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To dig deeper into causes of, and responses to, structural racism within philanthropy in New Jersey, the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers established a Racial Equity Task Force made up of leaders at CNJG member organizations.
The task force’s mandate is to develop goals and objectives to create a roadmap for action to eliminate the structural racism that for too long has denied opportunity.
“This is a defining time in the history of our state and our nation,” said Maria Vizcarrondo, president and CEO of CNJG. “We are at a crossroads where we have to expose truth and take action for racial equity. Every institution and organization needs to look inward and discover whether it might be contributing to racism, even unknowingly. Our task force will be a forum for thought and a vehicle for action as we figure out how best to leave the middle ground and do the hard work to support systemic change. Philanthropy must invest resources towards advocacy to affect policy, and take that big leap away.”
Annette Strickland, executive director of the Schumann Fund for New Jersey and a CNJG Board member, will chair the task force. “The current health and racial crisis has brought into focus the impacts of structural racism on American society, she said. “Now is the time for us to explicitly examine the role that we as individuals and philanthropy as a professional practice contribute to those structures. To quote Martin Luther King, ‘Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.’”
Joining her on the task force are: Craig Drinkard, deputy director of the Victoria Foundation, CNJG Board member; Jeffrey Vega, president and CEO, Princeton Area Community Foundation and CNJG Board member; Jeremy Grunin, president, the Grunin Foundation and CNJG Board member; Kiki Jamieson, president, The Fund for New Jersey and former CNJG Board member; Melissa Litwin, program director, The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation, CNJG Board member; and Sharnita Johnson arts program director, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.
The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers is a nonprofit organization that exists to strengthen and promote effective philanthropy throughout the state. It supports independent, corporate, family and community foundations, as well as public grantmakers, in addressing society’s most difficult problems and providing leadership on statewide issues. About 2,300 grantmaking entities make up New Jersey’s philanthropic sector. They award more than $42 billion in grants annually.
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A report from Lumina Foundation and its Quality Credentials Task Force calls for a coordinated national effort to ensure equitable access to quality postsecondary education in the United States.
The report, Unlocking the Nation's Potential: A Model to Advance Quality and Equity in Education Beyond High School (32 pages, PDF), found that the current U.S. system of degrees, certificates, industry certifications, and other credentials lacks a comprehensive definition of quality as well as the kind of up-to-date indicators needed to drive improvements in policies and practices. To help guide efforts that ensure access to high-quality educational opportunities for students of color and advance racially and economically just outcomes, the task force — which includes nearly two dozen education, policy, and workforce development leaders — proposes a model based on a shared understanding of what a quality credential is, as well as institution-based curricular changes and systemic reforms at the federal and state levels.
President Obama's Hurricane Sandy Task Force released this rebuilding strategy to serve as a model for communities across the nation facing greater risks from extreme weather and to continue helping the Sandy-affected region rebuild. The Rebuilding Strategy contains 69 policy recommendations, many of which have already been adopted, that will help homeowners stay in and repair their homes, strengthen small businesses and revitalize local economies and ensure entire communities are better able to withstand and recover from future storms.
Sam Parker, Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Way and Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Murphy, will discuss ways to become involved with a state board or commission and the appointment process. You will also have the opportunity to learn about the expectations and responsibilities in serving the State as well as why it is important to be involved as a philanthropic organization. Sam oversees the Appointments Department which is responsible for the numerous appointments to New Jersey’s various Boards, Commissions, Councils, Advisory Committees and Task Forces; as well as the Judicial Bench.
Sam Parker (she/her) is an organizational, development and political professional with extensive experience in strategic planning, leadership management, civic engagement, and collaborative partnership building. Sam is currently the Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Way and Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Murphy. Before joining the administration in March of 2021, Sam served as the Development and Political Affairs for the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide. Sam was also Congressman Frank Pallone’s Deputy Campaign Director (2013) and Deputy Field Director for the New Jersey State Democratic Committee’s Victory Campaign (2012). Previous to her return to her home state in 2012, Sam worked for organizations such as The National LGBTQ Task Force, Human Rights Campaign, EqualityMaine and Equality North Carolina on LGBT+ issue campaigns all over the country. Sam has a BA of English/Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine and a master's degree in Public Policy and Management and a certificate of Social Justice and Economics from The Muskie School at the University of Southern Maine.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $75 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
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Governor's Boards, Commissions, and Authorities Directory
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."
United Philanthropy Forum is committed to advancing racial equity in philanthropy. We provide space for our members to connect, learn and share together on how to effectively address racial equity in their work as philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs), and works to share our members’ learnings with the broader philanthropy field. As part of these efforts, we are pleased to share case stories from our members about their racial equity work.
