You are here

Home » Site Search

Site Search

 - resource provided by the Forum Network Knowledgebase.

Search Tip: Search with " " to find exact matches.
CNJG’s 2025 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering

Catalyzing New Jersey Communities: Building Local Coalitions

Wednesday, December 10, 2025 - 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Location: The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
10 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Join over 125 of your fellow CJNG members and special guests for a day to celebrate the end of the calendar year, connect with colleagues, and explore this year's theme: Catalyzing New Jersey Communities: Building Local Coalitions. We will celebrate our collective impact, share stories of success, learn from one another’s experiences, and collectively envision a more connected, resilient, and equitable future for New Jersey. The Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering includes a panel discussion that will explore the profound and tangible ways that philanthropy can move beyond traditional grantmaking to become powerful coalition builders for lasting change.

During the luncheon, we will convene our annual business meeting to elect new trustees, recognize new CNJG members, and report on our activities for the year. There will be time to connect and collaborate with colleagues and friends, old and new.

The day kicks off with a New Member Orientation for any new CNJG members or new staff of existing members to learn more about CNJG’s many offerings. Separate registration is required.

Prior to the Annual Meeting, CNJG will offer a deeper dive into the Impala platform that will launch in New Jersey for all grantmakers and all nonprofits. During this workshop, we will showcase the Impala for Grantmakers product which can help you:

  • Conduct due diligence for potential and returning grantees
  • Find nonprofits that you might not yet know
  • Find who else is funding in a particular geographic or topical area
  • Find which nonprofits are working in a particular geographic or topical area
  • Find connections to other funders
  • Communicate to potential applicants what your funding criteria is
Agenda  
  9:00 am – 12:00 noon Registration, Networking, Continental Breakfast and Coffee
10:00 am – 11:30 am Workshop
12:00 noon – 12:45 pm CNJG Annual Meeting of Members
12:45 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch and Networking
  1:30 pm - 2:20 pm Panel followed by Q & A
  2:20 pm – 2:35 pm Meeting adjourns
  2:35 pm – 3:00 pm Networking
Event Type: Signature Events
Audience: All Funders
Anti-Authoritarian Funder Learning Series Part II: Global Lessons in the Resistance Against Authoritarianism

In this second session of GCIR’s Anti-Authoritarian Funder Learning Series, we will lean into the wisdom of advocates, pro-democracy funders, and influential thinkers to unpack the patterns of autocratic governance taking hold in the United States, and explore how philanthropy can help avert our democracy’s decline.

While broad swaths of the American public are grappling with the unmistakable and fearful evidence of our authoritarian drift, the good news is that we do not have to go it alone. The backsliding of democratic norms, attacks on civil society, and centralization of abusive executive power is a story that has played out countless times in fledgling and long-standing democracies alike. The brave, strategic, and resilient resistance of everyday citizens in those countries—along with the documentation and analysis of journalists and historians—offers us not just an understanding of the authoritarian playbook (such as vilifying migrant communities to rationalize immigration enforcement), but a roadmap out of it.

Join us as we learn from international advocates, as well as pro-democracy funders and advocates. Together, we will examine the strategies that have been deployed globally against democratic repression—and, crucially, how philanthropy can resource the movement infrastructure needed over the next 18 months to prevent the consolidation of autocratic rule in the United States.
Event Type: Partner
Working Together

As the year comes to a close, I’ve been thinking about the conversations I have had with many of you over the years, in meetings, at programs, and sometimes in those unplanned moments before a convening. Time, and time again, I hear a version of the same reflection: we can do so much more if we work together.

That idea has stayed with me as we prepare for our Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering on December 10. If you haven’t registered, please register today as online registration closes today at 5 PM.  Once online registration closes, you can still register by calling or emailing Office Manager Dana Schwartz at (609) 414-7110, extension 801.

Our Annual Meeting is a time not only to celebrate, but to take stock of what we’ve learned, to reconnect with colleagues who understand the nuances of this work, and to imagine what the impact could look like when we sharpen our focus on the collaborative possibilities ahead.

