Site Search
- resource provided by the Forum Network Knowledgebase.
Search Tip: Search with " " to find exact matches.
For 20 years, The Nicholson Foundation worked to advance meaningful change in safety net service systems in New Jersey. Its grantmaking journey is described in Changing Systems, Changing Lives: Reflecting on 20 Years. Through stories and related text, the book showed how a small family foundation could take six guiding themes and put them into action through grants and partner support. In the process, the Foundation collaborated to spur real systems change that benefitted individuals, families, and communities. A recent scholarly paper built on that work, helping to make the Foundation’s approach broadly accessible to researchers, academics, and philanthropists. “A Framework for Creating Systems Change,” by Drs. William Brown and Wynn Rosser published in The Foundation Review, presents a new model for systems change. Five of the model’s seven components reflect themes in Changing Systems, Changing Lives. The sixth component slightly shifts the emphasis of the Foundation’s “Engaging with Government” theme, and the seventh highlights the Foundation’s overall approach by including performance measurement as a distinct and separate component of the model.
Download or order a free hard copy of The Nicholson Foundation book, "Changing Systems, Changing Lives"
Read Brown W, Rosser W. "A Framework for Creating Systems Change". The Foundation Review, 2023;15(4):50-6.
ValuesAdvisor, a nonprofit online platform, helps you find the financial expertise needed to implement a mission-aligned investment strategy. Access to ValuesAdvisor is provided at no cost as a benefit of your membership in CNJG.
ValuesAdvisor offers a searchable database of values-oriented investment advisors, who have been suggested by other trusted affinity groups and philanthropy-supporting organizations. The platform offers a simple and dynamic interface that allows you to filter advisor information on data points such as minimum account size, amount of values-aligned AUM, impact themes, service offerings, asset classes, diversity, and other key information. Note: the platform does not collect user data and is committed to preserving the anonymity of the asset owners who use the platform.
To join, visit the ValuesAdvisor website and enter 'CNJG' at checkout to claim your free access.
To Get Started/Questions:
Kate Simpson, Head of Outreach, ValuesAdvisor
Email: [email protected]
If you have an advisor you’ve worked with who has helped your foundation align your investments with your mission, and believe your peers would benefit from working with, you can suggest them for the ValuesAdvisor platform in their short, “Suggest an Advisor Form.”
For more information, please watch this video or download the infographic below.
Join funders for a discussion on the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.
First Lady Tammy Murphy launched the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF), hosted by the Community Foundation of New Jersey, to fight against the ongoing pandemic by directing funds to local organizations providing “on the ground” services to our state’s most vulnerable populations.
On this webinar, we will hear from Executive Director of NJPRF, Josh Weinreich and President of the Community Foundation of New Jersey, Hans Dekker. Together, they will discuss how funds are being collected and distributed, how NJPRF will help fill gaps in services across the state, and the importance of coordinated efforts between government and the private sector.
The various funds being set up by New Jersey foundations and philanthropic leaders can help ensure funding is directed to areas of greatest need, encourage greater collaboration among grantmaking, nonprofit, and government partners, and create a stronger, more resilient state. Register now to hear about how the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund is providing essential support for our communities.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members and Nonmember Grantmakers
This program is open to Grantmakers only.
Webinar Video
CNJG is pleased to re-convene the South Jersey Funders Consortium for a lunch meeting at La Scala Fire in Glassboro. Join your fellow South Jersey funders for lunch and a round robin discussion on what your organization is funding, and any new initiatives that you are working on.
When the Pascale Sykes Foundation sunset their operations, including gathering this group together on a periodic basis, the Consortium agreed to have CNJG take on the management and stewardship of the group.
Any funder located in or funding in the eight southern counties of New Jersey is welcome to attend (Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, Cape May, Atlantic, and Ocean). Although Camden city is located in south Jersey, and because we already have a Camden funders affinity group, the topics of discussion of the South Jersey Funders Consortium should focus on south Jersey, outside of the city of Camden.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members and Non Member Grantmakers
For 2023, CNJG will cover the cost of the South Jersey Funders Consortium lunch thanks to a grant from the Pascale Sykes Foundation.
