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As we know, COVID-19 had a significant impact on student academic achievement. School districts across the state and country are working to accelerate student learning with a particular focus on literacy. Join us for our next Newark Education Funder meeting as we explore how funders can support a community approach to literacy, including the recently released Ten Point Literacy Plan. We will hone in on statewide and local data with the support of a recent study published by JerseyCAN, and then discuss how we can collaborate with grantees on systems that complement the traditional K-12 school day, particularly early literacy and support for reading at home, after-school and community programs, and collaborations with institutions like the Newark Public Library.
Panelists:
Paula White, Executive Director, JerseyCAN
Christian Zabriskie, Director, Newark Public Library
Nayibe Capellan, CEO, Programs for Parents
Catherine Wilson, President and CEO, United Way of Greater Newark
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.
In predominantly renter-based markets across the Northeast, housing-related financial strain remains a significant barrier to household stability and long-term economic security. Yet innovative models are emerging that seek to flip that script, creating pathways for renters to build assets, reduce risk, and participate more fully in local prosperity.
Building on the momentum from AFN’s September 2024 webinar exploring regional strategies to increase affordability, reduce evictions, and deliver financial return or dividends to renters, this session will take a deeper dive into renter wealth-building models in action.
Join AFN, partners in New Jersey, and collaborators from national nonprofits and financial institutions as we explore promising approaches that leverage public-private tools, housing finance innovation, and credit-building strategies tied to rent payment. We’ll examine how these approaches can expand renter access to economic opportunity and help funders consider how to adapt similar efforts in urban centers across the region.
Speakers:
Rachel Levy-Culler, Housing Innovations Senior Specialist, Credit Builders Alliance (CBA)
Marcus Randolph, President & CEO, Invest Newark
Khaatim Sherrer El, Executive Director, Clinton Hill Community Action
Marco Villegas, Program Officer, JPMorgan Chase
Who Should Attend:
Philanthropic leaders, community investors, housing advocates, and public-private partners working to advance financial security and equity for renters. This webinar is open to all and will focus on the New Jersey and Northeast AFN regions.
Captioning will be provided. If you have any other accessibility requests or questions, please email Paula Dworek. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be received by May 5, 2025, to ensure our ability to meet your request.
Philanthropy can be defined in many ways. The word comes from the Greek, meaning "love for humanity." Modern definitions include the concept of voluntary giving by an individual or group to promote the common good and improve the quality of life.
Here in the United States, the term "philanthropy" is also used to describe the granting of money to nonprofit organizations by foundations and corporations. This type of giving is often called organized philanthropy or grantmaking.
This popular, fast-paced video offers a realistic — and often humorous — glimpse of how the public views philanthropy, using a series of "people in the street" interviews shot in the Twin Cities plus interviews with local donors. Discover the true, and often not so true, meaning of philanthropy.
Co-produced by the Minnesota Council on Foundations, The Minneapolis Foundation and the Minnesota Community Foundation and The Saint Paul Foundation.
On this webinar, attendees received an update on funds and interventions in the City of Newark. We then took a deep dive into the issue of food insecurity and heard about the current public health response and needs from Dr. Denise Rodgers.
Speakers:
Kevin Callaghan, Newark Philanthropic Liaison, CNJG
Catherine Wilson, President and CEO, United Way of Greater Newark
Carlos Rodrigues, President and CEO, Community Food Bank of NJ
Richard Uniacke, Executive Director, Bridges Outreach
Dr. Denise Rodgers, Chair, Newark Homeless Commission and Chair of Believe in a Health Newark
Webinar Video
On this webinar, the conversation focused on the local news landscape with guests from Chalkbeat Newark, WBGO, and the Dodge Foundation. Additionally, attendees heard a quick briefing on Newark’s efforts to encourage social distancing from Director of Public Safety Anthony Ambrose.
