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Impact Investing Bootcamp: Fundamentals for Driving Sustainable Philanthropy in New Jersey is a 3-part series introducing CNJG members to impact investing. The series will take place from March to May 2024.
The Council on Foundation defines impact investing as “any investment activity that intends to generate positive social and financial returns. Whether called impact investing, mission investing, social investing, social-impact investing, mission-related investing, program-related investing, or sustainable and responsible investing, the practice focuses on activating new financial resources to solve social and environmental problems.”
Impact investing as a tool can generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. By attending this series you will:
- Learn the fundamentals of how to create a more sustainable model of philanthropy through impact investing tools.
- Hear from experienced practitioners.
- Learn how to successfully integrate grantmaking and investment resources.
- Participate in interactive discussions with local peers.
- Hear examples of investments made in New Jersey and nationally.
- Attend a site visit to see impact investing in action.
- Receive a copy of the book “Impact Investing: The Practical Guide” by John Duong.
Session 1: In this full day workshop John Duong, founder and CEO of Kind Capital, will lead a dynamic and intensely focused full day of learning, knowledge-building, and exchange. The curriculum will include baseline information, the fundamentals of impact investment, methods and models, and opportunities for peer to peer and small group discussion and dialogue. A light breakfast and lunch is included.
COST: Free for CNJG Members
Registrants must attend all three sessions of the series.
Space Limited. No more than two people per organization can register.
Additional Session Information:
Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm - Session 2: This session will feature a site visit to highlight a specific project and explore local case studies of NJ foundations implementing impact investment strategies. Grantmakers will have the opportunity to tour the project site, hear from nonprofit partners and participants, ask questions, and learn directly from those involved.
Thursday, May 16, Time TBD - Session 3: This virtual session will focus on setting the groundwork for New Jersey philanthropy to explore additional shared learning and co-investment opportunities. The discussion will be led by John Duong, Kind Capital.
Speaker:
Mr. Duong has been an investment banker at JP Morgan Chase, was founding Managing Director of Lumina Impact Ventures with Luminia, and was Program and Portfolio Officer with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. John holds an executive MBA with a concentration in management and entrepreneurship from the Kellogg School of Management.
This CNJG program is sponsored by: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Victoria Foundation and presented by Kind Capital.
Resources
The Impact Principles website
Planet Tracker website - Reports for climate focused investors
Catalyzing Finance for Racial Equity
RPA Impact Investing Handbook
Impact Investing: A Primer for Family Foundaitons
What Can Foundations Do to Foster Community Investment?
The Role of Impact Capital in Advancing Racial Equity
Impact Capital for Racial Equity: Investing with Intention and Measuring Impact
Emerging Sources of Community Investment Capital and Strategies to Direct it at Scale
Mapping the Journey to Impact Investing
Roadmap for the Future of Impact Investing: Reshaping Financial Markets
Community Foundation Field Guide to Impact Investing
Essentials of Impact Investing
Endowments & Investing
Place-Based Impact Investing: Three Briefs for Practitioners
Impact Investing Bootcamp: Fundamentals for Driving Sustainable Philanthropy in New Jersey is a 3-part series introducing CNJG members to impact investing. The series will take place from March to May 2024.
The Council on Foundation defines impact investing as “any investment activity that intends to generate positive social and financial returns. Whether called impact investing, mission investing, social investing, social-impact investing, mission-related investing, program-related investing, or sustainable and responsible investing, the practice focuses on activating new financial resources to solve social and environmental problems.”
Impact investing as a tool can generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. By attending this series you will:
- Learn the fundamentals of how to create a more sustainable model of philanthropy through impact investing tools.
- Hear from experienced practitioners.
- Learn how to successfully integrate grantmaking and investment resources.
- Participate in interactive discussions with local peers.
- Hear examples of investments made in New Jersey and nationally.
- Attend a site visit to see impact investing in action.
- Receive a copy of the book “Impact Investing: The Practical Guide” by John Duong.
Session 3: This virtual session will focus on setting the groundwork for New Jersey philanthropy to explore additional shared learning and co-investment opportunities. The discussion will be led by John Duong, Kind Capital.
COST: Free for CNJG Members
Registrants must attend all three sessions of the series.
Space Limited. No more than two people per organization can register.
