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Join us for this Health & Aging Affinity Group meeting, a unique opportunity for New Jersey-based funders to connect and share insights on initiatives and strategies related to health and aging. This engaging event will provide a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and fostering potential partnerships among organizations dedicated to improving the well-being and quality of life for families in our communities. Let's come together to explore innovative solutions, share best practices, and build a stronger, more impactful funding network in the realm of health and aging.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
CNJG’s partner, the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits annual conference.
Don’t miss the premier conference for New Jersey nonprofits and allies, packed with the great insights, tools, and the super-charged networking you’ve come to expect. This full day event will also include plenary speakers, and morning and afternoon breakout sessions.
Full conference information is available on the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits website.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin recently announced that the Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC), in conjunction with the Governor’s Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Committee, has awarded 17 grants totaling more than $369,000 to police departments, schools, and non-profit organizations across the State to expand summer programs for at-risk youth.
The grants provide organizations already operating successful summer programs for at-risk youth with up to $30,000 in additional funding to enhance their programs and/or increase the number of young people they serve.
Due to these new grants, approximately 500 additional youth throughout New Jersey will be able to participate in an array of recreational, educational, and character-building activities being offered in their communities this summer.
“I’m pleased that New Jersey is able to continue its investment in programs that serve our most vulnerable young people,” said Attorney General Platkin. “The funding announced today by the Juvenile Justice Commission is emblematic of the Murphy Administration’s commitment to make sure all of New Jersey’s youth have opportunities to develop new skills, overcome challenges and achieve their optimal potential.”
This weekly funder briefing webinar series welcomed New Jersey-based grantmakers along with national funders and provided an opportunity for grantmakers to hear from a wide range of nonprofit experts. This series started on March 13, 2025, less than a month after the first executive order was issued and continued through April 24, 2025. The written summaries of each recording are listed below.
Nonprofits can and should play an active role during elections, particularly by educating and activating voters. However, with important local, state and federal elections coming up this fall, nonprofits should take the time to remind their staff about appropriate activity during a political campaign or at any other time. This overview developed by Donors Forum provides important tips and examples of activities that are permissible for nonprofits during an election cycle.
The Trust-Based Philanthropy Project is pleased to announce a six-part webinar series addressing common questions, clarifying misconceptions, and exploring ways to overcome obstacles in implementing trust-based philanthropy. CNJG is pleased to share this opportunity with our members.
Series Description: Trust-based philanthropy is a philosophy and approach rooted in values of relationship-building, mutual learning, and systemic equity – with a vision of advancing a healthier and more impactful nonprofit sector. While this approach is generally associated with six core grantmaking practices such as multi-year unrestricted funding and streamlined paperwork, the day-to-day work of trust-based philanthropy is very nuanced and dynamic. In fact, funders who have embraced this approach are finding that it requires ongoing self-reflection and rigor with regards to how they think about – and evolve – many of the deeply embedded practices and assumptions of traditional philanthropy.
Given these nuances, it is not surprising that there are many questions and occasional misperceptions about what it actually means to embody trust-based philanthropy in practice. In this 6-part webinar series, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project will explore some of the most commonly asked questions and the underlying misperceptions that may be roadblocks to understanding and operationalizing trust-based philanthropy.
Each session in the series will focus on a frequently asked question from the field, and will feature perspectives from foundation leaders and others who have grappled with similar or related questions. At the end of each session, participants will walk away with: 1) a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the underlying cultural philosophy of trust-based philanthropy; 2) tips for how to think about and approach these nuances in their own work; and 3) talking points for how to answer these FAQs when they come up from colleagues or peers.
Each session will also provide dedicated space for small-group peer dialogue (among CNJG members) about ways to implement these practices into your grantmaking.
Cost: Free
Who should attend: Anyone in a grantmaking role that is curious about understanding the nuances of trust-based philanthropy and how it applies to your work. This series will be ideal for those who have some baseline familiarity with trust-based philanthropy and have questions about how it manifests in practice.
