Site Search
- resource provided by the Forum Network Knowledgebase.
Search Tip: Search with " " to find exact matches.
CNJG is pleased to re-convene the South Jersey Funders Consortium for a lunch meeting at a location to be determined soon. Join your fellow South Jersey funders for lunch and a round-robin discussion on what your organization is funding, and any new initiatives that you are working on.
When the Pascale Sykes Foundation sunset their operations, including gathering this group together on a periodic basis, the Consortium agreed to have CNJG take on the management and stewardship of the group.
Any funder located in or funding in the eight southern counties of New Jersey is welcome to attend (Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, Cape May, Atlantic, and Ocean). Although Camden city is located in south Jersey, and because we already have a Camden funders affinity group, the topics of discussion of the South Jersey Funders Consortium should focus on south Jersey, outside of the city of Camden.
COST: Free for CNJG Members and Non Member Grantmakers
For 2024, CNJG will cover the cost of this South Jersey Funders Consortium lunch thanks to a grant from the Pascale Sykes Foundation.
The Camden Funders Affinity Group serves as a vehicle for funders to connect and share updates about their initiatives throughout the city. At the May 30th gathering (our first of 2024), we heard loud and clear that group members didn't want to wait too long before meeting again.
As such, please join your fellow Camden Funders for another in-person meeting to not only share more about your current work in the city, but also dive deeper into discussing the capacity of Camden-based organizations (both those that you already work with and those that can potentially be funded in the future), and how funders might better support them in building it.
A dedicated a portion of this meeting will refine the goals of the Camden Funders Affinity Group, as well as identifying potential speakers and topics for future meetings.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.
Get the complete 2024 Joint Policy Forum Resource List including a printable Agenda on the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits website.
Conference Photos
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.
Calling all funders with interests in the environment, public health, social justice, urban development, and policy! We welcome you to join the Environmental Funders Affinity Group for breakfast and a discussion about one of the most critical funding needs of our time: the intersection of climate justice, public health, and protection of our natural resources for future generations. Please join us at Duke Farms for a light breakfast and an in-person conversation with Chris Daggett, former Commissioner of the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection and former CEO of the Dodge Foundation.
After the meeting, you are welcomed to join a group bike tour of the 20 miles of trails at Duke Farms 2,700 acre environmental center, continue networking at the Terrace Cafe or simply indulge in a bit of self-care on a leisurely nature walk around the Gardens! Fifteen loaner bikes are available on a first come/first serve basis, courtesy of Duke Farms, or bring your own bike.
Chris Daggett is a lifelong New Jerseyan and currently the board chair and interim executive director of the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium. Previously, he served as President and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation from 2010 until 2018. In addition to his career in philanthropy, Chris served in many public-facing roles including Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Tom Kean, Regional Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, and Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Daggett has also served on and led a number of nonprofit boards.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers.
Join your peers to learn more about the Disability & Philanthropy Forum and the Disability Inclusion Pledge in a session facilitated by Sarah Napoli, Learning Services Director for the Forum. Current signatories will share their progress as pledge signatories and how the Disability & Philanthropy Forum can support your journey to implement accessibility in your work. This is a great opportunity to come with questions if you are interested in becoming a pledge signatory or are a current pledge member. This will also offer some informal learning on disability fundamentals and allow space for Q&A.
This session is a part of our Grantmaker Toolkit Series in collaboration with The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, New York Funders Alliance, Florida Philanthropic Network, Wisconsin Philanthropy Network, Maryland Philanthropy Network, Philanthropy West Virginia, Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia, and the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers.
The Disability & Philanthropy Forum mobilizes philanthropy to dismantle ableism by increasing funding for disability inclusion, rights, and justice; amplifying the leadership of disabled people in the philanthropic sector; and educating philanthropy to build a culture of inclusion.
Speaker: Sarah Napoli is the learning services director at the Disability and Philanthropy Forum. From 2019-2023, she acted as the lead disability inclusion project officer within the people and culture Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity team at Open Society Foundations (OSF), where she developed and facilitated disability inclusion learning and embedded proactive disability inclusive practices throughout the global network. In addition to OSF, she has over 20 years of experience teaching and conducting training on social justice and advocacy in higher education and nonprofits, most recently as the director for the inaugural Center for Inclusion at Manhattanville College and as the assistant head of Goodricke College at the University of York, England. She specializes in facilitating engaging workshops and designing curriculum that challenge and encourage participants to foster a culture of inclusion.
