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The New Jersey State Council on the Arts held a public meeting on December 13th, during which 22 New Jersey organizations received grants through the Council’s new Creative Aging Initiative grant program. Senior centers, libraries, and arts organizations will provide customized arts experiences for people aged 55 and older, helping to enhance overall wellness, build community, and diminish issues of isolation.
With a focus on lifelong learning in the arts, the Creative Aging Initiative grants will provide $10,000 to a variety of New Jersey nonprofits engaging in creative aging work. Each of this year’s grant recipients will provide two (2) eight-day residencies for New Jersey seniors – at no cost to the participants. This new program was built upon the success of a Creative Aging pilot project the Council concluded earlier this year.
Speaking on the importance of this new grant program, the Council’s Program Officer for Arts Education & Lifelong Learning, Samantha Clarke, said: “Arts education and lifelong learning have been longstanding priorities at the State Arts Council. We look forward to providing new opportunities to reach older adults through the Creative Aging Initiative grant, and we’re especially excited to be working with both arts organizations and community-based organizations in this important work.”
The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund is awarding $2.2 million in grants to 96 nonprofit organizations across the state.
The fund recently received a $1.5 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to support grantmaking. The fund awards grants to organization that contribute to cultural equity and community well-being, a mission that aligns with the philanthropy goals of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The fund has also received significant support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
NJM Insurance Group said it recently made a $100,000 donation to benefit hunger relief efforts across the mid-Atlantic region.
The monies are part of the West Trenton-based firm’s yearlong commitment to supporting communities, which now totals more than $2 million in donations in 2022.
NJM’s support of communities is rooted in a culture of purpose-driven service. The company directs charitable contributions toward organizations that support arts and culture, health, community assistance, safety and financial literacy. Other areas of focus include education and enrichment and revitalization programs such as those offered by social service organizations and food banks.
“NJM is a service organization working on behalf of our policyholders and the communities in which they live and work,” Mitch Livingston, NJM CEO and president, stated. “We partner with nonprofits and organizations dedicated to delivering needed resources that can positively impact lives, and we are privileged to support these causes throughout the region.”
Welcome to the new year! It was wonderful seeing so many members at the 2022 Annual Meeting & Holiday Luncheon on December 14, and the accompanying virtual workshop on December 16. Both our luncheon keynote speaker, Bridgit Antoinette Evans, Pop Culture Collaborative, and workshop facilitator, Chantal Forster, Technology Association of Grantmakers, helped us explore philanthropy’s role in narrative change. You can find resources from the event, including slides and workshop recording, on the resource tab of the Annual Meeting page. You must be logged in to access resources. (Forgot your password – click here.)
As part of the meeting, we elected three new board members for their first 3-year term, as well as re-electing board members for a second term. Welcome and congratulations to new board members Marcy Felsenfeld, The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, Jeremy Grunin, the Grunin Foundation, and Maria Spina, PSEG Foundation. And we said good-bye to Michael Unger, Atlantic Foundation, and Diane Hagerman, New Jersey Health Initiatives. We’re grateful for your service.
Following the annual meeting of members, the board elected their officers for 2023: Jeff Vega, Chair, (Princeton Area Community Foundation), Craig Drinkard, 1st Vice Chair, (Victoria Foundation), Christine Healey, 2nd Vice Chair, (The Healey Education Foundation), Maisha Simmons, Secretary, (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), and Catherine Wilson, Treasurer, (United Way Greater Newark). Congratulations!
We also introduced the 2023 – 2025 Strategic Plan to the membership. CNJG envisions a healthy, thriving, and civically engaged New Jersey where people of all places, racial identities, socio-economic backgrounds, abilities, and identity expressions are valued for their gifts and talents, and we all can reach our full potential and participate generously in the common good. Our mission supports and elevates New Jersey’s philanthropic community through shared learning, collaborative and trusting relationships, network building, and leadership.
Board committees, working in concert with the CNJG team, will move forward the strategic plan. And while the four goals outlined in the strategic plan will play a pivotal role in the work of all committees, the Member Engagement Committee will reflect on an expanded definition of philanthropy as part of goal 1. The Racial Equity Task Force will consider how we embed an organizational commitment to equity and power building as part of goal 2. The Leadership and Policy Committee will create a policy agenda as part of goal 3. Our overall partnership work with the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits and Doing Good Better clearly falls within the realm of goal 4, expanding and establishing partnerships and collaborations that unite NJ’s social sector. I’m thrilled to announce the Signature Programs Committee has identified Doing Good Better as the theme for our Conference for New Jersey’s Social Sector on May 23.
This is an important and exciting time to serve on the Council’s various committees. If you are interested in joining a committee, please reach out to me. You’ll be in good company! CNJG is an extraordinary organization that grows in terms of its impact and partnerships, year after year. I’m thrilled about the future, and where the strategic plan will take us.
I want to end with gratitude for the CNJG Board of Trustees, our committee and affinity group chairs, our partners, and you – our members. You are truly our champions. And another thank you to our Annual Meeting sponsors for their generous support, Prudential, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and the Devils Youth Foundation.
Happy New Year!
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
The Fund for Women and Girls (FWG) at the Princeton Area Community Foundation has awarded $215,000 in grants, including support for five local nonprofits that are working to help new mothers, mothers in recovery, single parents, families with young children and children who have been removed from their homes.
More than 20 years ago, the FWG was created as a fund of the Community Foundation to focus its funding on organizations that work to improve the lives of vulnerable women and children in the region. With a philosophy of collective philanthropy, members donate to the Fund, and then meet annually to recommend grants to support nonprofits aligned with the fund’s goals.
“These nonprofits are doing incredibly important work in our communities, and this funding will make a meaningful difference in the lives of women and children,” said Carolyn Sanderson, Chair of The Fund. “Thanks to the generosity of our members, we have awarded more than $1 million in grants to more than two dozen nonprofits over the last six years. We can do so much more together than any of us can do individually.”
Eighteen grants totaling $379,000 -- to area nonprofits providing vital food, shelter, education, arts, culture and health services -- were awarded by The Summit Foundation its December grant cycle.
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey’s philanthropic arm announced Jan. 9 it awarded more than $1 million in grants to 34 nonprofit organizations in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The most recent round brings the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey’s 2022 grant total to $2.14 million, benefiting 67 groups.
“Throughout 2022, The Foundation continued to strive to keep New Jersey healthy by promoting health equity, addressing racial and health disparities and expanding cultural awareness in the diverse communities we serve,” the organization said in a statement.
A year after kicking off an initiative to improve nutrition at schools in its hometown of Camden, Campbell Soup Co. is getting high marks. And over the next five years, the soup and snack giant plans to invest $5 million in Full Futures, a sweeping effort to make sure students are well nourished and ready to thrive — both in the classroom and outside of it.
Armed with research linking school meals and healthy diets to academic success, Campbell executives saw an opportunity to effect change by leveraging the expertise and resources of numerous partners to advance developments in nutrition programming and cafeteria infrastructure across a school district that serves 11,000 students.
Working in partnership with the Camden City School District, as well as several nonprofit and corporate entities, Campbell set out to improve how kids eat at school through cafeteria equipment upgrades, expanded meal programs, nutrition education, reformulated menus and equitable sourcing of local, fresh produce.
Campbell recently reported on its progress with Full Futures, as well as next steps planned to keep the momentum going during the next four years of the campaign.
The Trenton Arts Fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation has awarded $29,550 in grants to seven local arts, culture and history nonprofits, in particular their programs that support Trenton’s young people.
“We are thrilled to help fund these arts organizations and programs in this city that means so much to us,” said John Hatch, who created the Trenton Arts Fund in 2018 with his husband, David Henderson. “Trenton has a rich cultural history, and the arts are flourishing in Trenton. With this round of grants, we are supporting Trenton’s tradition of creativity, and especially programs that support our young residents.”
