CNJG’s 2025 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering

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FEATURED PANELISTS

Catalyzing New Jersey Communities: Building Local Coalitions

Join us for this year's panel discussion as we dive into Catalyzing New Jersey Communities: Building Local Coalitions. Our panel of thought leaders will share insights, experiences and perspectives to spark meaningful dialogue and inspire new ideas.

Meet the Panelists

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Christine Norbut Beyer, MSW, New Jersey Department of Children and Families (NJ DCF) Commissioner brings years of public / private experience and a visionary’s perspective to the topic of child welfare transformation. Under her leadership, NJ DCF has reduced removals, improved kinship placement, and incorporated work around Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs) and staff wellness as transformational goals of the department. With a progressive lens, she pioneered including family voice and healing-centered practice to inform departmental policies and has advanced a prevention-forward agenda to promote proactive strategies to strengthen families without deep-end involvement in the state's child protective services. Through her collaboration and determination, New Jersey was able to exit from a 20-year federal consent decree and oversight of the child protective services agency, elevating the state as a national leader in child welfare transformation. In 2021, Commissioner Beyer was selected as an Aspen Institute Ascend Leadership Fellow. She was elected to the Governing Board of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) in 2024.

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Alma García is the Director of Equity Ahora NJ, where she serves community-led grassroots organizations working at the intersections of racial justice and systems change. Alma is committed to shifting power, resourcing equity-rooted leadership, and building a more just New Jersey where communities most impacted by injustice lead the way. 

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Edwin “Chino” Ortiz is a resilient advocate for justice reform and a beacon of hope for individuals impacted by mass incarceration. After serving a 30-year prison sentence, Edwin was released in September 2016 and confronted the harsh realities of reentry — chief among them, housing insecurity. For more than a year, he endured the instability of couch surfing, a personal experience that illuminated the systemic barriers faced by returning citizens. Rather than be defeated by these challenges, Edwin transformed his struggle into purpose. He co-founded the Returning Citizens Support Group (RCSG), a Newark-based grassroots organization that addresses the complex needs of individuals reentering society after incarceration. Under his leadership, RCSG has become a model for peer-led reentry support, emphasizing civic engagement, workforce development, trauma healing, and restorative justice. Recognizing that stable housing remains the foundation of successful reintegration, Edwin launched Second Chance Developers, a visionary initiative dedicated to building affordable, safe, and sustainable homes for Newark residents — particularly those with justice-involved backgrounds. Through this venture, Edwin aims not only to provide housing but also to build community wealth and empowerment. Edwin’s unwavering commitment reflects the transformative power of second chances. His life’s work stands as a testament to resilience, redemption, and the belief that those who have been directly impacted by the justice system are best positioned to lead meaningful change.

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Atiya Weiss is the Executive Director of the Burke Foundation, leading its mission to advance transformative programs and policies that promote the health, well-being, and resilience of children and families in New Jersey. She oversees initiatives in healthy pregnancies, parentchild relationships, and early learning and care. Atiya is passionate about breaking silos and building coalitions, centered around community voices, to drive systems change and create cycles of opportunity across generations. She collaborates with leaders across sectors to address social challenges facing underserved children and families, believing that effective partnerships can unlock community potential and create lasting, meaningful change. Previously, Atiya served as Executive Director at JP Morgan’s Philanthropy Center, advising charitable trusts and family foundations on strategy and impact. She played a key role in launching the $100 million Global Health Investment Fund with the Gates Foundation. Earlier, she led Pfizer Foundation’s global health portfolio, managing flagship programs like Global Health Fellows and Mobilize Against Malaria.

Moderator

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Craig Drinkard is the Executive Officer of the Victoria Foundation, a role he assumed in April 2022. A Newark native and the first Black leader in the foundation’s 98-year history, he oversees the implementation of its strategic framework centered on strengthening community power, advancing economic justice, supporting youth self-determination, and addressing pressing needs. He manages approximately $15 million in annual grants and investments in Newark and guides the foundation’s $300 million endowment through a racial equity lens. Since joining the Victoria Foundation in 2006, Craig has advanced through several leadership roles, helping to realign grantmaking strategies, launch major initiatives such as the Capacity Building Initiative and Program Related Investments strategy, and lead the development of the organization’s mission, values, and long-term framework. His earlier experience includes work at the Community Foundation of New Jersey, the federal government, the private sector, and as a Newark-based community organizer. Craig serves on numerous nonprofit and philanthropic boards, is an active field-builder, and has completed several national leadership fellowships. He holds degrees from Bloomfield College and Fairleigh Dickinson University and lives in West Orange with his wife and two daughters.

WORKSHOP

REGISTRATION

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

COST		Before Dec 1	After Dec 1

CNJG Members	Luncheon and Workshop	$170	$195
	Luncheon only	$150	$175
	Workshop only	$50	$75

Nonmember Grantmakers	Luncheon and Workshop	$370	$410
	Luncheon only	$300	$375
	Workshop only	$100	$125

Council of New Jersey Grantmakers

CNJG’s 2025 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering

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CNJG’s 2025 Annual Meeting & Holiday Gathering

Content

Catalyzing New Jersey Communities: Building Local Coalitions

Catalyzing New Jersey Communities: Building Local Coalitions

Meet the Panelists

Moderator

New Jersey Philanthropy Hub

Facilitator

Signature Sponsor

Collaborating Sponsor

Contributing Sponsors

Supporting Sponsor

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