Case Story
Funders Together to End Homelessness: A Racial Equity Learning Journey
Funders Together to End Homelessness began its racial equity journey in 2016. Its case story explains how the PSO named racial equity in its strategic plan and embarked on a learning journey together with its board, staff, and members to normalize the conversation about structural and historic racism and how it contributes to disparities in the homelessness system. The story also describes how Funders Together created a two-year community of practice, called Foundations for Racial Equity (FRE), that has been a critical part of its journey, and how its codified its racial equity work through the creation of its Commitment to Racial Equity.
Read Funders Together’s Case Story
Listen to Funders Together’s CEO Amanda Misiko Andere talk about her organization’s racial equity journey on an episode of the ForumNation podcast.
Case Story
Southeastern Council of Foundations: An Experiential Racial Equity Journey
In early 2018, the Southeastern Council of Foundations (SECF) along with its board undertook a racial equity learning journey in order to develop an Equity Framework that would describe and define SECF’s character, what it stood for, and what its leaders were willing to fight for. The decision to develop the Equity Framework was the culmination of years of work. SECF’s case story explains how the organization used data to inform the development of its Equity Framework, created an Equity Task Force to lead the effort of developing a Framework, and engaged board, staff and Task Force members in a racial equity learning journey.
Listen to SECF’s President & CEO Janine talk about her organization’s racial equity journey on an episode of the ForumNation podcast.
The Office of the Governor has taken extraordinary steps to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and protect the health and well-being of New Jerseyans. Among the Governor’s executive orders includes the creation of the State Coronavirus Task Force, closing schools and issuing a shelter-in-place directive. While these orders are paramount and designed to ensure the overall health of our state’s residents, they are impacting our communities. This includes the need for services such as emergency childcare, tax relief, extra SNAP benefits, additional resources for unemployed workers and small businesses, housing and rental assistance, and increased support for healthcare workers.
Join Deborah Cornavaca, Deputy Chief of Staff for Outreach to Governor Murphy, for an overview of how the administration is addressing a range of numerous and complex issues related to mitigation, protecting our state’s most vulnerable, and working with partners on-the-ground. This discussion will help us understand the range of unmet needs and other services that will be filled by nonprofits, identify possible opportunities for the philanthropic community to collaborate with state government, and how the overall social sector might better utilize resources and tools during these unprecedented times.
Learn how funders and grantees can help fill gaps, keep people informed as trusted community partners, and share insights on the most critical needs facing the state.
Cost: Free for CNJG Members and Nonmember Grantmakers
This program is open to Grantmakers only.
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Newark is one step closer to its highly anticipated Guaranteed Income Pilot Program following the release of a report by the city, the Jain Family Institute and the Economic Security Project outlining findings and recommendations that would put more cash into residents’ hands.
Mayor Ras Baraka first broached the idea of a universal basic income pilot program at a 2019 State of the City address, saying it would be a welcome experiment in Newark, where more than a third of residents live below the poverty line. Universal basic income is a government benefit that aims to reduce income inequality through direct cash infusion.
More than a year later, the report completed by the city’s special task force is positioning Newark to join a national body of research on guaranteed income. The pilot program would focus specifically on residents struggling with housing insecurity, according to the city.
“What we really want to do is add to the national body of research and put Newark on a national stage,” said Kevin Callaghan, Newark’s philanthropic liaison. “This is Mayor Baraka entering a conversation and saying this is something that we support, and the top recommendation of the report is that there should be a federal guaranteed income policy.”
With the support of JFI and ESP, two internationally recognized research groups, Newark will begin to cast a line to national foundations and donors to fund the pilot. The report estimates anywhere between $4.5 million to $12 million based on three studies, but Callghan put the sweet spot around $5 million for meaningful results.
Estimates say that a Newark family would need $63,000 a year to meet its basic needs, according to United Way of Greater Newark.
The Trustees of The Fund for New Jersey awarded $1,250,000 in grants to 18 non-profit organizations at their June 2021 quarterly Board meeting. Grants were awarded to organizations in the areas of climate change and clean energy, environmental protection, voting rights, education, criminal justice reform, social justice and workers’ rights, and transportation.
Kiki Jamieson, President of The Fund for New Jersey, stated, “We at The Fund are pleased to invest in these policy organizations working to offer solutions that address the growing climate crisis, protect the state’s natural resources, improve public transportation, expand voting rights, and promote racial and economic justice in New Jersey. These investments are critical in making New Jersey a better place to live, with access to opportunities for all residents and newcomers.”
