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How can funders make grant applications and reporting less burdensome for nonprofit partners? How do we connect with smaller nonprofits working on-the-ground in communities? How can we encourage more unrestricted grants? How should funders compensate nonprofit leaders when asking for their expertise and limited time?
We’ll explore those questions, and more, at the upcoming CNJG 2023 Conference for the Social Sector: Doing Good Better on May 23.
But don’t delay in registering for the event. We’ll be at capacity very soon and will likely need to close registration. CNJG is the network serving you, our members; and our members – you - work toward the shared goals of improved practice and empowering stronger communities. Please register soon.
Getting back to our new team member – I’m pleased to welcome Chanika Svetvilas, CNJG’s new Manager of Programs and Learning. Chanika started with us on April 19. She will coordinate and manage our overall programming, including affinity group meetings, funder briefings, partner programs, skill-building workshops, and signature events. Chanika brings a range of experience in program implementation and planning. You can read her full bio here.
You’ll get the chance to meet Chanika at the Conference on May 23. The entire CNJG team is looking forward to seeing you there.
See you soon,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Office of Broadband Connectivity, and New Jersey League of Municipalities invite you to the Internet for All: New Jersey Local Coordination Workshop in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
This day long workshop will bring together critical partners in New Jersey from the federal, state, and local governments, industry, and other key collaborators to discuss coordination on broadband efforts as the state prepares to receive significant broadband funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Connecting all people in New Jersey to affordable, reliable high-speed internet is critical to our economic stability and this event will provide an opportunity for us to discuss ways we can work together to efficiently and effectively utilize these federal dollars to the maximum extent.
Proposed agenda items include:
- State Update on Implementation of Federal Broadband Programs
- Coordination on Infrastructure Expansion
- Strategies for Broadband Infrastructure Development
- Telehealth
- Input on 5-Year and Digital Equity Plans
- Digital Access Challenges and Solutions for New Jersey
- Think Locally, Plan Regionally
- Workforce Strategy Panel
- Office Hours with NJ Office of Broadband Connectivity and NTIA
Cost: Free for Members and Non Members
On March 9th, 2023, the City of Newark unveiled a Harriet Tubman monument in the newly re-named Harriet Tubman Square. The Newark Philanthropic Liaison played a key role on the monument project team for two years, ensuring that funds were available to make the vision of the Mayor and community a reality. We are proud to be a grantee of the Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project, and appreciate the significant philanthropic support of Audible, Inc. and the partnership of the Newark Museum of Art, Rutgers University – Newark, and the Newark Public Library. In addition to foundation partnerships, the NPL’s office designed and led a “Buy a Brick” campaign raised nearly $40,000 from almost 200 individual donors.
Related Stories
A Monument to Harriet Tubman Replaces a Columbus Statue in Newark
Government-Nonprofit Contracting Reform
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance is the biggest change in government grant guidelines in over 30 years. The rules require that federal grants and contracts—including those that pass through state and local governments—include a “reasonable amount” for indirect costs. A “reasonable amount”, according to the guidance, is at least 10 percent of direct costs and, in some cases, nonprofits can negotiate a higher amount.
With the nonprofit sector earning nearly 33 percent of its revenue from government grants and contracts, this new requirement is a game changer. Nina Stack wrote a piece discussing these changes for the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation blog:
Excerpt from A Social Sector Game Changer:
“Nonprofits that are hired by the government to perform a service and paid through federal dollars are to use at least 10 percent of the direct costs of their grant or contract to pay indirect costs. BOOM! Just as John Madden would say. A mandate for funding that can be used for core operations. Never before has there been such a clear directive and recognition from the federal government.”
To see this change however, industry-wide advocacy is essential to ensure that all nonprofits are aware of this monumental shift and that governments follow the new requirement. Without advocacy, it is very possible that, despite the requirement to add an additional 10 percent or more to pay for indirect costs, legislative bodies at the federal, state and city levels may further reduce project budgets to keep them flat. And this could mean that in order to maintain the same level of services, nonprofits will seek additional resources from the philanthropic sector to make up the difference. Therefore it is imperative that philanthropy remains active in the conversation between nonprofits and government to continue to maintain a balance in the critical services provided by all.
What this means for nonprofits:
- Government contracts are now required to reimburse nonprofits for reasonable indirect costs (administrative, “overhead”) as part of their service-delivery agreement.
- The OMB Uniform Guidance is only a promise of better treatment—nonprofits should know the rules and protect themselves.