Parking is available in a garage behind the restaurant and is free for two hours.
Please Log In to view resources from this event.
Reimagining Philanthropy: Data for Social Impact
Held:
Monday, December 7 - 2:00 to 3:30 pm -- Skill-Building Workshop
Tuesday, December 8 - 12:30 to 2:00 pm -- Business Meeting & Keynote Presentation
Thank you to everyone who attended CNJG’s first ever virtual Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering. This year’s meeting focused on the many ways philanthropy can use data for social impact.
Data science is a powerful tool to address housing and food insecurity, education inequality, health disparities, civic injustice, and other longstanding social issues that continue to intensify during the pandemic. Building data capacity equips local leaders with information to develop and advocate for more effective policies. New evaluation strategies can outperform outdated processes that reinforce inequities and slow progress. Research and technology that fuels innovation in the private sector can help nonprofit and government organizations drive impact in New Jersey communities..
On Day 1, the Annual Meeting Workshop focused on evaluation and learning practices that center equity and social impact. And on Day 2, Keynote panelists shared how data science can help connect people to services, address racial inequity, and create greater impact in our communities during the pandemic and beyond..
Philanthropy can’t go back to “normal,” because normal wasn’t good enough. During this year’s Virtual 2020 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering we explored how we can reimagine philanthropy by harnessing the full power of data for social impact.
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support: Signature Sponsors – Novartis and PSEG; Sustaining Sponsors – Prudential and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey; Collaborating Sponsor – Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; and Performance Sponsor – The Provident Bank Foundation.
Dates & Times
Tuesday, November 9 - 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 10 - 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 16 - 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
CEOs, executive directors, CFOs, trustees, investment committee members, and finance managers of foundations and endowed nonprofits gathered together over three afternoons of learning and discussion during CNJG’s 2021 Investment Forum for Foundations and Endowments.
Attendees heard from leading asset managers, financial service institutions, professional advisors and practitioners who shared best practices and valuable insights focused on successful endowment management. Pointed, strategic, and masterful keynote speeches and educational workshop sessions explored a wide range of timely and useful topics, such as impact and ESG investing, gift acceptance policies, alternative investments, governance and due diligence, and so much more.
Sustainable philanthropy thrives on careful and skillful stewardship of the corpus. This signature event grew out of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers’ Finance and Investment Affinity Group convenings, which have long offered CFO’s, investment committee members, board chairs and others with oversight of their endowment, exposure to a wide range of representatives, as well as thoughtful expertise and perspectives from the investment community.
Access Whova until May 16, 2022!
Registrants can access all three plenary sessions and 11 concurrent sessions on Whova for six months after the event, until May 16, 2022. You can log in with the same email and password you used to access the event. Visit Whova.
For questions, please contact Anna D'Elia, Manager of Programs and Learning.
The Future of Work and the Role of Philanthropy
Dates: Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20
Time: 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
One of the most valuable learning and networking events for the social sector in the state, CNJG’s 2021 Virtual Spring Conference considered the role of philanthropy in shaping how, where, and why we work.
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted and propelled the future of work in ways we couldn’t have imagined. But even before the pandemic - the automation of jobs, the gig economy, the ongoing need for reskilling and retraining, changing demographics, green careers, lack of job security and more – has been setting the stage for novel ways of working. The Spring Conference explored this new, accelerated work paradigm, it’s profound impact on New Jersey’s industries, workers and communities, and the implications for grantmakers and their nonprofit partners.
This timely and important event brought together national and local thought leaders, experts and stakeholders to share what the social sector can do to ensure a better future for New Jersey’s workforce. Attendees engaged in candid, visionary conversations around equitable labor standards and professional practices, the changing, post-pandemic workplace, strategies to fill gaps in skills, education, and opportunity, the effects of new federal job policies on workers, and much more.
