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CNJG is pleased to offer the 2024 Virtual Budget and Tax Briefing Series, hosted by our partners at Economic Opportunity Funders, to our members.

This year presents opportunities to get ready for transitions both politically and with the expiration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2025. Learn more about key battles and opportunities and what’s at stake and in play in 2024 and beyond.

Part 1 (35 minutes): Noted tax and budget policy expert Sharon Parrott will provide an overview of the key provisions in the federal budget, discuss current and upcoming budget and tax debates, and offer insights on the potential impact on struggling families, workers, and communities.
Sharon Parrott, President, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Part 2 (55 minutes): A panel of experts will share how funders and the field are working together to build long-term power and achieve a racially and economically just tax system.
Amy Matsui, Director of Income Security and Senior Counsel, National Women’s Law Center (invited, pending confirmation)
Sarah Pray, Executive Director, Better Taxes for a Better America
Amber Wallin, Senior Policy and Outreach Director, State Revenue Alliance

Cost: Free for CNJG Grantmakers and Non Member Grantmakers.
Note: This program is for funders and philanthropic advisors whose primary activity is grantmaking.

This program will be livestreamed via YouTube, starting at 10:55 am. Registrants will receive a link to the livestream prior to the program. Please register by noon on March 18 to receive the link. If you cannot watch during this time, you can use the same link to access the recording on YouTube.

For questions, please contact Chanika Svetvilas, Manager of Programs and Learning.

Lessons from the Measure of America: A Portrait of Newark Report
Please join us for a combined meeting of the Newark Funder Affinity Group and the Newark Education Funder Affinity Group to discuss the recently released Measure of America report, A Portrait of Newark. The Portrait of Newark report was produced in partnership with the Newark Opportunity Youth Network, which convened an advisory panel of local public servants, advocates, and non-profit leaders to contribute their expertise to the research. The report itself provides an analysis of the current state of the city’s many residents, identifies areas of opportunity, and addresses the persistent inequities that we still experience in health, education, and overall well-being of Newark residents.

Speakers:
Alex Powers, Associate Director, Measure of America
Kate Harvey, Program Assistant, Measure of America
Robert Clark, Founder and CEO, Opportunity Youth Network
Mark Comesanas, Executive Director, My Brother’s Keeper – Newark

Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.

Newark Voices Link

"The most populous city in New Jersey has launched a pilot program to give guaranteed income to some residents, as the pandemic has exacerbated the racial wealth gap and exposed the economic vulnerabilities millions of Americans face.

Experts say success in Newark, New Jersey, a neighbor of New York City, could set a precedent for other communities around the country to follow suit as the nation seeks to equitably recover from the economic devastation wrought by COVID-19.

“We must emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with new purpose, new vision and new ideas to transform our community and truly improve the quality of life of our residents,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a Democrat, said in a statement earlier this week. “Here, we have an opportunity to directly empower and strengthen hundreds of lives immediately, while also demonstrating how to do so to the entire nation.”

The Newark Movement for Economic Equity, launched by Baraka on Monday, is a two-year research study that will give unconditional cash payments to economically vulnerable residents. The pilot program is starting with just 30 residents, but is set to expand to 400 residents in the fall. To qualify, participants must be Newark residents who are at least 18 and have income levels at or below 200% of the federal poverty threshold.

To start, participants will receive $6,000 per year — with half receiving payments on a bi-weekly basis and half receiving payments twice yearly.

Some $2.2 million to date in private funds from local philanthropic groups and beyond have been raised to support the pilot program, and a statement from the mayor’s office said they are continuing to seek donors for the initiative.

If it is successful, the group has said on its website it anticipates it will be funded through state or federal money."


Related article: Free Money In Newark: City Experiments With 'Guaranteed Income'
Related article: Some Newarkers will get $500 a month - no strings attached - in pilot income program

This session will unpack New Jersey’s just-enacted Fiscal Year 2026 state budget—totaling $58.1 billion—with a $6.3 billion surplus. We’ll explore key spending priorities, looming threats from federal funding cuts, and the implications for the transition to the next governor.

Peter Chen, Esq. (he/him), Senior Policy Analyst at New Jersey Policy Perspective, serves as tax and budget lead, coordinating analysis of state and local fiscal policy. Peter has worked on child and family policy advocacy in New Jersey since 2014. Most recently, he spearheaded New Jersey’s creation of a state-level Child Tax Credit. Peter’s work has included coordination of the statewide nonprofit Census complete count campaign, advocacy to strengthen state and local laws to protect children from lead exposure, and reducing chronic absenteeism from school.  Previously Peter served as Policy Counsel for Advocates for Children of New Jersey. Peter received his JD from Yale Law School and his Bachelors of Arts from Indiana University-Bloomington.