What this means for foundations:
- Advocacy is needed! To ensure government partners do not underfund nonprofits due to the new rules, foundations need to help spread awareness and enforce the regulations.
In New Jersey, the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits has been teeing up advocacy, information sessions, and other assistance to help non-profits take advantage of the new rules. For questions and information about the new guidelines, please visit the resources below.
Resources
Federal Register: OMB Uniform Guidance
At the October Grantmakers for Education Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., the Newark Funders Education Committee presented a workshop called “How Not to Read the Prize” to a standing-room-only audience of national, regional, and local foundations.
They did so not to dispute the findings in Dale Russakoff’s book, “The Prize,” but rather to expound upon the progress and challenges that have occurred during the period since Mark Zuckerberg’s $100-million-dollar gift was announced in September 2010 and to paint a fuller, more nuanced picture.
The process of putting together the panel was a learning experience for all of us who participated. It helped us to clarify our own thinking about what the gift enabled Newark to accomplish, how we as local funders have come to work together more effectively, and how we might advise national foundations interested in place-based impact to engage with the community and with local funders.
In September 2010, Mark Zuckerberg announced a $100 million gift, to be matched dollar for dollar, to transform education in Newark in five years. The Foundation for Newark’s Future was created as a local foundation that would manage a then-undetermined portion of the gift.
The Prize, by Dale Russakoff, documents the first five few years of this reform effort. As Russakoff illustrates, there were strong personalities involved in the reform effort who had or have now moved to new positions. Also, this was the donor’s first foray into philanthropy and despite efforts at community engagement, many community leaders and activists felt that district and state leaders and national foundation representatives did not invite or respect authentic community participation in its decisions. The book and subsequent book tour largely focused on these themes.
The narrative in philanthropy is that “this bold effort largely failed.” With the benefit of time, we would write a different narrative: there were missteps along the way, and some philanthropic overreach, but Newark is moving forward, education outcomes are improving, and some of the work that was started because of this initiative has had sustained positive impact. Most importantly, there is a robust education dialogue in the city that has moved from vigorous disagreement to an agreement to collaborate even when we disagree. So, the hashtag for this work seven years on might be: #notfinishedyet or #needapart2.
When Mayor Ras Baraka took office in 2014, he immediately called for an expansion of the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program.
There is a growing body of evidence that youth employment programs are a positive intervention that can reduce summer violence and incarceration and improve educational outcomes of participating youth. Just as important, they help to expose youth to career pathways early, allowing the city to integrate youth into an overall workforce development strategy. For Mayor Baraka, the call was personal — he participated in the program as a youth and remembers fondly the impact it had on his life.
TD Charitable Foundation on Monday said it awarded a total of $7 million to 37 nonprofits across the bank’s footprint through the 17th annual Housing for Everyone grant program.
According to the charitable giving arm of Cherry Hill-based TD Bank, “America’s Most Convenient Bank,” grants ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 will support organizations that work to deliver rental assistance, rehabilitate affordable rental housing properties and build organizational capacity to address resident sustainability for the long-term.
As individuals and families across the country struggle with inflation and an exponential rise in rental costs, affordable housing providers face increased hardship, given the growing demand for affordable rental units and emergency rental assistance.
“The affordable housing crisis continues to burden the most vulnerable members of our communities and the organizations committed to supporting them,” Paige Carlson-Heim, director of the TD Charitable Foundation, said. “At TD, we’re committed to doing our part to help create a more sustainable and inclusive future for everyone, and that includes providing access to safe, affordable homes. This year’s grant recipients are mission-critical to that work, and the TD Charitable Foundation is proud to support them in their efforts to create a positive impact and a pathway to housing stability in the communities we serve.”
This one-hour webinar will offer a high-level overview of employment law trends and best practices for foundations. Attorneys from the Labor & Employment and Nonprofit & Tax-Exempt Organizations groups of Dentons, the world’s largest global law firm, will present practical tips for small and mid-size foundations with regard to employment and workplace issues. Drawing from both national trends in the industry and the impact of the pandemic and social change, topics will include:
- social media policies;
- remote and hybrid work considerations;
- job descriptions and changes with hiring practices; and
- independent contractor agreements.
Our speakers will hold time for Q&A at the end of the presentation. As part of the registration process, attendees may also submit questions or topic area suggestions for our speakers to address if time allows.
Speakers
Carsen Ruperto, Counsel, Dentons Cohen & Grigsby
Hayley Haldeman, Counsel, Dentons, Cohen & Grigsby
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.