Speakers:
Anthony Ambrose, Director of Public Safety, City of Newark
Patrick Wall, Senior Reporter, Chalkbeat Newark
Megan Van Dyk, Informed Communities Program Officer, Dodge Foundation
Brit Harley, News Voices Fellow, WBGO
Kevin Callaghan, Newark Philanthropic Liaison, CNJG
Catherine Wilson, President and CEO, United Way of Greater Newark
Cost: Free for CNJG Members/ $35 for Non Member Grantmakers
Webinar Video
On this webinar, speakers focused on mental health during this difficult time. Our speakers included Steve Margeotes from Main Street Counseling, Sonia Rodrigues-Marto from Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, and Ron Chaluisan from the Newark Trust for Education on their social-emotional learning work in schools. We were then be joined by Aisha Glover of the Newark Alliance who is working with the City of Newark, Partners in Health, and the MCJ Amelior Foundation to help to coordinate the city's contact tracing initiative.
Speakers
Steve Margeotes, Executive Director, Main Street Counseling
Sonia Rodrigues-Marto, Program Director, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care
Ron Chaluisan, Executive Director Newark Trust for Education
Aisha Glover, President & CEO, Newark Alliance
Cost: Free for CNJG Members/ $35 for Non Member Grantmakers
Webinar Video
Newark funders joined this webinar for an engaging discussion with a great panel of small business leaders/entrepreneurs in Newark, who discussed the impact of COVID-19 on the small business community and considerations for re-opening.
Speakers:
Bisola Taiwo, Assistant Director, City of Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development
Bernel Hall, President and CEO, Invest Newark
Adenah Bayoh, Foya Foods Group (Owner of Cornbread and Newark and Irvington IHops)
Ken Tays, Owner, Minuteman Press
Laura Bonas Palmer, Owner, Akwaaba Gallery
Cost: Free for CNJG Members and Non Member Grantmakers
Webinar Video
Schools are uniquely positioned to support student wellbeing and promote a positive learning environment, but often lack the resources to do so. The Foundation for Educational Administration (FEA) is giving schools the tools needed to help students succeed through two initiatives: Transforming Early Childhood Leadership Institute and the Healing Centered Engagement program.
As New Jersey continues to expand full-day preschool, principals and school leaders face the challenge of creating a high-quality experience for early learners. The Transforming Early Childhood Leadership Institute supports this endeavor by training and coaching leaders from schools offering PreK-3 instruction. Through the Institute, participating schools send leadership teams of principals, teacher leaders, and central office staff to learn best practices on strengthening early childhood education and creating a strong learning foundation. The Institute is supported by The Nicholson Foundation (now sunsetted) and The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation.
Launched in response to unprecedented levels of youth mental health concerns, the Healing Centered Engagement program offers interactive trainings and tailored coaching to school staff on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma informed practices, healing centered engagement, and Youth Mental Health First Aid. The model takes a whole-school approach – reaching community partners, teachers, administrators, school staff, and families across regions and grade-levels. Since the program’s launch, FEA has trained over 3,400 New Jersey school staff and partners. The Burke Foundation supports the project with the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Princeton Area Community Foundation, and the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (now sunsetted).
Join our speakers from the NJ Office of Resilience, NJ Department of Education, and the Foundation for Educational Administration to:
- Understand the importance of alignment in early childhood education
- Learn the role of positive childhood experiences in promoting student wellbeing
- Find out more about the Healing Centered Engagement program and Transforming Early Childhood Leadership Institute
- Discuss opportunities to get involved in this work and support the initiatives in your community
Speakers:
Mary M. Reece, Ed.D; Director of Special Projects, NJ Principals & Supervisors Association/Foundation for Educational Administration
Rebecca Bryan, DNP; Executive Director of the Office of Resilience, NJ Department of Children and Families
Dottie Specht, M.S. Ed, Director, K-3 Office of Education/Division of Early Childhood Services, NJ Department of Education
Monica Carmichael, Director of Early Childhood, Trenton (TECLI)
Samantha Lott-Velez, Assistant Superintendent, Newark (TECLI)
Dr. Bobbi Downs, Director of CST, Burlington County Special Services School District (HCE)
Thomas Barclay, retired Assistant Superintendent and current consultant (TECLI & HCE)
Webinar Video
Articles
Rethinking Our Approach to Youth Mental Healthcare
The Surgeon General’s New Mission: Adolescent Mental Health
8-Year-Olds in Despair: The Mental Health Crisis Is Getting Younger
On this webinar, we were joined by Kerri Logosso-Misurell, Executive Director of the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition, for an update on her work as we consider health systems, access, and a path forward. After Kerri’s presentation, Dr. Denise Rodgers provided her thoughts and a health update, and we heard from Catherine Wilson for an update on the Community COVID-19 Fund.
