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A new year always feels like a fresh start—a chance to reflect on where we’ve been and chart a course for where we’re headed. As we step into 2025, I want to take a moment to thank you for the incredible work you do every day to strengthen New Jersey’s communities. Your dedication and passion are what make our state—and our sector—thrive.
This January not only brings in a new presidential administration but also the 119th United States Congress. These transitions remind us of the vital role we play as advocates for the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, and civil society overall. Decisions made in Washington over the coming months and years will directly impact philanthropy’s ability to foster equity, champion the vital role nonprofits play in our communities, create opportunities, and address systemic challenges.
Foundations on the Hill (FOTH) is just around the corner and will take place in Washington, D.C. from February 23 - 26. Presented and hosted by United Philanthropy Forum and the Council on Foundations, in partnership with Independent Sector, FOTH brings foundation leaders to Washington for meetings with Congress about key issues of importance to foundations and philanthropy. These meetings also strengthen relationships between funders and our elected representatives. CNJG will join colleague PSOs and foundations from across the country to present a strong, collective voice on Capitol Hill. If you are interested in attending or would like to learn more, please contact me.
As we look ahead to 2025, building strong relationships with legislators through efforts like FOTH, advancing our policy agenda, and continuing our ongoing advocacy work will be critical. The CNJG programs below provide key opportunities for nonprofits and philanthropy to come together, strengthen our collective voice, and focus on shaping impactful public policy.
Save the Dates: 2025 Programs on Public Policy and Advocacy
Policy World Wednesdays
Starting January 8, 2025, and recurring every second Wednesday of the month
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM (Monthly via Zoom)
FREE monthly sessions diving into key policy issues, advocacy opportunities, and the latest developments affecting nonprofits and philanthropy.
Registration is recommended but not required.
2025 Conference for the Social Sector
June 18, 2025
Focus: Civic Engagement
Join nonprofit and philanthropic leaders to explore strategies to strengthen civic engagement. Registration will open in early spring.
2025 Summer Joint Policy Forum
August 5, 2025
A dynamic convening of nonprofit and philanthropic leaders to address emerging policy issues, voter engagement, and collective advocacy for the sector. Registration will open in late spring.
Save these dates on your calendar and stay tuned for more details—we hope to see you there!
It’s important that philanthropy engages in and supports advocacy. Philanthropy continues to be a cornerstone of civil society, where vision and resources come together to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. From racial equity and climate resilience to education and public health, CNJG remains committed to supporting our members in creating lasting and meaningful change.
It was wonderful seeing so many members at the 2024 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering on December 11. 2024 was truly an extraordinary year. I’ve no doubt 2025 will be extraordinary as well. Thank you for all you do, and here’s to a productive and impactful year ahead.
Warmly,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
How can family philanthropies ensure their internal operations and grantmaking practices are disability- inclusive?
One in four US adults—61 million people—have some type of disability, but few people working in philanthropy self-identify as disabled. There is a growing recognition across the philanthropic sector that to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, it must approach its work through a disability lens. For funders, there are opportunities throughout their work to shift internal operations toward more equitable and values-aligned practices. In this interactive session, we focus on embedding disability and inclusion in operations and learn best practices to embed disability inclusion in their internal practices, processes, and policies.
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.
Join National Center for Family Philanthropy as we explore fundamental questions in the context of family philanthropy: “Who is considered family?” and “What is the role of family in family philanthropy?”
As family philanthropies evolve, choosing how to define family—whether it includes lineal descendants or extends to spouses, chosen family, or others—is essential. Families must also decide how and when to include community voices. We will examine the role family members play in shaping philanthropic goals, decision-making processes, and the long-term impact of their giving, while navigating personal relationships and maintaining a commitment to learning.
This session will provide valuable insights for families looking to build, refine, or sustain their philanthropy with shared values and vision.
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.
How can being more transparent about your philanthropy strengthen your relationships and build trust with grantees and partners?
The annual Trust in Nonprofits and Philanthropy Report showed that 57 percent of Americans trust the nonprofit sector—much higher than the government, media, or the business sector. Yet, only 33 percent have trust in the philanthropic sector (primarily private foundations and high net-worth individuals). Why is this and how can family philanthropy increase this trust?