Additional Session Information:
Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm - Session 1: In this full day workshop John Duong, founder and CEO of Kind Capital, will lead a dynamic and intensely focused full day of learning, knowledge-building, and exchange. The curriculum will include baseline information, the fundamentals of impact investment, methods and models, and opportunities for peer to peer and small group discussion and dialogue. A light breakfast and lunch is included.
Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm - Session 2: This session will feature a site visit to highlight a specific project and explore local case studies of NJ foundations implementing impact investment strategies. Grantmakers will have the opportunity to tour the project site, hear from nonprofit partners and participants, ask questions, and learn directly from those involved.
Speaker:
Mr. Duong has been an investment banker at JP Morgan Chase, was founding Managing Director of Lumina Impact Ventures with Luminia, and was Program and Portfolio Officer with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. John holds an executive MBA with a concentration in management and entrepreneurship from the Kellogg School of Management.
This CNJG program is sponsored by: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Victoria Foundation and presented by Kind Capital.
Resources
The Impact Principles website
Planet Tracker website - Reports for climate focused investors
Catalyzing Finance for Racial Equity
RPA Impact Investing Handbook
Impact Investing: A Primer for Family Foundaitons
What Can Foundations Do to Foster Community Investment?
The Role of Impact Capital in Advancing Racial Equity
Impact Capital for Racial Equity: Investing with Intention and Measuring Impact
Emerging Sources of Community Investment Capital and Strategies to Direct it at Scale
Mapping the Journey to Impact Investing
Roadmap for the Future of Impact Investing: Reshaping Financial Markets
Community Foundation Field Guide to Impact Investing
Essentials of Impact Investing
Endowments & Investing
Place-Based Impact Investing: Three Briefs for Practitioners
Sample disaster preparedness and recovery plans for foundations.
Thank you to everyone who attended CNJG’s 2019 Annual Meeting and Holiday Luncheon.
The theme for the 2019 Annual Meeting and Holiday Luncheon was “Challenging Power Dynamics to Build Strong Partnerships,” and focused on how philanthropy can forge more transparent, trusting, and dynamic relationships with nonprofits and the communities they serve.
The pre-meeting workshop, “Finding Balance: Addressing Grantmaker-Grantee Power Dynamics Head-On” was led by Linda Czipo of the Center for Non-Profits and Tim Delaney of the National Council of Nonprofits. The workshop explored ways in which funders could overcome power dynamics. Tim and Linda discussed strategies to create more powerful partnerships, such as multi-year funding, advocacy, and unrestricted general operating support, and shared hero and horror stories to remember when working with nonprofits.
To close out our event, Phil Buchanan, President of the Center for Effective Philanthropy gave a captivating keynote address entitled “Giving Done Right: The Challenge and Opportunity.” During his presentation, Phil discussed the current critique of philanthropy, reminded us of the importance of working with and reflecting the communities we serve, and left attendees with seven different ways in which we can work more effectively with our partners in the new year.
Together, the social sector has the power, resources, and know-how to respond to our communities’ urgent and long-term needs. Thank you for joining us for this year’s critical conversation on breaking down power dynamics and building strong partnerships.
AGENDA
10:00 am to 11:30 am Pre-Meeting Workshop
11:30 am to 12:00 pm Networking and Registration
12:00 pm to 2:30 pm Luncheon and Business Meeting
Pre-Meeting Workshop: “Finding Balance: Addressing Grantmaker-Grantee Power Dynamics Head-on"
Presenters: Linda Czipo, President & CEO, Center for Non-Profits and Tim Delaney, President and CEO, National Council of Nonprofits
Linda Czipo, President & CEO of the Center for Non-Profits, and Tim Delaney, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, will present this year’s workshop on how to overcome power dynamics between funders and nonprofits. This workshop will explore ways in which funders can create trusting and transparent relationships with grantees, and further engage nonprofits in their grantmaking strategies. Among other things, we will explore strategies to incorporate full cost funding that strengthens the effectiveness of your grantees' work. Join us for a discussion on how philanthropy can move towards a system of truly partnering with nonprofits in order to maximize the beneficial impact for your community.
The Council thanks our generous event sponsors: Novartis - Signature Sponsor, The Prudential Foundation – Sustaining Sponsor, New Jersey Health Initiatives – Speaker Sponsor, Princeton Area Community Foundation – Gift Sponsor, Devils Care Foundation and Sixers Youth Foundation – Pre-Meeting Workshop Sponsors, Novo Nordisk – Program Sponsor, The Provident Bank Foundation – Performance Sponsor, Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey – Contributing Sponsor, and The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation – Supporting Sponsor. Additional support provided by NJM Insurance Group.