Jamieson continued, "We are proud to highlight the work of the NJ Domestic Workers Coalition, consisting of six different grassroots organizations advocating for the rights of domestic workers, such as housekeepers, nannies, and home care workers in New Jersey. Many of these workers are typically excluded from overtime pay, federal labor laws, minimum wage, and other labor protections that we often take for granted. In New Jersey, 97% of domestic workers are women, 60% women of color, and 52% are immigrants. Too many of these workers are denied lunch breaks, owed money, or at risk on the job due to the lack of safety precautions. Eliminating the inequalities that domestic workers face is a critical task that we must overcome to give them a real opportunity to succeed and to treat them with dignity and respect.”
In New Jersey, an estimated 762,530 people are facing hunger, according to Feeding America. As the pandemic continues, hunger relief organizations in New Jersey and across the country are facing ongoing challenges such as increased demand for their services and rising food prices.
To that end, Bank of America announced a $700,000 investment to Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Fulfill and Trenton Area Soup Kitchen to address food insecurity in the region. The investment is expected to provide approximately 1.75 million meals.
Earlier this year, Bank of America announced it would make a $100 donation to local hunger relief organizations and food banks for each employee in New Jersey who received a COVID-19 booster shot or vaccine and notified the bank before the end of January.
The company made an additional contribution to address the increased need experienced by hunger relief organizations across the country. Since the onset of the pandemic, Bank of America has provided $2.29 million in funding to Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Fulfill and TASK in support of local hunger relief efforts.
“As the pandemic continues to impact our New Jersey communities, food banks and hunger relief organizations are experiencing increased demand and higher costs to meet the needs of individuals and families,” said Alberto Garofalo, president, Bank of America New Jersey. “Our commitment to help strengthen the communities we live in and serve is unwavering, which is why we are investing in the health, safety and well-being of our teammates, while also providing funds to help our longtime nonprofit partners that are tirelessly working to fight food insecurity and ensure each of our neighbors has access to a meal.”
This year, GivingTuesday, a global generosity movement, is Tuesday, November 28. While this annual traditional is best known for highlighting charitable organizations’ missions and elevating individual giving, how can corporate philanthropy leverage these types of giving days and partnerships to engage in and promote greater impact? We’ll hear from Woodrow Rosenbaum, Chief Data Officer, GivingTuesday, who will share the history and evolution of this special day, as well as giving trends from a national perspective.
As Chief Data Officer, Rosenbaum has been instrumental in shaping the global generosity movement and has spearheaded ground-breaking research and analysis of individual giving behaviors. He leads the GivingTuesday Data Commons, bringing together a coalition of more than 300 collaborators coordinated through eight working groups as well as data teams in 50 countries to understand the drivers and impacts of generosity to inspire more giving of all types. Woodrow brings expertise in moving markets and transforming audiences from passive participants to active and vocal ambassadors. He is founder and CEO of With Intent, an international consumer marketing agency, a member of the Generosity Commission Research Task Force, serves as board chair for Global Impact Canada, and is a Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School.
Following the presentation and Q & A, we’ll have dedicated time for corporate funders to hear from one another, share programs and projects, and learn from one another. We encourage every attendee to participate in this discussion.
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After a recommendation from the Racial Equity Task Force, now the Racial Equity Committee of CNJG’s board, the CNJG Board of Trustees approved and adopted the New Jersey Principles for Philanthropy, our equity principles. These Principles are a complete overhaul of CNJG’s Guiding Beliefs & Principles for New Jersey Grantmakers last revised in 2007. No longer a binary option, these Principles use a developmental framework and understand that each organization – and individual in philanthropy - has its own starting point and journey. In 2025, CNJG will gather tools and resources to help members, other philanthropic organizations, and individuals on their own equity journeys. Wherever you see your organization on the spectrum of learning, these New Jersey Principles for Philanthropy offer an opportunity for shared learning and evolving, leadership, and trusting relationships among funders and with your nonprofit partners.
CNJG’s membership is comprised of many varieties of philanthropic organizations, including, but limited to private foundations, public charities, corporate giving programs and foundations, family foundations, government agencies, and more. Each organization will interact with these principles in their own way. Furthermore, staff, board, volunteers, and donors of the organizations will start and journey through the different developmental levels in their own way.
Although we are not requiring CNJG members to “sign onto” these Principles, we do hope that the New Jersey Principles for Philanthropy become a framework and a tool for your organizational development.
CNJG gratefully acknowledges the Minnesota Council on Foundations for laying the groundwork for these New Jersey Principles for Philanthropy.
We hope you had a wonderful summer, and found time for relaxation, rejuvenation, time with family and friends, and fun!