Grants were made at the recommendation of the Trenton Arts Fund Grants Committee, whose members are local residents with a background in the arts.
New Jersey Community Capital, the state’s largest community development financial institution, announced Tuesday that it has donated a total of $50,000 to the municipalities of Newark, Paterson, Camden, Trenton and New Brunswick.
Each of the five municipalities will receive $10,000 in funding for specific community organizations or initiatives focused on economic development, youth programs, public health and more. The donation is part of NJCC’s commitment to this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration theme: “It starts with me: cultivating a beloved community mindset to transform unjust systems.” NJCC CEO Bernel Hall said the organization feels the donations will have great impact.
In honor of the life, legacy and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, New Jersey Community Capital invites you to join it in furthering NJCC’s mission of promoting equitable opportunities for all.
“We’re thrilled to be able to build on Dr. King’s mission and integrate it into our work throughout New Jersey and support such well-deserving community organizations and impactful programming,” he said. “These cities are doing crucial work to make New Jersey the best it can be, and partnering with them to do even more will provide better outcomes and opportunities for residents.” Hall said NJCC’s charitable giving corresponds to its work across the state to finance the predevelopment, acquisition, construction, rehabilitation and mini-permanent needs of affordable housing units for ownership and rental opportunities. NJCC’s lending takes a holistic and equitable approach by financing projects that use the diverse pillars of a community, including small businesses, commercial office and retail spaces and early childhood education centers.
There is a plurality of definitions of the term systems change, each contextualized within different cultures and purposes. Doing Good Better embraces systems change as an inter-sector process that addresses complex social problems nonprofits and funders confront with collective action centered on equity, mutual respect, and resilience. Systems change refers to changing the parts and their relationships within a system with the understanding that this change will have ripple effects. As grantmakers, we need to create an environment that enables grantee effectiveness, so they can deliver on their mission. Systems change in philanthropy focuses on structures, policies and processes, resources, values, power, mindsets and, infrastructure that is illustrated in three iterative phases. In time, we hope that the application of this model will result in collective impact and a more resilient social sector for all of New Jersey.
The first phase is structural (operational) change, which involves funders adopting new policies, practices, and resource flows. The second phase is characterized by new relationships and connections that emerge from structural change eschewing old power dynamic practices. Finally, the third phase is transformative change, which occurs when change becomes rooted in organizational culture and mores. We cannot underestimate the length of time and learning at each stage. Achieving transformative change can be a long journey, but it is a learning journey. One grantmaker stated, “One change led to another and another, like dominos. I started to see what people meant by systemic change. New energy and excitement surged among us as hope grew and the cloudy vision of what we wanted became clearer and clearer.”
Although the figure below displays the six developmental stages as linear and distinct, change is unlikely to follow a linear path. Any change in a system will seldom stay fixed at one of these stages but rather will shift back and forth from one stage to another on the path toward the ideal state. We believe just one organization can’t shift the conditions that hold problems in place; we all must share the same perspectives and move the sector together and simultaneously. We call for all of those involved in the sector to work together to build a better and more equitable nonprofit and philanthropy system for all New Jerseyans.
Graphic comes from “The Water of Systems Change” by John Kania, Mark Kramer, and Peter Senge.
Doing Good Better, a partnership of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits, is a community of funders and nonprofits taking action against the power imbalances and racial inequities in philanthropy, nonprofits, and government.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on Tuesday announced the recipients of the 2022 Creative Catalyst Fund awards. A total of 114 grants will be awarded to individual artists and artists’ collectives, with an average award of $3,200; and 34 grants will be awarded to small and midsized arts organizations with an average award of $10,100.