Speakers:
Kerri Logosso-Misurell, Executive Director, Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition
Dr. Denise Rodgers, Chair, Newark Homeless Commission and Chair of Believe in a Healthy Newark
Catherine Wilson, President and CEO, United Way of Greater Newark
Kevin Callaghan, Newark Philanthropic Liaison, CNJG
Cost: Free for CNJG Members/ $35 for Non Member Grantmakers
Webinar Video
What are the chances that a third grader in a New Jersey public school has learned the reading skills they need to progress through school? Post-Covid, only 42% of students read at grade level statewide, less than 20% in at least five cities. New resources are available, and new legislation mandates have proven strategies at scale. Hear from multiple perspectives of expertise to understand how kids learn to read and how to connect them to what they need. The panel includes Dawn DeLorenzo Teacher and Leader Policy Fellow at New Jersey CAN; Sandra Montoyez Diodonet, Superintendent of Passaic Public Schools; Lisa Haberl Executive Director, NJDOE Division of Teaching and Learning Services; and Paula White, Executive Director of JerseyCAN & Legacy of Literacy Campaign. There will be time for Q & A.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
Webinar Video
Paterson One Square Mile is a hyper-local, place-based, cross-sector initiative with the goal of accelerating the revitalization of a concentrated area in Paterson, New Jersey. Utilizing strategically organized community engagement efforts focused on a bounded area within the city of Paterson, this community-led collective impact initiative aims to improve equitable outcomes in health, education, and economic opportunity for the residents of Paterson.
You will have the opportunity to hear from partners involved in shaping the Paterson One-Square Mile Project including: Jonathan GS Koppell, President, Montclair State University; Bryan Murdock, Montclair University; Malcolm McClain, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; Amanda Lopez, Transform Consulting Group; Richard Williams, St. Paul’s Community Development Corporation
Following the panel discussion, there will be a bus tour of the Paterson One-Square Mile Project that culminates with a stop to hear from nonprofit organizations that have benefited from this project. Program space is limited to twenty-five people.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
Continental breakfast and lunch provided.
Webinar Video
Part I: Supporting the social and emotional health of our communities
Join us as we begin a discussion on the trip back from COVID-19, and how we help to re-engage our teachers, students, and families after a two-year disruption. The first meeting will continue our exploration of the social and emotional toll of the pandemic and associated school closings, and ways that we might collaborate as a funder group on seeding solutions.
Panelists:
Jill Summers-Phillips, Principal at John F. Kennedy School
Positive Gunter - Parent
Yolanda Greene, Training Manager, Abbott Leadership Institute
Panel Facilitators:
Elizabeth Warner, President, SEL4NJ
Lauren Meehan, Facilitator – Director, Arts Ed Newark
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.
Webinar Video
Please join the Environmental Funders Affinity Group and the Health Funders Affinity Group for a virtual lunchtime discussion with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection's Chief Strategy Officer, Kati Angarone and Manager NJDEP’s Office of Environmental and Public Health, Christine Schell. This session is designed to explore the connections between the environment and health with emphasis on climate change, environmental justice, and water to educate the philanthropic community on the ways that NJ government is addressing these challenges. The discussion will highlight NJDEP’s efforts to address the impact of these intersecting issues on diverse NJ communities and explore philanthropic opportunities to support local and statewide solutions.
Kati Angarone has worked for NJDEP for over twenty-five years. In her current role, she works to advance strategic initiatives, including expanding public access to environmental information, increasing the visibility of DEP programs and services, cultivating external partnerships, and coordinating strategic planning on cross-media issues. She also oversees the efforts of NJDEP’s Office of Legislative Affairs and our Office of Environmental and Public Health Analysis.