Please note: this webinar series is separate from CNJG’s 2023 Conference for the Social Sector, which features an in-person luncheon keynote by the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project. CNJG’s conference is open to both funders and nonprofits, so the keynote will differ from this series. Because CNJG’s Doing Good Better initiative leans on the principles of Trust-Based Philanthropy, we encourage our members to register for these sessions - as time allows - for funders to learn about different approaches to changing systems in New Jersey.
Demystifying Trust-Based Philanthropy Series Sessions
Session #1: Does Trust-Based Mean Unconditional Trust?
Session #2: Does Unrestricted Funding Automatically Make a Funder Trust-Based?
Session #3: How Do We Approach Risk and Due Diligence in Trust-Based Philanthropy?
Session #4: What Does Grantee Accountability Look Like in Trust-Based Funding?
Session #5: How Do You Measure Impact in Trust-Based Philanthropy?
Session #6: What Does Racial Equity Have To Do With Trust-Based Philanthropy?
A CNJG member queried our listserves on what online grants management system members use and would recommend for a small foundation. CNJG compiled these responses, and listed the different systems that members do use.
- Frequent moves are the most significant barrier to academic success, as they disrupt both students and teachers. Students on the move need extra time and attention to get caught up, requiring teachers to spend more time with those students.
- Students who are unable to find stable shelter have difficulty meeting state or district mandates regarding the number of days they must attend school to stay enrolled.
- Often, the slow transfer of student records, along with differing course requirements from school to school, complicates the accrual of sufficient credits for homeless students to be promoted and receive a high school diploma.
Back in person - we’re bringing together funders and nonprofits for a day of shared learning, exchange, and networking at the 2023 Conference for the Social Sector on May 23!
Our conferences have always elevated timely and important topics. And that tradition continues. The conference theme, Doing Good Better, is a direct result of what we’ve learned and experienced over the past few years.
We stand in extraordinary times. The pandemic showed the limitations of existing philanthropic structures. Grantmakers recognized that organized philanthropy must rethink traditional grantmaking practices and shift their routines. Doing Good Better - a partnership initiative with the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits - is a big tent that includes trust-based philanthropy and participatory grantmaking; rightsizing the power dynamics between funders and nonprofits; simplified grant applications and reporting; increasing GOS and multi-year grants; unburdening nonprofits so they can focus on their work; addressing the equity issues that exist throughout the sector; and recognizing nonprofit leaders and those closest to the problem as the experts in the room.
Our new strategic plan outlines the very same values emanating throughout the Doing Good Better ideals – shared power and leadership, equity, trusting cross-sector relationships, and learning and dialogue.
The Conference features a range of notable thought leaders and experts for a day of connection, not-to-be-missed discussion, and side-by-side learning with foundation and nonprofit colleagues. Our opening plenary, How Philanthropy Can Do Good Better, will hear from leading New Jersey foundation CEOs about how they’ve shifted their funding practices to better support nonprofit partners. Shaady Salehi, Executive Director of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project will outline the underlying values of a trust-based approach during the luncheon keynote. Breakout sessions will highlight participatory grantmaking, equitable capacity building, tools to address nonprofit burnout, and more.
As we look forward to our time together, I also encourage you to review the many thought-provoking articles and useful websites available on the Conference Resource tab. This information extends your own opportunities to learn and build your knowledge.
We’re grateful to our sponsors for supporting the conference. Thank you to PSEG for serving as our Signature Sponsor for several years. Thank you to Connector Sponsors, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Sixers Youth Foundation, and Colleague Sponsors Citi, Grunin Foundation, Panasonic Foundation, and Valley National Bank. Thank you also to NJM Insurance Group for your donation in support of the event.
It’s been a long 4 years since we’ve been together in person for the CNJG spring conference. I’m looking forward to seeing you. Register today!
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers