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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.
Grantmaking at the Crossroads is a workbook designed to provide foundations with a new grantmaking methodology that works at the intersection of place, population, and issue. It offers a pathway to greater inclusion of communities that are often excluded or marginalized by foundation funding and enables foundations to maintain their focus and priorities while expanding their reach and effectiveness.
The Grand Rapids Community Foundation and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation volunteered to be laboratories for Grantmaking at the Crossroads and have been critical informants for this workbook. Each of these foundations holds an unwavering commitment to ongoing learning; this publication would not have happened without their support and engagement and the financial support of the Arcus Foundation.
How can funders make grant applications and reporting less burdensome for nonprofit partners? How do we connect with smaller nonprofits working on-the-ground in communities? How can we encourage more unrestricted grants? How should funders compensate nonprofit leaders when asking for their expertise and limited time?
We’ll explore those questions, and more, at the upcoming CNJG 2023 Conference for the Social Sector: Doing Good Better on May 23.
But don’t delay in registering for the event. We’ll be at capacity very soon and will likely need to close registration. CNJG is the network serving you, our members; and our members – you - work toward the shared goals of improved practice and empowering stronger communities. Please register soon.
Getting back to our new team member – I’m pleased to welcome Chanika Svetvilas, CNJG’s new Manager of Programs and Learning. Chanika started with us on April 19. She will coordinate and manage our overall programming, including affinity group meetings, funder briefings, partner programs, skill-building workshops, and signature events. Chanika brings a range of experience in program implementation and planning. You can read her full bio here.
You’ll get the chance to meet Chanika at the Conference on May 23. The entire CNJG team is looking forward to seeing you there.
See you soon,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
We’re looking forward to seeing you at the CNJG’s 2025 Conference for the Social Sector — Stronger Together: Philanthropy & Civic Engagement on June 18! If you haven’t registered yet, please take a moment and register today for this important event. I also encourage you to invite your trustees, nonprofit partners, and colleagues to register.
Our spring Signature Convening brings together New Jersey’s philanthropic and nonprofit leaders for a day of shared learning, exchange, and community building. We’re deeply proud of the topics we’ve showcased over the years, and this year is no exception. We tackled the 2020 Census in 2019, and why it counts for the people of our state and the well-being of our communities. We uplifted the future of work and the role of philanthropy in 2021, with visionary conversations about equitable labor practices and new ways of working. The 2023 conference widely introduced Doing Good Better — a systems change initiative in partnership with the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits to reimagine how philanthropy and nonprofit partners work together.
We’ll open the day with our Spark: Civic Pulse session featuring a range of dynamic New Jersey leaders driving civic engagement across our state. The morning breakout sessions will accentuate the future of civic engagement: innovation, inclusion, and collective action; while the afternoon sessions are aimed at mobilization with civic tools, voices, and pathways to change. Our keynote speaker, Dale Anglin, Director of Press Forward, will explore and reinforce how civic engagement and democracy starts at the local level, and builds thriving, informed, and engaged communities.
This year, we’re absolutely thrilled to highlight the important issue of civic engagement and what it looks like in practice throughout our communities and across multiple disciplines. We stand in extraordinary times, and these discussions are more crucial than ever. CNJG is well positioned to elevate and amplify these conversations for, and on behalf of, New Jersey’s social sector.
I hope you’re intrigued and excited by the topic as well, and I invite you to join us as a sponsor for this very special convening of sector leaders. We have four categories of sponsorship available:
- Champion Sponsor - $8,000 – 2 available
- Collaborator Sponsor - $6,000 – 3 Available
- Connector Sponsor - $5,000 - 3 Available
- Colleague Sponsor - $3,000 – 2 available
Click here for the full sponsorship package.
Please feel free to reach out to me or my colleague, Development Associate Fortunata Cuomo via e-mail if you have questions or want to learn more about how you can support this exceptional gathering. We can also customize a sponsorship package for you, and if you’re not able to sponsor, we hope you can underwrite the event with a contribution.
Thank you to our sponsors to date: PSEG, Sixers Youth Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kearny Bank, the Stone Foundation for New Jersey, PKF O’Connor Davies, and The Palace at Somerset Park. Thank you also to NJM Insurance Group for a donation in support of the event.
Your support makes all the difference.
Warmly,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
As we move beyond the election season and look to 2025, New Jersey’s philanthropic and nonprofit sectors will continue to engage in conversations and partnerships that inspire change and support an inclusive future for all. Ensuring that we are fully prepared for the work ahead demands curiosity, an openness to ongoing learning, a commitment to listening, and building relationships with a range of partners. These are key characteristics and traits of a true leader.
To help you navigate what’s next in a new administration and new Congress, several national partners are offering post-election analysis:
- The National Council of Nonprofits is hosting Impact of the Elections on Nonprofitson Tuesday, November 12 at 4 pm.
- The Council on Foundations is hosting Looking to 2025: Making Sense of the Elections on Thursday, November 14 at 2 pm.
- United Philanthropy Forum is hosting Decision '24 Post-Election Briefing: Debrief + Sector Outlook on Wednesday, November 20 at 12:00 pm.
Leaders are committed to exploring new ideas, building connections, and finding common ground, and ways to come together. The New Jersey Center for Nonprofits’ annual conference, The Road Ahead on Wednesday, December 4 will bring together social sector leaders from across the state for just these purposes. I encourage you to register as soon as possible if you plan on attending. Space is filling up quickly.
Leaders come from all walks of life, and we’re especially fortunate in the philanthropic sector to have an abundance of talented, thoughtful, and caring leaders. After connecting with social sector leaders, and building on your leadership acumen at the Center’s conference, we’re looking forward to seeing you at the CNJG Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering on December 11. Our theme, Inspiring Change through Leadership: Maximizing Philanthropic Impact, could not be more timely.
As a leader, you know that in these complex times, philanthropic investment and commitment matter more than ever. Each of us, and our individual organizations, bring unique and deeply informed expertise, perspectives, influence, and skills that enrich our collective effort. Together, New Jersey’s philanthropic community will continue to build a space where all voices are heard, and collaboration is valued, so we can move forward to address critical issues in meaningful ways.
Underwriting or sponsoring convenings is another strategy to engage in leadership activities. I hope you will consider supporting the annual meeting of the CNJG membership with a sponsorship or special donation. This event is the one time per year when a significant number of Council members come together in one space, often sowing the very first seeds of collaboration. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
A big thank you to our sponsors to date - we couldn't do this without you! Special thanks to Signature Sponsor – Prudential; Contributing Sponsors – Devils Youth Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Victoria Foundation; Supporting Sponsor – Grunin Foundation, Pincus Family Foundation, and WSFS Bank; and Colleague Sponsor – Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
Wishing us all a safe, restful, and restorative Thanksgiving later this month when the campaign of 2024 becomes a distant memory, but our resolve to champion the causes that matter most to our communities remains steadfast. That’s what leaders do.
Warmly,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
In 2003, with member support, CNJG commissioned a report on the impact a potential conversion of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield to a for-profit might have on access to health care in New Jersey. Research from the Center for State Health Policy (CSHP) at Rutgers University, provided details about the law governing such conversions in New Jersey and the experience of other states with conversions. The report identified questions raised in other states when such conversions occur, especially about the valuation of assets, the impact on low-income families, and the operation of the philanthropic foundations that have been established as stewards of the assets generated by the conversions. CNJG’s purpose was to seek answers to critical questions relevant to the availability of healthcare coverage for New Jersey’s citizens and to discuss models of best practice for healthcare conversion foundations across the United States.
Inspiring Change through Leadership: Maximizing Philanthropic Impact
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 - 9:00am to 3:00pm
Luncheon, Keynote Presentation & Workshop
Location: APA Hotel Woodbridge, 120 Wood Ave S, Iselin, NJ 08830
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers thanks everyone who attended our 2024 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering. On Wednesday, December 11, over 130 Council members and special guests gathered to celebrate the holiday season, welcome new CNJG members, convene our annual business meeting, and feature a dynamic discussion related to the vital work of philanthropy.
The Council’s 2024 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering was the place where CNJG members and New Jersey’s philanthropic community came together to share ideas about the important work they’re doing. It also provided a valuable opportunity to connect with colleagues.
This year’s theme, Inspiring Change through Leadership: Maximizing Philanthropic Impact, featured keynote speaker Amalia Brindis Delgado of the Panta Rhea Foundation.
The Annual Meeting included a workshop that explored the New Jersey Principles for Philanthropy. An overview of the Principles was presented, followed by a panel of fellow CNJG members who discussed how they are already using the Principles within their organizations. Attendees also had time to discuss how they could leverage the New Jersey Principles for Philanthropy to make changes within their own organizations.
Annual Meeting Photos
As a follow-up to our Giving in Indiana study (released earlier this year), Indiana Philanthropy Alliance is pleased to share this snapshot of promising practices for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in Indiana philanthropy. Throughout our state, foundations are incorporating the values of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into their organizational cultures; engaging diverse populations as staff, board members, donors, and grantees; and working to make their communities more welcoming places. This report is an effort to capture a sampling of these endeavors.
Sample bylaws for Community Foundations.
Alexis Bivens, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Managing Director of the Supporting Organizing Work Funders Collaborative, Connecticut Council on Philanthropy, presents the process and progress of how an affinity group transformed into a funders collaborative, how it was resourced, and challenges along the way.
A key objective of the Scaling What Works initiative has been to translate insight and learning from grantmaker intermediaries involved with the Social Innovation Fund and share them with the broader philanthropic community. The fifth guide in the Lessons Learned series presents the benefits and challenges of partnerships between local and national funders, and highlights key considerations for both kinds of funders to foster success in their collaboration.