Thank you for joining the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers for an exploration about what lies ahead as we prepare for and address pressing and unprecedented changes in the world of work.
Only people who registered for the Conference will be able to access WHOVA. For assistance or additional information, please contact Anna D’Elia, Manager of Programs and Learning.
This program is presented in partnership with the Maryland Philanthropy Network. As the number of organizations in funder portfolios who are undergoing a leadership transition grows, many common practices of funders, including a “Wait and see” approach, are failing organizations just when they need extra support. Given the deeply destabilizing impact of transitions and the steep increase in volume of transitions, it is more important than ever that funders embrace transitions as a normal yet fragile part of the organizational life cycle. Further, funders can develop better strategies for supporting leadership transitions involving BIPOC leaders.
Join this values-driven and action-oriented session with Leading Forward to learn from social sector professionals who are leaning into trust - and leaning into the change - with new strategies to support leaders who are leaving, leaders who are entering, and the board and staff who manage the change from old to new.
Session take-aways:
A framework and set of principles to rely on when building out grantmaking programs and cohorts related to leadership transitions for your grantees.
Deeper understanding of the unique challenges of BIPOC leadership transitions as well as the current context (large number of transitions, shorter tenures for leaders, etc.).
Practical considerations for how to approach conversations about leadership transitions with your grant partners.
Strategies and tactics for supporting organizations before, during, and after leadership transitions, particularly transitions involving BIPOC leadership.
Speakers
Amalia Brindis Delgado, Chief Strategy Officer for the Panta Rhea Foundation
Ai Lun Ku, Principal of AiLun Ku Consulting, LLC
Sabrina Thornton, Program Officer, Creativity and Innovation for the T. Rowe Price Foundation
Lisa Kane, President of Firefly Advisors
COST: Free for CNJG Members and Non Member Grantmakers
This program is presented in partnership with the following philanthropy-serving organizations: Maryland Philanthropy Network, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, Florida Philanthropic Network, Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, Wisconsin Philanthropy Network, and North Carolina Grantmakers.
One year from now the 2020 Census will be in full swing. This nationwide, constitutionally-mandated count, conducted once every ten years, is our opportunity to ensure that New Jersey residents are accurately counted to secure the resources needed to support our communities. Nationally, more than $800 billion in federal funding as well as fair, proportional voting representation are at stake. In New Jersey, allocations from 16 federal programs including Medicaid, education grants, and even highway planning and construction are allotted based on the census count. This totaled over $17 billion in 2015.
But the 2020 Census is facing unprecedented challenges, including years of underfunding, a climate of fear, the challenges of the first “high tech” census, and the potential addition of an untested citizenship question. That means we will all have to work together to overcome these challenges and help achieve a fair and accurate census to ensure that the hardest-to-count communities—like people of color, low-income folks, LGBTQ people, immigrant communities, rural communities, and young children—aren’t missed. Based on the latest census estimates, approximately 22% of New Jersey’s population lives in hard-to-count areas.
CNJG joins the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation’s Funders Census Initiative, United Philanthropy Forum and philanthropy-serving organizations around the country in asking our members to commit to supporting and encouraging a fair and accurate census.
The Census is one of our nation’s most important and consequential civic obligations. Getting it right and counting everyone ensures people and communities can thrive.
Please feel free to reach out to me or Deputy Director Theresa Jacks for information about the Council’s work on behalf of a full, fair and accurate 2020 Census.
Sincerely,
Maria Vizcarrondo, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) presents an opportunity for funders to gain insights into their early thinking on potential movement strategies and needs post national elections.
Elections are an essential expression of our democracy, and movement organizations play a crucial role in that democratic exercise by mobilizing their communities to have their voices heard at the ballot box. For funders, the All by April campaign was a clear call to action, highlighting the necessity of early and flexible support to allow these frontline organizations to kick their operations into high gear. However, the work for philanthropy is not over. In addition to resourcing civic engagement efforts in the run-up to elections, fudners must also stand ready to strategically deploy resources in response to what comes once the elections are over.