Tina M. Zappile is the Director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University where she is also Associate Professor of Political Science. She earned her Ph.D. in International Relations and M.A. in International Trade and Finance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and her M.A. in Political Science and B.A. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her research interests include international organizations (IOs), international law, international trade and finance, the North-South divide, global economic development policy, and the role of developing countries in IOs and the global economy. She teaches classes in international law and organization, global politics of economic development, introduction to international relations, and international political economy.

Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.

Webinar Video

Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) in collaboration with National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), present a briefing that features a panel of speakers representing nonprofit organizations working on the front lines to strengthen our democracy and advance immigrant rights in their communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear what groups need as we move into 2025 and beyond, directly from movement leaders.

According to a report from National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, since 2012 there has been an 11 percent shrinkage in philanthropic funding towards immigrant movement groups. While there was an uptick in rapid response funding between 2017-2018, this has not created the conditions for the long term sustainability of immigrant serving organizations.

In a critical election year, over 60 anti-immigrant bills have been introduced in state legislatures nationwide. Immigrant advocacy groups – already facing a myriad of historically systemic challenges such as burnout, unlivable wages, and hostile state level political environments – are facing this wave of anti-immigrant sentiment, often at the sacrifice of their own safety and well being. And while philanthropic interest has focused on the national elections and scenario planning, movement groups are already planning for 2025 and an uncertain future regardless of presidential election outcomes. Philanthropy must not only meet this moment but also invest in the critical infrastructure needs of organizations and movements, particularly at the local and state levels.

As right wing movements seek to undermine our democracy on all fronts, immigrant communities cannot be left behind and must be included in any political, social, or philanthropic efforts that seek to build a multi-racial democracy. Built through the collaborative efforts of GCIR and NCRP, this briefing will feature a panel of speakers representing nonprofit organizations working on the front lines to strengthen our democracy and advance immigrant rights in their communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear what groups need as we move into 2025 and beyond, directly from movement leaders.

Cost: Free for Funders
Must log in or create an account to register on GCIR’s website.

When considering how to improve health outcomes for low-income individuals, most people think about providing access to good medical care and keeping the cost of that care as low as possible. What people rarely think about is the connection between good health and quality affordable housing.

Privacy Policy, Effective Date:  April 15, 2009

We at the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers recognize that our relationships with current and prospective customers are based on integrity and trust. We work hard to maintain our customer’s privacy and are very careful to preserve the private nature of our relationship with our customers. Simultaneously, the very nature of our business requires that we collect or share certain information about our customers with other organizations or companies. Our policies and procedure for collecting and disclosing personal information is detailed below:

Collection of Information

Except as otherwise stated herein, we may collect public and nonpublic information about our customers from the following sources:

• Applications, forms and other information provided to us by our customers. This information may be collect in writing, in person, by telephone, electronically or by any other means. This information may include our customer’s name, physical address, email address, telephone number, employment information, income history, social security or federal tax identification number, and credit references.
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Collection of Information Through Our Web Sites

We do not collect through our web site any “personally identifiable information” as that term is defined in the California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003.  We do collect statistical information regarding web site traffic but that statistical information does not identify the individual user or visitor.

Disclosure and Protection of Information Collected

To the extent permitted or required by law, we may disclose the information we collect, as described above, to banks, business partners, affiliates, and the representatives who service our customers. We do not sell any of our customer information. In order to make sure that our information is accurate, updated and secure, we take the following additional measures:

• Current Information. We attempt to keep our records regarding customer information current and accurate. If any of our customers have reason to believe that our records are not current or are inaccurate, we request that they contact Craig Weinrich. We respond to requests to correct inaccurate information in a timely manner.
• Limited Access. Our employees have been educated on the importance of customer privacy and confidentiality and have been trained in the proper handling of customer information and instructed to adhere to the strictest of security measures set in place. Employee access to a customer’s confidential information is only granted on a need-to-know basis.
• Electronic Information Secure. All information that is stored electronically is secured by reasonably available technology, including but not limited to firewalls and data encryption.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Council of New Jersey Grantmakers reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time.  Please check this page periodically for changes. Your use of this site following the posting of changes to these terms will mean you accept those changes.  Information collected prior to the time any change is posted will be used according to the policies in effect at the time the information was collected.