Annual Meeting Photos
Watch Everyone Deserves a Fair Slice from the Human Services Council.
This one-hour webinar will offer a high-level overview of recent trends and best practices for foundation governance. Attorneys from the Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations group of Dentons, the world’s largest global law firm, will present practical tips for governance and legal compliance, focused on small to mid-size foundations. Drawing from both national trends in the industry and the impact of the pandemic and social change, topics will include:
- Considerations for revising bylaws and conflict of interest policies;
- Foundation political activity, including lobbying and advocacy;
- Issues to consider when funding a project with a fiscal sponsor; and
- Updating grant agreements.
Speakers
| Jeffrey Fromknecht Counsel Dentons Cohen & Grigsby |
Hayley Haldeman Counsel Dentons Cohen & Grigsby |
This program is for members of the following philanthropy-serving organizations: Maryland Philanthropy Network, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, Florida Philanthropic Network, Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, Philanthropy Wisconsin, NY Funders Alliance, and North Carolina Grantmakers.
Learn how to support a disability-inclusive COVID-19 response.
COVID-19 disproportionately threatens the physical, financial, and emotional health of people with disabilities. Individuals with pre-existing health issues are at greater risk of contracting the coronavirus, many in the disability community still lack access to healthcare, and -- according to the National Trends in Disability report from the Kessler Foundation and University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability -- nearly one million working-age people with disabilities lost their jobs.
In this webinar, we’ll hear from Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC/SLP, Senior Vice President Grants and Communication at the Kessler Foundation and Audrey Winkler, Executive Director of JESPY House.
Speakers will explore:
· Unique challenges facing people with disabilities during COVID-19.
· How philanthropy can support workforce opportunities for people with disabilities.
· Efforts to address ableism and create more inclusive policies and practices, on a national and local level.
For a truly equitable recovery that centers the experience of people facing multiple forms of systemic discrimination, we must address the ableism embedded in our systems, institutions, and culture. Join us for this important conversation on how your organization can address ableism in your fight for social justice, and support a more disability-inclusive response to COVID-19.
Cost: Free for CNJG Grantmakers. $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
Webinar Video
This one-hour webinar will offer a high-level overview of employment law trends and best practices for foundations. Attorneys from the Labor & Employment and Nonprofit & Tax-Exempt Organizations groups of Dentons, the world’s largest global law firm, will present practical tips for small and mid-size foundations with regard to employment and workplace issues. Drawing from both national trends in the industry and the impact of the pandemic and social change, topics will include:
- social media policies;
- remote and hybrid work considerations;
- job descriptions and changes with hiring practices; and
- independent contractor agreements.
Our speakers will hold time for Q&A at the end of the presentation. As part of the registration process, attendees may also submit questions or topic area suggestions for our speakers to address if time allows.
Speakers
Carsen Ruperto, Counsel, Dentons Cohen & Grigsby
Hayley Haldeman, Counsel, Dentons, Cohen & Grigsby
This program is for members of the following philanthropy-serving organizations: Maryland Philanthropy Network, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, Florida Philanthropic Network, Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, Philanthropy Wisconsin, NY Funders Alliance, and North Carolina Grantmakers.
We are pleased to share the Newark Philanthropic Liaison's latest Report to the Field. In 2023, we were proud of the multiple opportunities we had to spotlight the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers' leadership in starting and continuing this innovative model. Partners from across the country, from Philanthropy Serving Organizations (PSOs) to state and local governments, are considering the creation of a role similar to the Newark Liaison. Now more than ever, it is through partnerships that we will achieve our biggest collective goals in our sector.
Our Report to the Field for 2024 showcases an array of examples of public private partnerships launched in Newark with the collaboration of multiple partners. The Liaison led efforts to secure new funds for innovative solutions to homelessness, new approaches to economic security, increased access to programs for residents, and enhanced equity and access in our educational system. The Newark funding community took advantage of our Newark Funder Affinity Group meetings to structure an exciting new program to support Newark nonprofits through the lens of trust-based philanthropy. We remain fortunate to work in an environment of collaboration and alignment in Newark.