From the risk of increasingly harsh enforcement policies at the federal level to openings to push for more inclusive policies at the state and local levels, immigrant justice groups have been carefully considering the threats and opportunities associated with a variety of congressional and presidential election outcome scenarios. In this webinar, funders will gain insights into their early thinking on potential movement strategies and needs.
This session represents one of several spaces GCIR and our allies will be holding for philanthropy to prepare and respond to the upcoming elections, with additional opportunities including GCIR's 2024 national convening in Detroit (October 28-30), and post-election strategy sessions (dates TBA).
SPEAKERS
· Jeremy Robbins, Executive Director, American Immigration Council
· Tessa Petit, Executive Director, Florida Immigrant Coalition
· Raha Wala, VP of Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy, National Immigration Law Center
· Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition
MODERATOR
· Ivy O. Suriyopas, Vice President of Programs, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees
· Veronika Geronimo, Director of Immigrant Justice, Four Freedoms Fund, NEO Philanthropy
Cost: Free for Funders
CNJG encourages its membership to participate in the Council on Foundations’ annual salary survey to help shape the future of philanthropic compensation.
The Council on Foundations’ 2025 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits (GSB) Survey is now open. The deadline to complete the GSB is Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
Since 1980, the GSB has provided the philanthropic sector with the most comprehensive data on staff composition and compensation in the United States. Grantmakers rely on the findings from this annual survey to plan budgets, benchmark personnel policies and practices, determine salary levels for new and existing staff, and more. Those who complete the survey will receive a free copy of the report (a $598 value), early access to the report’s data tables, and access to create custom benchmark reports.
CoF’s full survey will be published in fall 2025. More information and the survey may be found on the Council on Foundations' website.
Any and every philanthropic organization is invited to participate. Membership is not required with either the Council on Foundations or Council of New Jersey Grantmakers to participate in the survey. For more information, including a list of FAQs, visit the Council on Foundations' website or email the Council on Foundations communications team.
CNJG incorporates the data from this annual survey into our triennial Philanthropy Benefits & Salary Summary Report, most recently published in 2023. CNJG plans to update our report in 2026 again using the data from the Council on Foundations’ survey.
CNJG encourages our members and all philanthropic organizations in New Jersey to complete the CoF survey each year, as this benchmarking data is frequently asked for by our members. The more foundations and other philanthropic organizations that complete the survey, the better and more statistically relevant data we will all have.
For additional information or questions, please contact Craig Weinrich at CNJG.
The Foundation Legal Help Desk is designed to provide community, private and family foundations with access to answers to legal questions related to the operations of a foundation. The foundation world is a complex field that requires specialized legal knowledge and many foundations do not have easy access to an attorney with expertise in this field. The Help Desk is operated by our colleagues at the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance (IPA).
How Does it Work?
The service operates through a website. Participants log in with a username and password and type in their question. The software will send it to the attorney “on-call” for their topic area. The attorney will respond either with a written answer or will make arrangements for a phone conversation.
The attorneys providing this service have specialized knowledge in grantmaking, scholarships, fund management, planned giving, nonprofit law, the Pension Protection Act, UPMIFA and other laws that specifically affect the operations of a foundation.
The Details
- This service is designed to provide quick answers to questions and is limited to a maximum of one hour on any one question. The attorney will be able to advise the foundation if they need to engage counsel to assist them with a complex legal issue or gift.
- The attorney will engage directly with foundation staff or board members, and will not work directly with donors or professional advisors.
- The attorney can review documents but will not prepare any documents.
- This service is for legal questions that relate to the operation of a foundation, not legal issues facing a foundation’s grantees.
Foundations will contact IPA directly to subscribe to the service, and IPA will provide them with a subscription agreement. Once they send the agreement back to IPA with their payment, IPA will provide them with their login credentials. IPA will let you know when any of your members sign up for the service, and will provide each PSO with an annual report on usage by your members and the topic areas of questions handled.