By prioritizing transparency, families can grow trusting relationships with the communities and organizations that they support, be more accountable donors, and ultimately enhance the effectiveness of their philanthropic efforts.
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.
What do the latest trends in family philanthropy tell us about effectiveness and impact?
Join us to dive into select findings from the Trends 2025 report. You will hear from family foundations about how these trends relate to their impact and effectiveness.
We’ll cover topics including relationships, accountability, and equity, and ask questions like:
- How are family relationships changing, especially when involving the next generation?
- How are funders being accountable to their communities? What perspectives are you including in your strategy and decision-making conversations?
- What changes have you implemented over the past five years, and what are you continuing to learn?
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.
How can a place-based approach maximize philanthropic impact and drive meaningful, community-led progress?
In this session we will consider the power of place-based funding and the unique opportunities it presents for achieving impact at scale in urban, rural, and Tribal communities. We will examine the commonalities that connect these diverse communities—such as shared challenges related to economic development, access to resources, and social equity—while also highlighting the distinct needs and opportunities within each context. You will learn how place-based philanthropy can create tailored, sustainable solutions that address the root causes of local and systemic issues, fostering long-term change.
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.
The Fund for Women and Girls of the Princeton Area Community Foundation has awarded a record $325,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations.
This funding is the largest amount awarded in any cycle of the Fund’s more than 20-year history and includes a first-time award for the Liz Gray Erickson Memorial Grant, a 3-year grant given in memory of the Princeton resident who served as the chair of the Fund from 2012 to 2014.
“Thanks to the generosity and commitment of our Fund for Women and Girls members, we’ve awarded more than $1 million in grants to more than three dozen nonprofits in the last five years,” said Jenifer Morack, Fund Co-Chair.
Fund members pool their donations, then recommend grants to be awarded annually to local nonprofits. Isabel Zisk, Fund Co-Chair, said making a gift to the Fund is incredibly effective. Individual donations create a leveraged pool of funding that greatly benefits nonprofits working to impact the well-being of women, girls and communities in our region.
“We do what no individual donor has the expertise, time or access to do,” she said, explaining that the Fund’s Grants Committee members read dozens of applications and conduct site visits with nonprofits. “Because of some very generous gifts, this year, we have the honor of awarding the Liz Gray Erickson Memorial Grant. With her visionary leadership, Liz planted the seeds of our grantmaking focus.”
CNJG’s first-ever Policy Agenda that includes our approach to the policy work, and five policy priorities.
CNJG is tracking philanthropy’s response to the coronavirus pandemic by elevating our “Get on the Map” Campaign partnership with Candid (formerly Foundation Center). Candid recently launched their new coronavirus map, as a part of their coronavirus webpage. Now, we need your help to share funding efforts related to the coronavirus pandemic, so your COVID-19 grants can get on this new map. The more data that they can gather to complete the map, the more useful this resource will be for your organization.
Learn how you can share your data with Candid in this webinar as Kati Neiheisel, EReporting Liaison will walk us through the why and how of sharing data, and how sharing grants data informs the sector, locally, regionally, and globally. It is critical to be transparent and share this information with philanthropy in the coming weeks and months. Tracking this data will help coordinate and inform all of NJ Grantmakers' efforts for COVID-19 response and relief.
After this demonstration, we will hear from Linda Czipo, President and CEO at the Center for Non-Profits for an update on the results of the 2nd Rapid Response Coronavirus Nonprofit Survey conducted from April 3 to April 7. Linda will share information on nonprofits most urgent needs to better inform your grantmaking during this crisis. For results from the first survey, visit here.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members and NonMember Grantmakers
This program is only open to Grantmakers.
Webinar Video
A corporate member queried the corporate listserve which technology tools they use for their corporate giving system/platform. CNJG compiled the responses and combined it with previous responses from other technology systems queries to create this list of “Who Uses What Technology Systems.” If your organization is not listed, please email the names of those systems to Craig Weinrich.
Adopted by CNJG”s Board of Trustees in October 2023, these eight Principles offer philanthropy a source of direction for their own equity journey. Each principle begins with a common understanding followed by developmental steps, and 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.
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.