus on how today’s challenges can be addressed through thoughtful policy and community-driven action.
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Peggy Bailey, Executive Vice President for Policy and Program Development, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Staci Berger, President and CEO, Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey
Dr. Jesselly De La Cruz, DSW, LCSW, Executive Director, Latino Action Network Foundation
Adam M. Gordon, Esq., Executive Director, Fair Share Housing Center
Robert Kim, Esq., Executive Director, Education Law Center
Cost: This event is free to attend and open to all, but space is limited.
On-site parking is available. Light refreshments will be served.
This new report from CNJG and partners examines the response of foundations, corporations, and other institutional donors to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Numbering nearly 600, these funders have so far committed more than $380 million for relief, recovery and building efforts. The hard data and reflective observations in the report contribute to the growing body of knowledge that helps foundations and corporations be strategic and effective with their giving when disaster strikes.
Two years after the historic storm, Philanthropy & Hurricane Sandy: A Report on the Foundation & Corporate Response breaks down the allocation of dollars contributed thus far and offers perspective on the role of private giving in disaster response and lessons to be taken from this one. The report was published by the Foundation Center in partnership with the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and Philanthropy New York, and with support from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.
“Throughout the past two years, our exceptional nonprofit and funder community has taken on challenges they never imagined,” said Nina Stack, president of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers. “These organizations continue to develop innovative solutions that other communities will learn from and build upon in future disasters.”
In addition to the report’s numerous funders, CNJG wishes to thank the PSEG Foundation for supporting this project.
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.
This meeting is for grantmakers only.
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
Two different CNJG members queried the CEO listserve on how/when/how to return to the office following the COVID-19 pandemic. CNJG staff compiled the answers from the responding members removing identifying information of the respondents.
The Ford Institute for Community Building, a program of The Ford Family Foundation, works to help community leaders learn how to implement local solutions based on principles of effective community building. This paper describes the development and work of the The Ford Institute for Community Building.