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A working glossary of terms to help shape a common language for work in Community Capacity. This glossary is intended to help promote philanthropy's roles in building community capacity by defining core concepts and closely related terms.
A sample document detailing the core values of the Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation including restrictions on participation on nonprofit/grantee boards.
This paper explores community democracy as a cultural choice and a potential organizing system for philanthropy using stories that demonstrate its principles and practices, primarily growing from the experience of northern California communities. This experience offers a framework of principles and a beginning set of conclusions about how philanthropy can develop productive partnerships from the perspective of a place-based, community democracy.
An overview on the self-dealing law, including definitions, common problem areas, exceptions, penalties, and resources.
Sample board committee descriptions, including roles and responsibilities of committee members
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.
I hope you had a rejuvenating and wonderful summer and found some moments to relax and hopefully take a vacation.
As we close out the summer and look forward to autumn, I would like to share an opportunity with you. If you are interested in serving on the CNJG Board of Trustees, or know someone who would make a good trustee, we encourage you to complete the application form and send it, along with a brief biography by Thursday, September 12, 2024. You can read the full “call for trustee nominations” letter from Governance Committee co-chairs Justin Kiczek and Kate Barrett for more details. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Office Manager, Dana Schwartz.
The Board will present a slate of candidates to CNJG members at our Annual Meeting. Please mark your calendar for the CNJG Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering on Wednesday, December 11, at the APA Hotel Woodbridge.
As we transition from summer, we already have a jam-packed fall with a range of programs to enhance your learning and connections! Upcoming affinity and interest group programs include the Monmouth & Ocean County Funders Roundtable on September 11; Health and Aging Funders Affinity Group: Reconnecting on September 18; Newark Funder Affinity Group: Building the Capacity of Newark’s Nonprofit Sector on September 19; and the Culture Funders Affinity Group: ArtsPay Equity on September 26. The funders briefing, New Jersey’s Latest Affordable Housing Reforms: Implications for Philanthropy on September 12 will outline the significant reforms to the ways that NJ enforces municipal affordable housing obligations that Governor Murphy signed into law in March 2024. Don’t miss First Fridays for Philanthropy September 6 and family philanthropy webinar Effective Communication and Building Consensus through Change on September 9 &10 – both programs are part of two ongoing monthly series. You’ll also want to register for part 1 of the 2024 Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Disability and the Care Economy on September 19.
And that’s just September! Please take some time to visit all our upcoming programs. I look forward to reconnecting with you this fall and seeing you at the Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering, December 11. Registration will be opening soon.
Sincerely,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
Developed in partnership with United Philanthropy Forum and Northern California Grantmakers, this guide shares seven practices and 12 tools for Philanthropy-Serving Organizations who seek effective ways to mobilize resources to sustain their organization’s work. The guide features perspectives from dozens of leaders of national and regional PSOs and examples from our work with these organizations. Much of the content is based on conversations and strategy work with PSO leaders, staff and board members.
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?
How can funders reduce the burden on grantees when requesting demographic data? What information are funders collecting from their nonprofit partners, and what information is needed to make informed decisions and build trusting relationships?
Funders are increasingly requesting demographic data from nonprofits to better understand the types of organizations and leaders that they are—and are not—supporting. Due to the lack of comprehensive and public demographic data available, nonprofits experience a heavy burden to provide the information in a variety of ways and formats.
Join this webinar to learn how to reduce the administrative work for grantees throughout the due diligence and grantmaking processes and beyond. We’ll explore tools that can help streamline the process of collecting, evaluating, and sharing information for mutual benefit.
Cost: This event is free for CNJG Members who are family foundations.
Other types of foundations are ineligible to join this webinar.
This program is a CNJG membership benefit for family foundation members, including staff and trustees, in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy.
CNJG is pleased to offer this program to family foundation members as part of NCFP's Fundamentals of Family Philanthropy 2024 webinar series, providing guidance on the core tenets of effective family philanthropy.
This session will explore the dynamic ways in which cultural and faith-based values can shape and inform the mission and impact of your family’s philanthropic endeavors. Faith has been imbedded in US philanthropy from its earliest days and many donors continue to lean on those values when driving change. Some donors openly talk about the link between their faith and giving, while others use their faith as quiet motivation. Panelists will share practical strategies, case studies, and best practices for aligning your family’s giving with your cultural and faith-based principles, allowing you to achieve a deeper and more meaningful impact in your grantmaking efforts in ways that also ensure equity and promote open dialogue. Whether you seek to honor your heritage, promote justice, and/or support causes close to your heart, this webinar will provide valuable guidance for harnessing the power of culture and faith in your family’s philanthropy.
Cost: This event is free for CNJG Members who are family foundations.
Other types of foundations are ineligible to join this webinar.
This program is a CNJG membership benefit for family foundation members, including staff and trustees, in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy.
A CNJG member queried the corporate listserve on strategies or resources for virtual volunteering. CNJG compiled these responses, and listed the different opportunities that members are offering for employee volunteerism.
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