Our theme this year, Catalyzing New Jersey Communities: Building Local Coalitions, is about how funders can move beyond traditional grantmaking to become impactful coalition builders. Across the state, funders, government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizers continue to find new ways to align efforts, share responsibility, and strengthen local ecosystems. These efforts don’t just expand reach, they deepen trust, and lead to more durable change. 

We’ll explore this in depth during our luncheon panel with Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer, New Jersey Department of Children and Families; Atiya Weiss, Executive Director of The Burke Foundation; Edwin “Chino” Ortiz, co-founder of Returning Citizens Support Group; Alma García, Director of Equity Ahora New Jersey, and moderated by Craig Drinkard, CNJG Board Chair and Executive Officer, Victoria Foundation. 

Before the Annual Meeting begins, I encourage you to join our hands-on workshop featuring the New Jersey Philanthropy Hub, a partnership initiative of CNJG and the New Jersey Center for Nonprofits, powered by Impala. This powerful data platform brings together a clear, comprehensive view of giving across our state. It’s designed to help funders identify nonprofit partners, understand who else funds in your areas of interest, and conduct due diligence with confidence. It also helps grantees see where funding is flowing and find useful information about funders and other nonprofits. It’s simple, helpful, and designed to support your coalition-building efforts well beyond this convening.

My personal hope is that every attendee leaves with at least one new, meaningful partnership and one concrete strategy for breaking down silos in their funding and grantmaking approach.

Congratulations are in order as several of our members has been tapped to serve on Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill’s transition actions teams and interdisciplinary advisor task force members; this clearly reinforces the immediate significance of the Annual Meeting’s theme. It also ensures that New Jersey’s philanthropic sector will have a meaningful voice in shaping policy priorities and community strategies at the highest levels of the incoming administration.

This representation underscores something important - philanthropy plays a critical role not only in funding solutions, but in lifting and aligning community issues, advancing collaborative approaches that government alone cannot achieve, and advocating for the deep and varied expertise that the social sector brings to the table.

To ensure our sector’s perspective is fully represented in the new administration, I encourage all members to take a moment to complete Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill's Public Input Survey. Please share the survey with your grantees to ensure their perspectives are represented and voiced as well.

Reminder that online registration for the Annual Meeting closes today at 5 PM. Register now to be part of the conversation.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our generous sponsors, whose partnership makes this gathering possible: Signature Sponsor – Prudential; Collaborating Sponsor – Devils Youth Foundation; Contributing Sponsors – Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Pincus Family Foundation, and The Campbell's Company; Supporting Sponsors – Grunin Foundation and WSFS CARES Foundation. Also, thank you to NJM Insurance Group for their donation.

I look forward to seeing you on December 10.

Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
CNJG ENews Briefs

A collection of the President's letters to CNJG Members from the monthly newsletter.
News Type: CNJG News
Audience: All Funders
Topic: About Philanthropy
Staff

Theresa Jacks, President and CEO

 Contact Theresa E. Jacks / (609) 414-7110 x805

Theresa Jacks joined the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers in 2008. A creative, versatile leader with over 25 years’ experience in government, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, she was appointed President and CEO in December 2022.

As President and CEO, and previously Deputy Director and Manager of Advancement & Special Initiatives at the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, Theresa has been instrumental in strengthening CNJG's leadership work, leading policy and advocacy efforts, building relationships with partners, developing and increasing funding to support operations and special projects, providing learning opportunities, and enhancing capacity and management processes. She has a deep knowledge of best practices in grantmaking.

Prior to joining the Council, Theresa served as Executive Director of the Whitesbog Preservation Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring a 19th century historic village. Leading the operations of both the Trust and the ongoing restoration of the historic village included working closely with the Board of Trustees, effectively guiding board and committee initiatives, developing and coordinating educational and recreational programs, fundraising, member relations, ensuring long-term strategic and day-to-day management and administration of the organization, and building partnerships with the community.

Prior to launching a career in the nonprofit sector, Theresa worked in New Jersey state government for nearly twenty years in varying levels of management and leadership.

Theresa graduated from Central Michigan University with a Master of Science in Administration, and Rowan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She graduated summa cum laude from both.