She holds two MA degrees, one in social justice in intercultural relations from the SIT graduate institute and one in applied human rights from the University of York. She identifies as a proud disabled person and enjoys chatting about Geek culture—all things fantasy and sci/fi and her former life as a hip hop researcher and dancer. Her research on how hip hop creates human rights identities was recently published in the University of Michigan press text, For the Culture: Hip Hop and the Fight for Social Justice.
She has conducted workshops and training all over the USA and in the world, including Japan, Guatemala, throughout Europe, South Africa, and Canada. Click here to read Sarah’s story, “The Disabled Mindset: Embracing My Disability Identity.”
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
The Jewish Women’s Foundation of New Jersey (JWF-NJ), recently awarded $125,000 in grants to five local organizations that will put the money to work benefitting women and girls across the region.
“Each of these grants for 2024-25 represents our dedication to the Jewish value of ‘Tikkun Olam’ (repairing our world) and to fostering environments where all women can thrive,” Greenwood said.
The foundation said the round of grant funding is part of an ongoing effort to make a difference in the lives of women and girls by “addressing their unique challenges through philanthropy.”
CNJG is pleased to offer this program to family foundation members as part of NCFP's Fundamentals of Family Philanthropy 2024 webinar series, providing guidance on the core tenets of effective family philanthropy.
Join us for our upcoming Fundamentals of Family Philanthropy webinar series, where we will explore the vital role family philanthropy plays in addressing pressing societal challenges and driving meaningful change. Through expert insights, inspiring case studies, and interactive discussions, we will delve into the principles, strategies, and best practices that empower families’ philanthropic endeavors to make a lasting impact, understanding how disparities in systems influence societal outcomes, while prioritizing equity and effectiveness in family philanthropy.
Cost: This event is free for CNJG Members who are family foundations.
Other types of foundations are ineligible to join this webinar.
This program is a CNJG membership benefit for family foundation members, including staff and trustees, in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy.
I hope you had a rejuvenating and wonderful summer and found some moments to relax and hopefully take a vacation.
As we close out the summer and look forward to autumn, I would like to share an opportunity with you. If you are interested in serving on the CNJG Board of Trustees, or know someone who would make a good trustee, we encourage you to complete the application form and send it, along with a brief biography by Thursday, September 12, 2024. You can read the full “call for trustee nominations” letter from Governance Committee co-chairs Justin Kiczek and Kate Barrett for more details. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Office Manager, Dana Schwartz.
The Board will present a slate of candidates to CNJG members at our Annual Meeting. Please mark your calendar for the CNJG Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering on Wednesday, December 11, at the APA Hotel Woodbridge.
As we transition from summer, we already have a jam-packed fall with a range of programs to enhance your learning and connections! Upcoming affinity and interest group programs include the Monmouth & Ocean County Funders Roundtable on September 11; Health and Aging Funders Affinity Group: Reconnecting on September 18; Newark Funder Affinity Group: Building the Capacity of Newark’s Nonprofit Sector on September 19; and the Culture Funders Affinity Group: ArtsPay Equity on September 26. The funders briefing, New Jersey’s Latest Affordable Housing Reforms: Implications for Philanthropy on September 12 will outline the significant reforms to the ways that NJ enforces municipal affordable housing obligations that Governor Murphy signed into law in March 2024. Don’t miss First Fridays for Philanthropy September 6 and family philanthropy webinar Effective Communication and Building Consensus through Change on September 9 &10 – both programs are part of two ongoing monthly series. You’ll also want to register for part 1 of the 2024 Disability & Philanthropy Webinar Series: Disability and the Care Economy on September 19.
And that’s just September! Please take some time to visit all our upcoming programs. I look forward to reconnecting with you this fall and seeing you at the Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering, December 11. Registration will be opening soon.
Sincerely,
Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
Join us for this Health & Aging Affinity Group meeting, a unique opportunity for New Jersey-based funders to connect and share insights on initiatives and strategies related to health and aging. This engaging event will provide a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and fostering potential partnerships among organizations dedicated to improving the well-being and quality of life for families in our communities. Let's come together to explore innovative solutions, share best practices, and build a stronger, more impactful funding network in the realm of health and aging.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
In March 2024, Governor Murphy signed into law significant reforms to the ways that New Jersey enforces municipal affordable housing obligations under the state Supreme Court Mount Laurel doctrine. The new law creates enhanced affordable housing opportunities for New Jersey’s low-and moderate-income households, while seeking to streamline the affordable housing development process by setting clear guidelines for determining housing obligations. It is expected to reduce legal costs and judicial involvement. Join Adam Gordon, Executive Director and Emily Devenney, Grants and Development Manager of the Fair Share Housing Center for a conversation about what this new legislation means for philanthropy.