We invite you to join our next virtual meeting of the NJ Corporate Philanthropy Network where we will learn how non-profits are responding to the changing Federal landscape from the perspective of four different stakeholders and how they’re dealing with these challenges and the impact this climate is having on future planning. Our speakers include: Linda Czipo, New Jersey Center for Nonprofits, who will share with us a broad brushstroke of the impact and the Center’s advocacy efforts to respond;. Sandra Toussaint, United Way of Greater Mercer County, who will review the findings of a recent study in the region; Elizabeth McCarthy, Community FoodBank of New Jersey, who will discuss the impact on the already overly stressed issue of food insecurity in the state; and Peter Rosario, La Casa de Don Pedro (in Newark), will share how a large multi-service organization’s constituents have been directly impacted and how La Casa has responded and adapted.

Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.

Linda Czipo is President & CEO of the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits, New Jersey's statewide champion and network for the charitable community. Through advocacy, education, professional training, management and compliance assistance, and membership services, the Center strengthens charities so that they can do their vital work in our communities. Linda’s nonprofit sector experience spans over 30 years, and includes expertise in public policy, analysis, research, compliance and management. She speaks frequently to the media, nonprofit, philanthropic and business leaders, and government officials regarding the size, strength, economic and social contributions of New Jersey’s nonprofit sector and current and emerging trends facing the nonprofit community; and has successfully mobilized broad-based coalitions of nonprofits around numerous advocacy issues. She is a public policy committee member and former board treasurer of the National Council of Nonprofits, and also serves on the New Jersey Commission on National and Community Service, and the Policy Committee of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University

Elizabeth McCarthy, President and CEO, Community Foodbank of New Jersey, has been a leader in shaping and implementing programs that address immediate critical needs, as well as providing the tools and support to effect long-term positive impacts on communities. Elizabeth joined The Community FoodBank of New Jersey in July of 2023, CFBNJ distributes enough food for more than 90 million meals annually and addresses the root causes of food insecurity with programs that provide job training, nutrition education, and more. From 2011 to 2023 Elizabeth served as the CEO of Sheltering Arms, which addressed the effects of social inequity for children and families in the most challenged New York City communities. The organization provided wraparound services for families living in poverty, including education, mental health, and violence prevention programs. She chaired the Board of Directors of the Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA),was the Treasurer of The Developmental Disabilities Services/Child Welfare Collaborative, LLC, and was a Board member of The Children’s Collaborative, Inc.

Peter T. Rosario is the President and CEO of La Casa de Don Pedro, Inc., New Jersey’s largest Latinx-led community development corporation, celebrating over 50 years of mission-driven service. Under his leadership since August 2021, La Casa has implemented a comprehensive service delivery model focused on three central pillars: Early Childhood, Healthy Homes, and Community Empowerment. Peter has led a strategic transformation of the organization, overhauling its strategic plan, strengthening its brand around the core values of Justice, Love, Solidarity, Excellence, and Belonging, and securing major new funding from leading institutions including the Devils Youth Foundation, MetLife Foundation, Pershing Square Foundation, and Bank of America. A passionate and transformative advocate for equity, Peter has played a key role in advancing critical state policy reforms such as expanding NJ FamilyCare to undocumented children, eliminating barriers to early childhood education, and improving access to child care and nutrition programs. His work continues to elevate the voices and needs of New Jersey’s hardest-working families and communities.

Sandra Toussaint-Burgher serves as the President & CEO of United Way of Greater Mercer County, a role she’s had since 2016. Sandra provides executive leadership and vision to the organization. Prior to that Sandra held the position of Vice President of Resource Development & Strategic Partnerships. Sandra also serves as Chair of the statewide association of Unted Ways of New Jersey. Sandra has 20+ experience in fund development, strategic partnerships, community relations, and marketing. She’s held senior positions at local and national organizations including Youth Communication, Inc., Special Olympics, and Twenty-First Century Foundation. Before coming into the non-profit sector, Sandra worked in the insurance industry. Sandra is a sought-after speaker on a variety of topics such as creating and motivating teams, corporate engagement, board development, cultivating donors and finding your passion - transitioning from for-profit to non-profit. She has presented at the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association forum, New Jersey Center for Nonprofit Conference, Princeton Community Works, Association for Fundraising Professionals Conference, Nonprofit Connect and many others. Sandra is very active with the nonprofit community. She serves on the Board of Directors of Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, NJ Center for Nonprofit, Foundation Academies Leadership Council and Advisory Board Member for Kidsbridge Tolerance Center. She also served on the YWCA of Princeton Board of Directors and on the Advisory Committee for Single Stop USA, a nonprofit organization that aims to reduce poverty and promote economic mobility. Sandra is a 2021 Lead New Jersey fellow and a recipient of the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce Champion for Business Award. This award recognizes outstanding business leaders for growing their business and demonstrating the values of being a good corporate citizen.

Webinar Video