The Trust-Based Philanthropy Project is pleased to announce a six-part webinar series addressing common questions, clarifying misconceptions, and exploring ways to overcome obstacles in implementing trust-based philanthropy. CNJG is pleased to share this opportunity with our members.
Series Description: Trust-based philanthropy is a philosophy and approach rooted in values of relationship-building, mutual learning, and systemic equity – with a vision of advancing a healthier and more impactful nonprofit sector. While this approach is generally associated with six core grantmaking practices such as multi-year unrestricted funding and streamlined paperwork, the day-to-day work of trust-based philanthropy is very nuanced and dynamic. In fact, funders who have embraced this approach are finding that it requires ongoing self-reflection and rigor with regards to how they think about – and evolve – many of the deeply embedded practices and assumptions of traditional philanthropy.
Given these nuances, it is not surprising that there are many questions and occasional misperceptions about what it actually means to embody trust-based philanthropy in practice. In this 6-part webinar series, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project will explore some of the most commonly asked questions and the underlying misperceptions that may be roadblocks to understanding and operationalizing trust-based philanthropy.
Each session in the series will focus on a frequently asked question from the field, and will feature perspectives from foundation leaders and others who have grappled with similar or related questions. At the end of each session, participants will walk away with: 1) a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the underlying cultural philosophy of trust-based philanthropy; 2) tips for how to think about and approach these nuances in their own work; and 3) talking points for how to answer these FAQs when they come up from colleagues or peers.
Each session will also provide dedicated space for small-group peer dialogue (among CNJG members) about ways to implement these practices into your grantmaking.
Who should attend: Anyone in a grantmaking role that is curious about understanding the nuances of trust-based philanthropy and how it applies to your work. This series will be ideal for those who have some baseline familiarity with trust-based philanthropy and have questions about how it manifests in practice.
Please note: this webinar series is separate from CNJG’s 2023 Conference for the Social Sector, which features an in-person luncheon keynote by the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project. CNJG’s conference is open to both funders and nonprofits, so the keynote will differ from this series. Because CNJG’s Doing Good Better initiative leans on the principles of Trust-Based Philanthropy, we encourage our members to register for these sessions - as time allows - for funders to learn about different approaches to changing systems in New Jersey.
Demystifying Trust-Based Philanthropy Series Sessions
Session #1: Does Trust-Based Mean Unconditional Trust?
Session #2: Does Unrestricted Funding Automatically Make a Funder Trust-Based?
Session #3: How Do We Approach Risk and Due Diligence in Trust-Based Philanthropy?
Session #4: What Does Grantee Accountability Look Like in Trust-Based Funding?
Session #5: How Do You Measure Impact in Trust-Based Philanthropy?
Session #6: What Does Racial Equity Have To Do With Trust-Based Philanthropy?
Resources
Recording: Session #1: Does Trust-Based Mean Unconditional Trust?
Transcript: Session #1: Does Trust-Based Mean Unconditional Trust?
Presentation: Session #1: Does Trust-Based Mean Unconditional Trust?
The 6 Practices of Trust-Based Philanthropy
Trust-Based Philanthropy in 4D Overview
Trust-Based Philanthropy Story Map
Legal Considerations for Trust-Based Philanthropy
It was absolutely wonderful being together in person with so many members and nonprofit partners at the CNJG 2023 Conference for the Social Sector on May 23. I’m proud that our conferences elevate important issues for the field, this year focusing on Doing Good Better - a joint initiative between CNJG and the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits. And it was our highest attended conference ever!
The day opened with an insightful panel of foundation leaders who have joined the movement and are taking their organizations on the Doing Good Better journey by implementing trust-based philanthropy and participatory grantmaking in their organization’s DNA. Thank you Tanuja Dehne, President and CEO, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Craig Drinkard, Executive Officer, Victoria Foundation, Jeremy Grunin, President and CEO, Grunin Foundation, and Samantha Plotino, Executive Director, The Provident Bank Foundation, for sharing your wisdom and showing us what’s possible.
Keynote speaker Shaady Salehi, Executive Director of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, was masterful at both introducing trust-based philanthropy to audience members new to these concepts, while also deepening and expanding our understanding of trust-based philanthropy for those of us already familiar with the ideas. As part of her presentation, she also trusted us with 2 compelling stories of power sharing from her personal experience. It was a powerful moment.
Each of the morning and afternoon sessions offered practical steps to address a specific area or challenge within the Doing Good Better tent. We’re grateful to all our conference speakers. It was a dream link-up of talent and expertise.
Following Shaady’s presentation, we posed 4 questions for discussion. And because these questions are so important to help inform our ongoing Doing Good Better work, I’m posing them again to you:
- What are some practice changes your organization can make to embody trust-based philanthropy and/or the broader ideals under the Doing Better Good tent?