Kevin Callaghan, Newark Philanthropic Liaison

 Contact Kevin Callaghan / (609) 414-7110 x804

The Office of the Newark Philanthropic Liaison is an innovative collaboration between the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and the City of Newark. Kevin began serving as the Newark Philanthropic Liaison on September 1, 2016.

In the role of Newark Philanthropic Liaison, a cabinet-level position, Kevin works directly with the Mayor and his senior cabinet to leverage private and government assets to support the Administration’s agenda in areas such as public safety, summer youth employment, workforce development, economic development, health and wellness, education and literacy, arts and culture, and neighborhood and place-based initiatives. The Office of the Newark Philanthropic Liaison also convenes and connects Newark and regional funding partners, Newark community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders by providing thought leadership, facilitating content and affinity groups, and raising awareness about critical issues facing the city.

Immediately prior to serving as the Newark Philanthropic Liaison, Callaghan was a Project Lead on the City’s Summer Youth Employment Program where he worked to implement system and program enhancements to one of the Mayor’s signature programs. Before this short-term appointment, he served for nearly five years as the Program Officer at the Foundation for Newark’s Future (FNF), the local arm of national philanthropic funding donated to the City of Newark to improve education opportunities for youth. Prior to joining the Foundation for Newark’s Future, Kevin worked for the federal government as a Special Assistant at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation in Washington D.C. and was a classroom teacher of middle school Social Studies in Philadelphia.

Callaghan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and History from St. Peter’s University in Jersey City and a Master’s Degree in Urban Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Born and raised in New Jersey, Kevin is a proud resident of Newark.

Fortunata Cuomo, Development Associate

 Contact Fortunata Cuomo / (609) 414-7110 x807

Fortunata Cuomo joined the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers in November 2024. A dedicated professional with a strong background in development, fundraising, and advocacy. Her education and previous work experiences have empowered her and allowed her to realize her passion for philanthropy.

She graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey, in 2020, where she majored in History and minored in Global and Cultural Studies. During her time at university, she gained practical experience through internships at international organizations such as UNICEF USA and the United Nations Office for Partnerships. These early experiences helped shape her passion for justice and equality.

After completing her degree, Fortunata transitioned into the nonprofit sector, where she has been deeply involved in initiatives focused on empowerment, justice, and advocacy. She has worked with various organizations that aim to create positive change, providing strategic support and operational expertise to projects that empower communities.

Currently, Fortunata serves as the Development Associate at the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, where she plays a pivotal role in supporting the organization’s partnership-building efforts and fundraising initiatives. She collaborates with stakeholders and partners to actualize common objectives and goals. 

Outside of her professional life, Fortunata is an avid reader, traveler, and writer. Her love of learning extends beyond the workplace, as she seeks to broaden her perspective through literature and exploring new cultures.

Shakirat Odunsi, Manager of Communications

 Contact Shakirat Odunsi / (609) 414-7110 x806

Shakirat Odunsi joined the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers in February 2024 as the Manager of Communications. With over 20 years of B2B and B2C marketing experience, Shakirat will lead all aspects of the organization's digital communications strategy. She will promote the CNJG brand, its events, programs, and campaigns through innovative digital platforms and interactive communications. Shakirat will oversee CNJG's online presence, manage its website and social media channels, and lead the marketing efforts for CNJG's diverse services and offerings.

Shakirat has a wealth of experience in the marketing and communications field, having worked on successful client-based projects in the past. She has collaborated with major brands, further enriching her marketing and strategic planning expertise. Shakirat's exposure to diverse industries and high-profile collaborations has honed her ability to navigate complex marketing landscapes and foster partnerships that drive success. She is excited to use her extensive background in marketing and communications to make a meaningful impact in the philanthropic sector. Shakirat has a track record of creative campaign execution and team leadership. She is deeply committed to volunteerism and is eager to apply her skills to promoting social good and community development.

Shakirat holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Dana Schwartz, Office Manager

 Contact Dana Schwartz / (609) 414-7110 x801

Dana Schwartz joined the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers in 2022. As office manager, her role is assisting the CEO with day-to-day operations, and attending to the needs of the CNJG Team, members, nonprofit partners, and others. She will also assist with program coordination and logistics, including for Signature events.