Since the revival and improved enforcement of the Mount Laurel Doctrine in 2015, New Jersey has seen a considerable increase in affordable housing production. However, there remains a substantial shortage of affordable homes in the state, particularly for very low-income residents. The legislation aims to address this gap by ensuring that every municipality contributes its fair share of affordable housing.
Key features of the legislation include a streamlined process for determining affordable housing obligations, codification of methodology for calculating these obligations, increased transparency in the housing development process, and the repeal of the state Council on Affordable Housing (COAH). Additionally, the legislation prohibits wealthy towns from avoiding their housing obligations through regional contribution agreements.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
Adam Gordon is the Executive Director of FSHC and leads FSHC’s coordinated strategy of organizing, litigation, and policy development to advance racial, economic, and social integration throughout New Jersey and the United States. Since joining the organization in 2006, he has worked to implement the Mount Laurel Doctrine which has created over 70,000 affordable homes in historically exclusionary NJ communities, litigated the largest federal fair housing case in American history, and worked to make federal disaster recovery policy more equitable. Under his leadership FSHC has secured the passage of the first statewide Fair Chance in Housing Act to limit discriminatory tenant screening policies and a landmark $305 million fund to accelerate affordable housing development. Gordon holds a B.A. and J.D. from Yale University.
Emily Devenney joined Fair Share Housing Center as the Grants & Development Manager in January 2024. She comes with experience in fundraising and community organizing, and strong connections to South Jersey, where she was born and raised (and likely will never leave). Emily has a B.A. in Economics and a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Certificate in Fundraising from Villanova University.
Webinar Video
Programming for the Emerging Leaders group is geared towards early and mid-career professionals and will serve as: a professional learning community for emerging professionals working in diverse positions; an opportunity for professional development and individual capacity-building that will lead to institutional change within the member organizations; and as a critical partner in the creation of a pipeline into senior/executive leadership in NJ philanthropy. This meeting will focus on current trends in Philanthropy from the perspective of Brandon McKoy, President of the Fund for New Jersey, who brings a wealth of knowledge as someone who first served as a Program Associate at the Fund.
Brandon McKoy is President of the Fund for New Jersey and is an established leader in public policy analysis and advocacy statewide and nationally. Returning to The Fund for New Jersey in 2024 served as a homecoming given that Brandon worked as a Program Associate at the organization and served as its first philanthropy fellow from 2012 to 2014.
Brandon is well known for his accomplishments from his time at New Jersey Policy Perspective, where he held several roles over the course of seven years, first as a State Policy Fellow through the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ program, next as a Policy Analyst, and then as Director of Government and Public Affairs, before assuming leadership of the organization as NJPP’s President from 2019 through late 2021.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
Beginning in October 2023, a group of funders got together and commissioned the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) to facilitate a series of dialogues with Newark’s nonprofit community to learn how foundations can be supportive of their capacity strengthening needs. The meetings made separate space for the funding community and nonprofit leaders to meet amongst themselves for learning, sharing, and action, and then brought all of us together in May for an honest discussion about the path forward.
We are utilizing our fall Newark Funder Affinity Group meetings to discuss a collective funder response to the needs of Newark’s nonprofit sector. Please join us for our second meeting on this critical topic in follow-up to the Newark Funder Affinity Group Meeting on September 19th. All are welcome to join us, whether you were able to make our September meeting or not. We will ensure that all attendees are updated so that we are all beginning from the same place.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $50 for Non Member Grantmakers
Lunch will be served.
The Grunin Foundation, in partnership with the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, invites you to the next Monmouth & Ocean Roundtable of Funders (MORF) meeting. Join your fellow funders for a convening centered around Sharing, Learning & Action! Lunch will be provided.
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.
Culture Workers often face inconsistent income and undervaluation of their work. Traditional budgeting models leave many without (or lack adequate support of) fair compensation using the belief that mission-motivation and passion for the work replaces the need for competitive salaries. The Solidarity Economy is an innovative and inclusive economic framework that prioritizes social justice, environmental sustainability, and community well-being. Join us for a compelling conversation about funding practices that use a solidarity-based approach and find out what New Jersey funders are learning about local compensation trends from the ArtsPay NJ report. Together we will explore ways to advocate and take action around worker pay equity and beyond.