Service Levels and Costs
|
|
Cost |
Service |
|
Entry |
$1000 |
5 inquiries/year |
|
Basic |
$1,700 |
10 inquiries/year |
|
Premium |
$2,500 |
Unlimited |
How to Subscribe
Email [email protected] to request a registration form and subscription agreement. Please indicate that you are a CNJG member.
For 2024, CNJG will help promote Change Philanthropy’s Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals survey. This differs from CNJG’s own demographics survey that we just completed in 2023. While ours asked one person to complete the demographic profile, Change works with organizations to have staff and board self complete the survey resulting in more accurate results as it’s anonymous. It’s a better way for individuals to relay their identities. Then Change also is working to share this data right with Candid for their Demographics Via Candid project, which Craig/CNJG were considering deferring the demographic survey to in 2026. DAPP is done every two years, so the next time this will be done will be in 2026 when CNJG is scheduled to do our benefits survey again.
CNJG encourages our members to participate and complete CHANGE Philanthropy’s 2024 Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals (DAPP) survey.
How do I/my organization participate?
Only grantmaking institutions can sign-up. This survey is designed to specifically assess foundations, grantmaking institutions or intermediaries whose primary work (over 75%) is dedicated to grantmaking. Individuals, consulting firms, or nonprofits who don’t primarily award funding are not eligible to participate.
Each participating foundation commits to sending a brief survey link to their staff and board. The survey is completely anonymous and confidential so no single respondent will ever be identified. Participating foundations will receive survey dissemination instructions, communications templates, and an organizational specific dashboard.
Sign up for the 2024 DAPP here.
What is the DAPP?
The DAPP Survey and Report aims to help the philanthropic community better understand its workforce and leadership. While grantmakers have a number of resources to assess what issues, geographic areas, and populations are being supported by grant dollars, there is far less data on who works in the field of philanthropy.
The DAPP report is a landmark tool for analyzing the philanthropic sector’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, helping grantmakers accurately assess the culture and climate of their institutions, and provides a temperature gauge for progress toward a more inclusive sector.
About the DAPP
The DAPP is unique in that it solicits anonymous, self-reported information directly from individuals working in philanthropy. The Reception of Identity Index (RII) is a first-of-its-kind form of sentiment analysis that provides insight into the feelings and experiences of survey participants related to their institution’s response to various identity factors. The seven-minute survey allows respondents to self-identify their race, national origin, age, gender expression, sexual orientation, and disability status, and perception of safety, well-being, and happiness in their workplace.
SMU DataArts’ online platform and proprietary survey protect the data of individuals while collecting detailed information. In addition, respondents may choose to skip any question in the survey. SMU DataArts will create a workforce report for each institution that receives enough survey responses to meet a statistically significant response threshold.
How does this differ from CNJG’s demographic survey that we completed last year as part of the benefits survey?
The DAPP’s data is collected through self-reported means, unlike CNJG’s data (which is still a good, valid, and valuable data set) that was reported by one person at the organization. The DAPP also collects different and valuable information, including the Reception of Identity index. Depending on how many CNJG members we can get this year to complete the DAPP survey, CNJG may discontinue our demographic survey, which has been part of our Benefits Survey, and rely on the DAPP going forward.
Who is CHANGE Philanthropy?
CHANGE Philanthropy is a coalition of philanthropy-supporting organizations working together to strengthen bridges across funders and communities. CHANGE Philanthropy is transforming philanthropy from within by building knowledge, fostering diversity, and creating connections. CHANGE Philanthropy and CNJG are both members of the United Philanthropy Forum, a network of nearly 100 philanthropy-supporting organizations.
Participation and Benefits
• Participating grantmakers commit to sending a brief survey link to their staff and board. The survey is completely anonymous and confidential so no single respondent will ever be identified.
• Participating foundations will receive survey dissemination instructions, communications templates, and an organizational specific dashboard.
• Participating in this study can help your organization better understand the diverse makeup of your staff, board, and volunteers to remain relevant to and representative of our changing society.
• If you have ten or more staff and board participating and reach statistical significance to meet SMU DataArts’ threshold for anonymity, you qualify for a free aggregate summary of the demographics of your institution.