A lifelong reader and writer, Dana always knew she’d be an English major, and for several years after graduating college worked in the book publishing industry in Manhattan. Not long after receiving her Master’s in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Dana spent the next decade at home raising her two children, and reading to them as often as they’d allow.

Since moving to New Hope, Pennsylvania in 2014, she has worked in education both as a volunteer and professional. First as a Girl Scout leader, and more recently as an instructional assistant in a multiple disabilities classroom. She is currently fulfilling her second term as School Board Director for her local district, New Hope-Solebury. She is excited to be working in the nonprofit sector in New Jersey, the state where she was born and raised.

Chanika Svetvilas, Manager of Programs and Learning

 Contact Chanika Svetvilas / (609) 414-7110 x803

Chanika Svetvilas    ( [Chu-nē-kgha Swet-vē-las]  (she/her/hers) joined the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers in 2023. As Manager of Programs and Learning, she organizes and manages programming for membership including signature events, affinity group gatherings, and educational programs that provide professional skill-building, issue-based knowledge development, as well as opportunities for networking.

Prior to CNJG, Chanika worked in the nonprofit sector as a program coordinator for community based organizations as well as larger institutions and in higher education. She served as the Conference Manager for the International Sculpture Center, Program Coordinator for for the Charles B. Wang Center at Stony Brook University, and Grants Assistant for the Arts for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additionally, she has served as a grant panelist for several art councils including the New York State Council on the Arts. She was the co-founder of ThaiLinks, a collective dedicated to issues affecting Thai communities and co-founder of the Thai Takes film festival, its signature program presented in New York City.

Chanika is a practicing artist and curator. She holds a BS in Studio Art from Skidmore College, and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College. Chanika currently resides in Princeton Junction, NJ.

Craig Weinrich, Senior Director, Member Experience

 Contact Craig Weinrich / (609) 414-7110 x802

Craig Weinrich joined the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers in 2014, as the Director of Member Services. Promoted to Senior Director, Member Experience in 2025, Craig oversees the recruitment and engagement with members, including communications and programs. During his tenure, Craig has also been CNJG’s Salesforce administrator, curated communications, developed and ran programs, researched, redesigned, and wrote the Philanthropy Benefits and Salary Survey, and maintained our website with our webmaster.

Craig discovered the nonprofit sector through an intense desire to avoid working in the dining hall at Dickinson College by interning with the Eaken Piano Trio, where he learned about the world of arts administration. From there, he served as Development Directors for the Delaware Symphony (promoted from Development Assistant) and Springfield (MA) Symphony Orchestras, where he could even be found clad in the costume of their newly-created penguin mascot! Craig then moved to Nonprofit New York, a membership association of nonprofits in the New York City area, serving as their Membership, Outreach and IT Director for nine years. While there, he earned a nonprofit management certificate from Baruch College through the United Way Nonprofit Leadership Institute. Prior to joining CNJG, Craig served as the Membership Director for Maryland Nonprofits. At each organization, Craig has served as the “accidental techie.”

Craig is happy to be back in New Jersey for the third time. He grew up in Madison, lived in Bloomfield while working in NYC, and now resides in Hamilton. He served twice on church council at Living Waters Lutheran Church in Ringoes; graduated from Lead NJ in 2015 (go Green!); and in July 2018, married Kacy O’Brien. In 2022, he was appointed to serve on the Governor’s Council on Volunteerism and Community Service. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, playing board games, and hiking with Kacy and their dog, Clyde.

ADJUNCT STAFF

Mary Trimbach, Webmaster

 Contact Mary Trimbach

Mary Trimbach joined CNJG as their Webmaster & Communications consultant in 2012, bringing 35 years of experience in the technology field to the position. In addition to managing the website and proving support to their communications work, Mary serves as liaison for CNJG to the Forum’s Knowledge Management Group.

Prior to joining CNJG, Mary worked in multiple sectors including non-profit, business and education providing her with a broad base of organizational knowledge. Her experience in the technology field ranges from programming, p.c. repair and support, and network management to her real love of system implementation and user training. In her career she has led in the start-up and support of several state and nationwide technology groups.

Mary holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Aquinas College. 

Pages