Panelists:
John McEwen, Executive Director – New Jersey Theatre Alliance
Erica Nagel, Deputy Director – New Jersey Theatre Alliance
Eddie Torres, President & CEO – Grantmakers in the Arts
Moderator:
Diane Felcyn, Program Officer – New Jersey State Council on the Arts
Webinar Video
Resources
Solidarity Not Charity: Arts & Culture Grantmaking in the Solidarity Economy - Grantmakers in the Arts
Solidarity Economy Resources - Grantmakers in the Arts
Grants to Worker Cooperatives & Small Businesses — The Reader - Grantmakers in the Arts
Grantmakers’ Changes in Practice 2023 — The Reader - Grantmakers in the Arts
Support for Individual Artists’ Committee - Grantmakers in the Arts
ArtsPay NJ - New Jersey Theatre Alliance
ArtsPay NJ - Information, Reports, and Dashboard
ArtsPay NJ - Interactive Dashboard
ArtsPay NJ - Full Report
ArtsPay NJ - Summary Report
Webinars
Upcoming: Wednesday, October 23
Move the Money: Nuts & Bolts: Making Grants to Cooperatively Owned Small Businesses
Previous
Move the Money: Grantmakers in the Arts & Art.Coop Solidarity Economy Discussion Series
Move the Money Series: Guaranteed Income
Move the Money: The Richness of Southern Soils: Supporting Black Farming and Food
The Westfield Foundation is proud to announce the allocation of $52,000 in Q3 grants, raising its total year-to-date funding to $278,000. This quarter’s grants reflect the Foundation’s ongoing dedication to improving community well-being, focusing on inclusivity, accessibility, mental health support and elder care.
“Our goal is to support all segments of our Community," said Katie Curran Darcy, Executive Director of the Westfield Foundation. "These investments in critical areas, provide children with inclusive play spaces, offer essential care for our seniors, and mental health support for our youth. We believe these projects will have a lasting impact.”
Nonprofit funder GreenLight Fund Greater Newark said it made a $600,000 investment to help improve literacy by bringing Reading Partners’ successful program model to Greater Newark. Reading Partners is a national nonprofit that has been mobilizing communities across the nation for 25 years to provide students with the proven, individualized reading support they need to read at grade level by fourth grade.
“Data has shown us that Newark is experiencing a literacy crisis, and this was confirmed during our community conversations tour where we heard from hundreds of residents that this is a critical issue for us to address,” GreenLight Fund Greater Newark Executive Director Tish Johnson-Jones, said. “As a new school year starts and we mark National Literacy Month, GreenLight Fund Greater Newark is excited to announce that we will be bringing Reading Partners’ proven program model to Newark to help improve literacy. By recruiting and training community members to provide one-on-one literacy tutoring, we will help strengthen reading skills and set our young people up for lifelong success.”
The New Jersey Historic Trust, an affiliate of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), today approved a total of $16,598,738 in grant recommendations from the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund to save and promote historic sites throughout the state. Seventy-five preservation planning, municipal, county, and regional planning, heritage tourism, and capital projects are included in this year’s list of recommendations.
“Historic preservation is an integral part of community and economic revitalization and I am excited to see a diverse list of grant recipients this year,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “From historic homes, farms, schoolhouses, and churches to train stations, lighthouses, and villages, the work that will be accomplished with the preservation grants will help to secure the future of our most treasured historic places in the Garden State.”
In anticipation of Columbia Bank’s acquisition of Freehold Bank – scheduled for Saturday, the bank and its foundation awarded grants to 18 organizations totaling more than $100,000.
The funds will be used to support food insecurity, housing initiatives, medical aid and community development within the Freehold area.
Thomas Kemly, the head of the bank and the foundation, said the bank was excited to make the donations – and to acquire Freehold Bank.
“Columbia Bank is thrilled to welcome Freehold Bank to its family,” he said. “Both organizations share a commitment to excellent customer service, superior products and to giving back. Through this acquisition, we’ll introduce new branches and ATM locations with added products and services, paired with the same friendly faces from both teams.”
TD today announced $500,000 in contributions to support local relief efforts in parts of Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina following Hurricane Helene. Donations will be distributed to a few local non-profits leading recovery efforts across the three states.
TD will give $300,000 to non-profit organizations in North Carolina, $100,000 in South Carolina and $100,000 in Florida. TD colleagues may also donate voluntary amounts to select local non-profits in the three states through the bank's employee giving portal, which the bank will match dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000 total.
"TD is unequivocally committed to helping our customers, colleagues and community members in this difficult time," said Chris Ward, Regional President of the Mid-South Metro, TD Bank. "The devastation in the central and western parts of North and South Carolina is unprecedented in the region, and we extend our support during the long road to recovery."