Baraka created the fund in January 2020 as a multiyear initiative providing the local community of artists and small and midsized arts organizations up to $1 million annually for at least three years. The fund has awarded a total of $2.35 million in grants in its first three years. Grantees use the funds to help pay for operating costs, space rentals, staff, programming costs, supplies and equipment, and COVID-related expenses.
“Newark has a long history as a center of the arts, and our administration has supported the arts in word and deed, creating great works like the second-longest public mural on the East Coast. We are proud, privileged and humbled to write a new chapter by supporting this year’s grantees. Their works will define the voice and talent of a new generation of Newark artists for our present and future,” Baraka said.
The Princeton Area Community Foundation awarded about $2 million in Community Impact and COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund grants to local nonprofits.
More than 60 organizations working on a broad variety of needs in the community, including arts education, community building, education, food insecurity, health, supporting senior citizens and other vulnerable populations, and youth development received this funding, made possible by generous community contributions.
Funding was mainly unrestricted, giving organizations an opportunity to address the challenges of economic uncertainty due to the pandemic and inflation. Unrestricted grants in this round provide the flexibility organizations need to use the funding where it is most needed, which will help them build financial and programmatic resiliency.
“These nonprofits are doing impactful work in region, helping the most vulnerable among us,” Jeffrey Vega, CEO and president of the Community Foundation, said. “We are able to award these grants thanks to generous donors who have created funds over the last 30 years to support our community grantmaking and leadership.”
"What is the ongoing impact of social change on grantmaker support for grantees? How common is it for foundation staff to be back in the office? How can I leverage peer benchmarking to advocate for change within my organization?”
In July 2022, Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG) conducted a survey to better understand the technology environment, practices, and perceptions in philanthropy. Now in its third version, the 2022 State of Philanthropy Tech survey compiled results from 277 grantmaking organizations throughout North America, the EU, and UK. The findings are fascinating!
Topics covered include:
· Technology budgeting and staffing
· Staff turnover and retention
· Remote, hybrid, and in-person work trends
· Cybersecurity breaches, training, and protections
· Trends in tool selection for grants management, remote work enablement, and more
Join TAG executive Director, Chantal Foster, and TAG Survey Committee Member, Tess Hanrahan of the Hewlett Foundation, for this interactive webinar that will explore key findings and trends just in time for your 2023 planning. TAG cultivates the strategic, equitable, and innovative use of technology in philanthropy. Their work builds knowledge, strengthens networks, and advances the social sector.
This program is for members of the following philanthropy-serving organizations: Maryland Philanthropy Network, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, Florida Philanthropic Network, Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, Philanthropy Wisconsin, NY Funders Alliance, and North Carolina Grantmakers.
Webinar Recording
TAG’s State of Philanthropy Tech Survey Presentation Slides (and attached)
2022 State of Philanthropy Tech Survey
6 Tech Trends to Watch in Philanthropy
Selecting Systems for Community Foundations
Favorite Productivity Apps of Webinar Participants: Asana, Microsoft Planner, Calendly, Slack, Evernote, iCalender, Google Calendar, Doodle, DownDetector, Trello, Outlook, Monday.com, Microsoft Bookings, Docusign, OneNote
The FirstEnergy Foundation has granted two New Jersey nonprofits with $20,000 "Gifts of the Season," aiding in their mission to make lives brighter within the Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) service area.
Cornerstone Family Programs, based in JCP&L's northern New Jersey region, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County, based in the central New Jersey region, both offer afterschool programs that focus on providing safe, empowering environments for local students.
"We're proud to support these organizations because their missions align with our commitment to a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, included and respected," said Lorna Wisham, president of the FirstEnergy Foundation. "The winners were chosen by FirstEnergy External Affairs employees who identified organizations in their local areas that do extraordinary work to strengthen the community and enhance the lives of vulnerable and underserved populations."
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) will distribute $211,743 in funding to 18 organizations in its latest round of grant funding awards. Of these, 8 awards are Incubation Grants, which help organizations plan, research, prototype, experiment or expand existing programs. The 10 remaining awards are Action Grants, which help organizations implement humanities-based programs, which may be new or existing.