- What are funders doing to lean into a trust-based approach that centers relationship-building, mutual learning, and transparency? What more could be done?
- Have you implemented any of the principles of trust-based philanthropy or Doing Good Better ideals, and what has been your organization’s experience?
- What are some of the ways that racial equity, and intersectional equity issues, can be addressed using the ideas under the Doing Good Better tent and/or trust-based philanthropy practices?
Your ideas and responses will help us in our Doing Good Better work – I hope you’ll share them with me.
Finally, thank you to our sponsors for supporting this event: PSEG, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sixers Youth Foundation, Citi, Grunin Foundation, Panasonic Foundation, Valley National Bank, PKF O’Connor Davies, TriNet, LISC – Greater Newark, and The Palace at Somerset Park. We’re grateful for your support.
Doing Good Better invites philanthropy and nonprofits to rethink traditional philanthropy, and advance equity in the nonprofit sector, in philanthropy, and in New Jersey. CNJG’s new strategic plan specifically embraces shared power and leadership, equity as an organizing principle, trust-based philanthropy, participatory grantmaking, elevating partnerships, and cross-sector relationships grounded in inclusion. These ideas make up the Doing Good Better tent, and I’m proud we could share them at our 2023 Conference.
In partnership,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
The rise of ESG and the SEC's impending climate disclosure requirements has put increasing pressure from the investment community on companies to meet specific reporting requirements. In addition, employees, communities and customers are demanding that companies address their concerns on a wide range of social and environmental issues. The growing number of reporting standards and frameworks can make it difficult for CSR and Philanthropy professionals to determine the best approach to reporting on their company's efforts.
This session will provide concrete ideas and steps on how to create an effective impact report that balances competing demands from a range of stakeholders. Specifically, how do companies acknowledge the tension between the need to meet a particular reporting requirement and authentically reporting on the relationships with the community? Within these structures that they can’t change, what are their choice points for more equitable practices?
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $150 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
This program is presented by Philanthropy New York.
Impact 100 Garden State was thrilled to announce the three nonprofit recipients of $100,000 grants, based on member vote. All seven finalists will receive a $10,750 Merit Award. Every penny of our members' $1,000 membership contribution goes to grants to nonprofits.
Recognizing that small businesses and entrepreneurs generate jobs, create diverse communities and are vital to prosperous cities, JPMorgan Chase announced this week that it is providing more than $1.5 million to four nonprofit organizations in New Jersey.
The goal, JPMorgan Chase officials said, is to help support diverse entrepreneurs and increase their access to capital, mentorship, technical assistance and other critical resources needed for business growth and scale.
The United Way of Passaic County (UWPC) has announced a $295,984 investment in emergency food and shelter providers in the community. The program, funded by FEMA and administered by the United Way of Passaic County, is especially critical given the high rate of inflation and the end of federal emergency SNAP benefits.
The funds will go to local organizations such as CUMAC, Oasis, St. Paul’s Community Development Corporation, Center for Family Resources, Catholic Charities, New Hope Ministries, Paterson Salvation Army, Passaic Salvation Army, Paterson Task Force and Eva’s Village.
"We partner with organizations in the community to provide needed and impactful services to the community. These organizations stepped up during COVID and are continuing to step up as residents face increased rates of food and housing insecurity," United Way of Passaic County CEO and President Mary Celis said. "We are grateful for the great work these agencies do in Passaic County, and we are so thankful for the thousands of United Way donors whose ongoing support makes our community impact work possible."
JWF-NJ is pleased to announce that it has awarded five large grants in its 2023-24 Spring Grants Cycle:
$25K to the Barat Foundation for Creation Nation Girls in Tech – a Newark-based project to teach girls engineering and utilization of 3D printers, arts and entrepreneurship skills; $17K to Girls Helping Girls. Period. for Period Equity and Sustainability – a project to introduce the use of menstrual cups to women and girls and provide necessary hygiene products; $25K to KinderSmile for Perinatal Health and Wellness Program at KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center Bloomfield – a project to provide free dental care to perinatal and postpartum women and educate them in the importance of oral health; $25K to Montclair State Foundation’s Global Center on Human Trafficking for The Possibilities Program—Building Human Trafficking Survivor Leadership – a project that gathers teen victims of trafficking for workshops on self-sufficiency, college and career-readiness; and $25K to Sharsheret for Customized Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer Quality of Life Kits – a project that provides free, customizable support kits to women facing cancer.
TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank has awarded a total of $7 million to 37 non-profits across the bank’s footprint through the 17th annual Housing for Everyone grant program. Grants ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 will support organizations that work to deliver rental assistance, rehabilitate affordable rental housing properties, and build organizational capacity to address resident sustainability for the long-term.
As individuals and families across the country struggle with inflation and an exponential rise in rental costs, affordable housing providers face increased hardship given the growing demand for affordable rental units and emergency rental assistance.
“The affordable housing crisis continues to burden the most vulnerable members of our communities and the organizations committed to supporting them,” said Paige Carlson-Heim, Director of the TD Charitable Foundation. “At TD, we’re committed to doing our part to help create a more sustainable and inclusive future for everyone, and that includes providing access to safe, affordable homes. This year’s grant recipients are mission-critical to that work, and the TD Charitable Foundation is proud to support them in their efforts to create a positive impact and a pathway to housing stability in the communities we serve.”
With a resounding endorsement, The Westfield Foundation recently voted in three new board members: Toni Janota, Michael Moye and Dr. Cheryl Lundy Swift, all of Westfield. At the same time, the organization recognized the service of outgoing members: Tim Boyle, Stan Gersch and Rich Elbert.
“We express our deepest appreciation for the invaluable contributions of Tim Stan and Rich and their unwavering commitment during their tenure!" said outgoing president Larry Darrow.
Our new board members had the privilege of witnessing our Q2 grants meeting in early May where we funded over $100,000 to community programs. Some notable grants this quarter: providing a new mode of transportation for the Westfield Community Center, renovation funds for The Our House Foundation’s New Providence Day Program site, and continued support for the Presbyterian Church of Westfield’s mission to supplement local in-need families with nutrient-dense food.
The Devils Youth Foundation, with the support of its marquee brands, the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center, issued a record number of grants, both in money donated and nonprofits supported, having a significant impact throughout New Jersey.
According to a Tuesday announcement, this year, the Devils Youth Foundation provided 24 grants worth over $890,000 to organizations having an impact in New Jersey through community outreach programs that support over 20,000 youth. The organizations include: Arts Education Newark; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson & Union Counties; Boys & Girls Club of Newark; Challenged Athletes Foundation; Coalition for Food and Health Equity; Community FoodBank of New Jersey; Educational Arts Team; Express Newark (Rutgers); FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development Inc.; GreenLight Newark; Hockey in New Jersey; Jazz House Kids; La Casa de Don Pedro; Mentor Newark; Newark Boys Chorus School; Newark Community Street Team; Newark Day Center; New City Kids; Oasis — A Haven for Women and Children; Playworks; Record High; Save the Music Foundation; Special Olympics of New Jersey; and United Community Corp.
The Grunin Foundation, in partnership with CNJG, invites you to join the next Monmouth & Ocean County funder roundtable. The conversation will continue around what we can to do together to move to action and create greater impact in our communities. The roundtable will be held from 10:00am - 12:00pm with an optional lunch following, from 12:00pm - 1:00pm. To help with planning, please indicate during the registration process if you will be staying for the lunch.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members and Non Member Grantmakers
This program is open to grantmakers only and is geared towards those who fund in Monmouth & Ocean Counties.
Excellence in Giving
In 2005, CNJG adopted Guiding Beliefs & Principles to offer a thoughtful source of direction and inspiration to help guide our state’s philanthropic sector into the future. CNJG first launched its Excellence in Giving initiative in 2007 with the goal is to provide grantmakers the practical tools necessary to ensure best practice in their operations and grantmaking.
The first booklet, Guiding Beliefs & Principles for New Jersey Grantmakers includes a wealth of insights and tips related to board governance, legal compliance, grantee communications, fiscal responsibility, public disclosure, and many other key areas of foundation governance and operations. It contains wisdom provided by leaders of all types of giving organizations within the CNJG’s membership, and is intended to serve as a practical resource to assist New Jersey foundations in their grantmaking. CNJG’s board is in the process of updating these beliefs and principles in 2023/2024. For more information on the updating process, please contact Theresa Jacks.
In 2010 CNJG released a second, comprehensive resource to help the state’s philanthropic community understand their ethical, legal, and fiduciary requirements and obligations - What Every Grantmaker Should Know and Frequently Asked Legal Questions. These two booklets are key publications in CNJG’s Excellence In Giving Series. While the Guiding Beliefs & Principles is available publically, members will need to log into access the legal guide for download.
Members can request additional copies of the booklets mentioned on this page by contacting Theresa Jacks.