More than 20 years ago, the Garden State’s philanthropic community began meeting informally to discuss issues of importance to grantmakers. In the late 1980s, fueled by the observation that philanthropy is more effective when grantmakers have a forum to communicate, exchange information, and take part in continuing education, CNJG was born.
By 1998, CNJG was an independent 501(c)(3) organization with a full-time executive director and approximately 80 members. In the years since, membership has grown to include more than 130 foundations, corporate giving programs, government and other public grantmaking organizations. Informal gatherings of likeminded individuals and organizations have been replaced by robust, highly valued seminars, convenings, workshops and conferences.
Extending Philanthropy's Contribution
Over the years, CNJG also actively engaged in a number of landmark initiatives including commissioning the first study of giving in the Garden State, NJ Gives, the first study of nonprofit health insurance provider conversions to for profit corporations, New Jersey Together (a major funder collaborative centered on youth development), a landmark effort looking at the systemic, long term fiscal challenges facing all levels of government in New Jersey entitled Facing Our Future, the creation of the Community Foundation of South Jersey, and creation of the Newark Philanthropic Liaison position within our state’s largest city administration.
View our CNJG Through the Years pictorial.
CNJG hosts regular briefings where funders hear from government officials, disaster recovery and health experts, nonprofit leaders, funders, and other stakeholders dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The briefings provide an opportunity to share how colleagues are changing grantmaking practices for rapid response, learn about new policies and government actions, and connect with local leaders who work with people whose financial, physical, and mental health suffers due to COVID-19. Series I topics included food insecurity, mapping response funding, racial health disparities, federal and state policy, and updates from New Jersey response funds and Rapid Response Surveys, completed in partnership with the Center for Non-Profits in March, April, and July 2020.
Igniting Equitable Systems Change Together
Date: Thursday, May 26
Time: 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
On May 26, the Council brought together recognized thought leaders from philanthropy and nonprofits for a conversation exploring how the social sector can advance systems change.
Grantmakers and nonprofits grapple with complex, structural issues every day, and take on the difficult questions to move our collective work forward.
During a dynamic discussion, panelists shared strategies to empower proximate leaders, remove structural barriers and build the capacity of grassroots organizations, and shift mental models to challenge assumptions and strengthen nonprofit-funder relationships. After the panel, case study presenters highlighted three local examples of systems change, emphasizing the importance of cross-sector collaboration, collective action, and community engagement. Then, attendees gathered together for small group discussions to unpack key takeaways and discuss their own successes and challenges with systems change.
One of the most highly regarded convenings for social sector leaders in the state, the 2022 Virtual Spring Colloquium considered the power and cultural shifts needed to advance systems change through philanthropic and nonprofit partnership.
Attendees can revisit Whova to access event features such as session recordings, exhibitor virtual booths and sponsor pages, NJ Poetry Out Loud performances, and more.
| Agenda | |
| 1:00 - 1:30 pm: | Opening Session Featuring Sponsors & Exhibitors |
| 1:30 - 2:00 pm: | Break & Independently Visit with Sponsors & Exhibitor Virtual Booths |
| 2:00 - 3:30 pm: | Panel Discussion & Case Study Presentations - Igniting Equitable Systems Change Together |
| 3:30 - 4:00 pm: | Small Group Discussions |
| 4:00 - 4:15 pm: | Break & Independently Visit with Sponsors & Exhibitor Virtual Booths |
| 4:15 - 5:00 pm: | Networking Reception Featuring NJ Trivia |
We are pleased to share CNJG’s 2021 Newark Philanthropic Liaison Report to the Field. First established in 2007, the Liaison office represents one of the nation’s first formal partnerships between a city and the philanthropic community. The initiative began as a partnership between the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers in collaboration with then Mayor Cory A. Booker. We are proud this unique partnership has continued with Mayor Ras J. Baraka and his administration.
This report provides a brief summary of the substantial activities and impact the Office of the Newark Philanthropic Liaison facilitated throughout 2021. The strategy of collective impact is thriving throughout Newark thanks in large part to the work of the Liaison, and the funding community’s support of and robust engagement with the Office of the Mayor and anchor institutions across the city continue to reap positive outcomes. The Office of the Newark Philanthropic Liaison is supported by: Bank of America, Burke Foundation, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Maher Charitable Foundation, The Prudential Foundation, Schumann Foundation for New Jersey, Turrell Fund, Victoria Foundation, and the longtime support of the Nicholson Foundation which sunset in late 2021.