As we transition to autumn, this is the time of year when we seek nominations for the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers’ Board of Trustees. 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, to Board Liaison and Office Manager, Dana Schwartz by Friday, September 12, 2025.
The ideal candidate for trustee has actively participated on a CNJG committee or task group, or served as co-chair of a Council affinity group, or helped plan a CNJG program or served as a speaker at a CNJG program, or attended Foundations on the Hills, or engaged in another activity that supports the Council. If that sounds like you or another colleague member, please consider completing the application.
The Governance Committee will review trustee nominations and applicants and submit our recommendations to the CNJG Board of Trustees at the October Trustees’ meeting.
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 10, at The Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick. Registration will be opening soon.
In the meantime, we hope to see you at an upcoming CNJG program.
Best,
Justin Kiczek and Kate Barrett
CNJG Governance Committee Co-Chairs
This weekly conference call series welcomed New Jersey-based grantmakers along with national funders and provided an opportunity for grantmakers to hear from a wide range of experts in the field of disaster philanthropy. This series started on September 9, 2013 and concluded on November 4, 2013. The audio files of each recording are listed below.
What Philanthropy Has Learned One Year After Sandy (11/4/13)
Mental Health Needs in Aftermath of Sandy (10/28/13)
Post-Sandy Housing, Planning & Resiliency Initiatives (10/21/13)
Post-Sandy Environmental Issues and Climate Change Effects on NJ (10/7/13)
NJ Dept of Community Affairs Sandy Recovery Programs with Stacy Bonnaffons (9/30/13)
Long Term Recovery Issues and Strategies (9/23/13)
Update on Statewide Progress of Long Term Recovery (9/16/13)
With the Group Chairs from Bergen, Cumberland & Monmouth Counties along with Cathy McCann, President of NJVOAD
Review of Federal Task Force Recommendations with NJ Director Michael Passante (9/9/13)
The Office of the Newark Philanthropic Liaison (NPL) —an innovative collaboration between the city of Newark and the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers (CNJG) —is tasked with harnessing interest, fostering greater effectiveness, and attracting resources toward policy and programmatic areas that affect and improve the lives of Newark’s residents. Supported by a dedicated cohort of funders through CNJG, the office is non-partisan and based in the Mayor’s Office in Newark City Hall. The Liaison represents one of the nation's first formal partnerships between a city and the philanthropic community, and has become a national model for public-private alliances. At its core, the role has three main functions:
- Connect – Align citywide initiatives and bring together cross-sector partners for collective action.
- Convene – Foster strong partnerships with regional and national philanthropic leaders and support Newark and New Jersey funder collaboration through funder affinity groups.
- Leverage – Identify and maximize public and private resources for City priorities.
As Newark is at a pivotal time in its growth and development, the Office of Newark Philanthropic Liaison is focused on a number of big issues including equitable economic development in our neighborhoods, educational equity, employment, serving the needs of our immigrant and other vulnerable communities, housing for the homeless, and expanding broadband and health services. Now more than ever, we need collaboration and partnerships. These issues are too big for any one person or entity to solve alone.
The Newark Philanthropic Liaison project is supported by Bank of America, the Burke Foundation, the Community Foundation of New Jersey, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Maher Charitable Foundation, the MCJ Amelior Foundation, The Prudential Foundation, Schumann Fund for New Jersey, Turrell Fund, and the Victoria Foundation. While the Nicholson Foundation sunset in late 2021, we acknowledge and thank the foundation for its long-term support of the initiative.
We also acknowledge the City of Newark for its commitment to collaborating with the position and elevating the voice of philanthropy. A special thank you to the Community Foundation of New Jersey, which facilitates and manages grant funds for many of our partnerships.
What are the biggest needs and challenges New Jersey communities face as result of the pandemic?
- It starts with the basics: food and shelter, medical equipment such as masks for long-term care facilities, and digital access for remote education and medical screenings. For many immigrants and the undocumented community, this challenge is even greater.
- Parents of school-age children need support in navigating remote education and childcare challenges -- and balancing them with employment needs.
- People who’ve lost their jobs need to know how to find the right support services, and those services need to be accessible -- no technology or language barriers.
- Schools are having to re-imagine how they can open in the fall – if they can – with appropriate social distancing that requires changes to infrastructure and schedules.
- Organizations need support to retrofit their public spaces so they can serve the public safely.
How is CNJG leading efforts to prepare the philanthropic sector for an effective response?
- CNJG helped create the Disaster Philanthropy Playbook after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and uses many of the lessons learned then to inform response and recovery plans for COVID.
- Almost immediately, CNJG began providing funder briefings, webinars, and other forms of information to the philanthropic community.