Notably, this round marks the first time since launching the Incubation and Action Grants in 2016 that NJCH received more applications and letters of intent for Incubation Grants than for Action Grants. NJCH received 42 total applications, of which 22 were for Incubation Grants, and 20 were for Action Grants.
“Incubation Grants serve the Council’s goal of increasing organizational capacity in the humanities sector by giving institutions the time and resources for program planning and development. We consider them a particular strength of our grants program since funders often do not provide this type of funding opportunity,” said Dr. Carin Berkowitz, NJCH executive director. “There’s real value in providing organizations the opportunity to spend more time thinking and planning programs, and we’re proud to provide that.”
CNJG’s Finance and Investment Affinity Group exists to keep foundation executives informed as they manage the investment of their corpus. Growth of foundation assets and the active exchange of sound investment strategies is the focus of each program.
We are pleased to welcome Ethan Harris, head of Global Economics Research at Bank of America Global Research to lead our breakfast that kicks off the new year with a Market Outlook for 2023. Mr. Harris will give us his insights on:
- Inflation
- Potential for continued interest rate hikes and where might they pause
- Labor market impact on the Fed’s direction
- Impact of Fed moves
- Expectations for US economy and other economies around the world
- Growth and recession risks, and
- Some discussion of the big global issues
Agenda
8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
9:00 a.m. - Program begins
10:00 a.m. - Meeting concludes
Cost: $35 for CNJG Members; $70 for Non Member Grantmakers (includes full breakfast)
COVID-19 Safety and Information
CNJG will follow all health and safety guidelines and recommendations outlined in our COVID-19 Liability Waiver for in-person programs and events.
Please do not attend the program if you are ill, exposed to the COVID-19 virus within 14 days prior to the program, or exhibit any symptoms of the COVID-19 virus prior to the program.
These are the protocols as of June 6, 2022. We will continue to monitor the health and safety protocols and will be sure to communicate if these change prior to the program.
In 2016, the Dodge Foundation began its equity journey in earnest, culminating in a strategic plan centered on a vision for an equitable New Jersey. In 2020, as mobilizations for racial justice swept the country and the pandemic abruptly exposed the devastating impacts of structural racism and inequity on people’s lives, the Foundation answered the call of these crises to imagine a new way. Now, building on the lessons learned over the past few years, the Foundation is fully immersed in this work with new program priorities centered on racial justice.
While the Foundation has increasingly deployed its support to organizations focused on addressing the root causes and repair of structural racism and inequity, in early 2023, they launched new program priorities and grantmaking processes to further align their work and grantmaking to that vision. These priorities, centered on racial justice, are the focus of the Dodge Foundation going forward.
During this webinar, Dodge Foundation President and CEO, Tanuja M. Dehne, will share learnings from the work, update other funders and foundations on the new program priorities and processes, and begin to identify opportunities for collaboration.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.
Several CNJG members have modified their funding priorities over the past several years in response to both the pandemic and racial equity movements. CNJG is pleased to partner with our members to offer an opportunity for our members and other funders to hear the process and decisions that the foundation made to determine their new funding priorities. At the end of 2021, the Victoria Foundation presented on their new strategic framework, which offers members another model for how foundations have transformed their work.
Webinar Video
The Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) today thanked its 1,160 fundholders for making 7,350 philanthropic gifts to worthy causes and communities in 2022 totaling approximately $153 million. The total dollar amount of grants is a record for the Community Foundation, following annual grantmaking of $103 million in 2021, $87.5 million in 2020, and $57.8 million in 2019.
CFNJ currently stewards over $725 million in charitable assets, making grants to nonprofit organizations in line with the advice of active fundholders or the philanthropic goals of those who leave bequests. Fifty-seven new funds were established in 2022.
Last year marked the final year of grantmaking for the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, which the Community Foundation was proud to host in partnership with First Lady Tammy Murphy.