Christine Schell is a 30+ year veteran of the NJDEP and currently manages the NJDEP’s Office of Environmental and Public Health Analysis. In partnership with the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), Christine jointly coordinates New Jersey’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Program through a CDC grant, and oversees the development, implementation, and dissemination of data analyses and visualization tools designed to integrate public health concerns into local and state decision making, planning, and the implementation of meaning actions on a broad array of issues, including environmental justice, climate resilience, and sustainability.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
Webinar Video
Links and Resources:
Healthy Community Planning NJ
Potential Lead Exposure Mapping
Heat Hub NJ
Environmental Justice Mapping, Assessment, and Protection
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
One Health
Climate Change
Climate Change in New Jersey Storymap
Healthy Community Planning
New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats
Inland Flood Protection Rule
Resilient Environments and Landscapes
Chill Out NJ
The COVID-19 public health and economic crisis has changed our world as we know it. As employers moved to remote work, schools shifted to distance learning, and businesses closed completely, it became clear that the impact on residents, nonprofits, and businesses was far greater than anyone could have ever imagined.
In response to the growing and evolving needs of our region, the Greater Washington Community Foundation established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to raise and rapidly deploy funding to local nonprofits providing food, shelter, educational supports, and other critical services.
From the beginning our goal was clear: to address the immediate needs and reach adversely affected communities, particularly low-income households and communities of color. We know all too well that in a crisis like this, these marginalized communities are hit the hardest, and often take the longest to recover.
In times of crises, The Community Foundation is our region’s philanthropic first responder, bringing together individuals and families, philanthropic peers, corporate partners, and local government advisors to address community issues. Building on our rich history of emergency response work, we grounded our COVID-19 response efforts in a similar coordinated approach.
This report chronicles the steps taken, under immense pressure, to develop a coordinated emergency response effort to support a broad range of needs across the region. Once again this effort has demonstrated that working in partnership and close collaboration with our philanthropic peers and local government advisors is an effective way to manage a response to both urgent and longer-term needs.
The Camden Funders Affinity Group serves as a vehicle for funders to connect and share updates about their initiatives throughout the city. We heard from Group members an interest to better understand the current environment that these programs serve and to identify opportunities for future endeavors.
In this first in-person meeting of 2024, please join your fellow Camden Funders to hear from each other about our current work in the city, as well as to gain insight into the upcoming efforts we each intend to engage in. Information gathered at this meeting will be used to inform our next meeting, where we will hear directly from leaders working across the city to advance progress in Camden. Light refreshments will be served.
To help with planning, please email Chanika Svetvilas about Camden initiatives and updates you'd like to share with attendees during the meeting.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.
Hurricane Helene was a monster storm, one of the biggest on record to hit the U.S. It made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Perry, Florida on Sept. 26, bringing devastating, widespread impacts across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and beyond.
While Helene’s full impacts won’t be known for days, CDP recognizes that the storm hit communities affected by other hurricanes, as recently as Hurricane Debby last month. When communities get hit repeatedly, they can’t fully recover before the next blow. This diminishes resilience and increases the need for funders to enhance available resources.
By the end of this webinar, donors will:
Understand the most urgent and ongoing needs in affected communities.
Learn how chronic and repetitive disasters create additional needs.
Be aware of ways they can invest funds to support community needs.
Free for all funders
Any and all staff and/or trustees from new CNJG members and any new staff or trustees of veteran CNJG members are invited to this in-person meeting prior to the Annual Meeting and Holiday Luncheon Pre-Meeting Workshop to meet fellow new members and a few CNJG staff, hear about each other’s funding strategies, and learn about the programs and services CNJG offers.
This is a great chance to meet fellow funders in a casual, yet professional setting, and build your personal network within the CNJG network. You’ll see these familiar faces throughout the rest of the day’s events.
There is no cost to attend for CNJG members. A light breakfast, and coffee, tea, beverages will be available.
If you have any questions about who can or should attend, please contact Craig Weinrich, Director of Member Services at 609-414-7110 x802.
Join your CNJG CEO colleagues for a monthly peer-to-peer gathering via Zoom focused on you, your role, and your unique and particular challenges as the leader for your organization. If you’re the CEO, Executive Director, Executive Officer – this time and space from 4:00 – 5:00 pm on the third Wednesday of the month - is just for you. This is an opportunity to connect directly with your CEO peers for conversation, community and lightly facilitated topical conversations. The space is yours to share your experiences and challenges, ask questions, and offer ideas on how to support each other and your work. This is also an opportunity to build your relationships with you colleague CEOs in the CNJG network.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members
For more information, please reach out to Theresa Jacks, President and CEO, CNJG.