- With our members, CNJG created the COVID-19 Funder Learning Community for the numerous response funds that are serving New Jersey was established to:
- Get timely updates on the latest pandemic developments
- Share information about what services and help are needed most -- and where
- Explore potential strategies for effective grantmaking that matches resources to needs and avoids duplication
- Learn best practices from each other
How is the pandemic affecting New Jersey nonprofits?
- The COVID-19 crisis is having a significant and alarming financial and programmatic impact on the nonprofits relied on to care for those in need. According to the Center for Non-Profits Rapid Response Survey:
- 83% cancelled programs or events and correspondingly lost revenue
- 77% have budgetary implications related to strains on the economy
- 52% have increased demands for services
- 40% experienced a disruption in supplies or services provided by partners
- 37% have an increase in or sustained absences of staff and volunteers
- 31% have had layoffs or furloughs
- Many nonprofits lack the digital infrastructure needed to employees’ and volunteers’ sudden switch to remote work and many volunteers who do important work are no longer available.
How is New Jersey’s philanthropic sector responding to the needs of nonprofits and the people they serve?
- Many funders have streamlined the grantmaking process so nonprofits can either refocus grants or receive new funding expeditiously to provide immediate relief for those facing the most pressing situations.
- Many funders are reducing what they ask of nonprofit partners – for instance postponing reporting requirements, deferring site visits, and eliminating other demands on their time so they can focus efforts during this challenging time.
- Some are providing low- or no-interest loans or outright grants to small businesses and nonprofits to retrofit their facilities to keep essential workers and the people they serve safe.
- Several community foundations and other nonprofits have established NJ COVID-19 relief funds that make it safe and convenient for donors to give, and that direct resources to where they are needed most.
- The sector is committed to grounding its work in the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's key principles of grantmaking:
- Resilience, to improve communities holistically and make them stronger than before a disaster.
- Equity, to take historical injustices into account and inform investments.
- Sustainability, to take into account a long-term view and factor in uncertainty.
- Civic participation that equips and empowers those often left out to influence what happens in their communities.
How is CNJG responding to longstanding equity issues that the pandemic exposes and makes worse?
- Together with the Center for Non-profits in New Jersey, we put out a statement on behalf of the state’s philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, urging everyone to speak out against racism and discrimination in all forms.
- CNJG established a Racial Equity Task Force to eliminate any structural racism in New Jersey’s philanthropic community.
- Most of the larger COVID funds engaged community-based practitioners to assist in decision-making on grant awards, and CNJG is creating a local advisory group for the Learning Community.
What steps are being taken to make sure grants aren’t duplicative and that money is going where it’s needed most?
- CNJG encourages the philanthropic sector to use a shared mapping tool that shows how much money is being awarded and where. This tool helps grantmakers make informed decisions and helps to eliminate gaps in historically under-funded communities.
- The COVID-19 Funder Learning Community is a vehicle for building relationships and sharing information about what each funds is doing to support relief and recovery across the state.
What’s the best way for people to donate money for relief and recovery?
You can find a list of these New Jersey Relief and Recovery funds and their contact info here.
This weekly conference call series welcomed New Jersey-based grantmakers along with national funders and provided an opportunity for grantmakers to hear from a wide range of experts in the field of disaster philanthropy. This series started on November 5, 2012, one week after Sandy struck New Jersey, and continued through March 25, 2013. The audio files of each recording are listed below.
Update from The President's Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force (3/25/13)
Environmental Justice Issues (3/18/13)
Update from the Governor's Office of Recovery and Rebuilding & Universal Design (3/11/13)
Governor & Mrs. Christie's Hurricane Sandy NJ Relief Fund & Report on Ocean/Monmouth Tour (3/4/13)
Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, Vermont Community Foundation (2/25/13)
NJ Recovery Fund and Post Sandy Environmental Issues and Challenges (2/11/13)
Housing Issues Related to Natural Disasters and Post Hurricane Sandy (2/4/13)
FEMA's Long Term Recovery and Capacity Building Team (1/28/13)
Reports from NJ's Long Term Recovery Groups and Environmental Leaders Meeting (1/14/13)
Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy, Director of the Office of International & Philanthropic Innovation (1/7/13)
Dr. April Naturale - Mental Health Issues Resulting from Disasters (12/17/12)
Peter Kasabach, Executive Director of New Jersey Future (12/10/12)
Byron Mason of the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (12/3/12)
John Grady Davies, President of Baton Rouge Area Foundation (11/26/12)
Cathy McCann, President of NJ Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (11/19/12)
Jera Stribling, Executive Director of Bruno Foundation and FEMA (11/12/12)
FEMA - Long Term Recovery Office (11/5/12)