• As with previous DAPP surveys and reports, individual responses are completely anonymous and confidential. The findings will only ever be reported on in aggregate form.
• The report includes recommendations from the CHANGE partner organizations on how to support your staff and deepen connections to communities.
• Drawing on the aggregate findings, CHANGE Philanthropy will produce a series of reports and infographics on the demographics of the philanthropic workforce.
• If CNJG members (and nonmembers) help recruit 500 individual survey participants (staff and board) from New Jersey, CHANGE Philanthropy will provide CNJG will a detailed infographic of findings in the state.
Important Dates
• 2024 DAPP Recruitment Period January 10 - March 15
• 2024 DAPP Survey Period April 14 - May 24
• 2024 DAPP Reports Quarter 4, 2024
Important Links
• DAPP Landing Page
• DAPP Mailing List Sign Up
• Frequently Asked Questions About the DAPP
• DAPP 2022 Report
• DAPP 2020 Report
• DAPP 2018 Report
For any questions, please contact Craig Weinrich, CNJG’s Director of Member Services, or email Tenaja Jordan, Research and Communications Director, CHANGE Philanthropy.
Amalgamated Bank is America’s socially responsible bank that specializes in supporting social change organizations, companies, and people working to make the world more just and sustainable. Nearly 100 years ago, immigrant women union members founded Amalgamated to provide banking service to their own community and to send money back to their mother countries. Since our founding, Amalgamated has been explicitly committed to environmental justice, economic inclusion, and the rights of working people. Today, Amalgamated is a full service financial institution supporting clients in 50 states across their banking, investment, and donor advised fund needs. At Amalgamated, we believe that you do not need to sacrifice services and rates to have a partner aligned with your values.
Banking and Investing With Your Values
Amalgamated Bank and its clients believe that where you bank matters. When you deposit your money at Amalgamated Bank, you know that it is being used in ways that align with your values and not invested in strategies that would further degrade our planet. Amalgamated believe that banks can be a force for good to curb climate change, advocate for gun safety, fight hate, and stand up for racial justice.
Here are some of the ways you can use your organization’s assets to build a more just and sustainable planet.
Bank with Your Values: Everyone’s bank deposits are lent out and invested in strategies that fuel our future economy. Simply, where you bank matters, because banks use your deposits to invest in other people’s ideas. It’s time to make sure that those ideas align with your values. At Amalgamated, we only invest in mission aligned companies and strategies that further a more just and sustainable planet. We lend hundreds of millions of dollars a year to clean energy, affordable housing, , sustainable agriculture, businesses owned by women, immigrants, and people of color, and more.
Invest with Your Values: Amalgamated believes that endowment and reserve account dollars should be used to achieve both a social and financial return. Our investment team specializes in risk adjusted options that screen out extractive industries and channel those resources to mission aligned strategies.
Give with Your Values: Amalgamated’s donor advised fund and pooled fund strategies help you move money to the causes you care about. Donors are able to move grants with ease using our innovative technology and financial acumen. Institutional funders are able to rely on our expert back office to manage their pooled and collaborative funds.
How Amalgamated Helps PSOs and Foundations
Amalgamated Bank is collaborating with United Philanthropy Forum and its members (including CNJG and its members) to offer preferred banking services. Every banking relationship is different, but Amalgamated and the Forum are committed to reducing costs, increasing returns, and improving financial operations. Specifically, CNJG members can expect:
- Discounted banking, depending on the organization’s specific needs
- Preferred private banker who understands the specific needs of PSOs and foundations and mission aligned investing strategies
- Full fee and rate analysis before you move to understand the financial gains of switching to Amalgamated Bank
- Consultation on credit needs including working capital, corporate credit cards, and more
- Bespoke portfolio development for ESG investment products
Learn More
To learn more about partnering with Amalgamated Bank, please visit their website or contact Caitlin Duffy, First Vice President of Philanthropy Banking, at [email protected] or (202) 721-0775.