Spring Conference Registration Open

As we enter the spring months, I want to let you know that registration has now opened for CNJG’s 2025 Conference for the Social Sector —Stronger Together: Philanthropy & Civic Engagement!

This very special convening on June 18 will bring together funders and nonprofits for a full day of shared learning, exchange, and networking. Our conference features national and local thought leaders, and a range of experts, for a day of connection, not-to-be-missed discussion, and side-by-side learning with foundation and nonprofit colleagues. 

We’re pleased to announce our keynote speaker, Dale R. Anglin, Director, Press Forward, a growing coalition of 88+ local and national funders committed to investing more than $500 million to strengthen communities through local news. Press Forward now includes 36 locally led chapters in 29 states, including one in our state — the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium.

This is CNJG's largest event of the year and your chance to join us as we examine how funders and nonprofits can work together to address and increase civic engagement, focusing on several key areas, including advocacy, local media, participatory budgeting, guaranteed income, public-private partnerships, the arts, and youth education through the lens of civic participation. Special early bird rates are available until April 12 – so please register soon.

We’re thrilled to have PSEG as our Signature Sponsor, Sixers Youth Foundation as a Collaborator Sponsor, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as a Connector Sponsor. We have several opportunities available to support this very special event, and I hope you will consider sponsorship. Please reach out to Development Associate Fortunata Cuomo for more information. 

In case you missed it, we recently launched the Funder Briefing Series: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for New Jersey. This series provides an overview of key issues that directly impact philanthropy, and more broadly, the charitable sector. The next session, on April 3 at 4:00 p.m., will focus on Education. There’s still time to register for the program. 

And for your planning, the next briefings in this series are:

• April 10: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Housing
• April 17: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Media & Journalism
• April 24: Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Arts

We recorded the last three briefings in this series in case you missed them. We’re also creating a written summary for each briefing as another way for you to review the information. You must be logged in to access the recordings, summary documents, and resources.

• Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Immigration
• Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Health
• Making Sense of Federal Policy: Understanding What it Means for NJ: Environment 

We believe that active participation in CNJG programs is essential for all members, their staff and trustees. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to attend and to share our programs with your staff and trustees. 

The federal funding rollbacks and executive actions continue to harm nonprofits and the work they’ve built across education, healthcare, science, the arts, public media, climate, immigration, gender and racial justice, and countless other issue areas that are at stake. Foundation leaders and funders are exploring ways to respond and step up. The Trust-Based Philanthropy project, along with Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and the National Center for Family Philanthropy, coordinated a call-to-action for philanthropy to “meet the moment.”  While philanthropy can’t replace federal funding, funders can “work together to move in solidarity with nonprofits, mobilize money in trust-based ways, and nurture possibility and innovation.” I invite you to join our colleagues from across the county in signing this pledge to be part of the solution. 

In a recent NJ Spotlight News op-ed entitled “NJ nonprofits need your help,” Linda Czipo, President and CEO, New Jersey Center for Nonprofits, reminds us:

There is a good chance that your life has been made better because of a nonprofit… Perhaps you were born, gave birth, or received life-saving treatment at a nonprofit hospital. Maybe you learned from “Mister Rogers,” “Sesame Street” or other shows developed by nonprofits. You may have enrolled your children in childcare or after-school programs so you could go to work. You may have been uplifted, moved, or inspired by a performance at a nonprofit theater….It’s easy to take the helpers for granted; after all, they’ve always been there in our hour of need. But now it’s the helpers who need help.

It's clear we’re in a time of uncertainty, and we’re wading into deeply uncharted waters. Philanthropy has a role to play, and CNJG is here to help navigate and inform your work. In addition to the learning series, we are curating resources, information, webinars, and convenings, as well as sharing CNJG member actions, New Jersey-focused response funds, and more via the Executive Actions Response & Info tab. Please check back often. And please help us keep the information current and updated by sharing your actions and stories with Manager of Communications Shakirat Odunsi.

If you’re hearing of surveys to gather information from NJ nonprofits, please share that information with us as well. Having the latest information supports thoughtful collaboration and decision-making in times of change.

The bottom line is, we must stand together with our nonprofit partners, do our part, and take courageous action now.  

On your side,

Theresa Jacks, President and CEO
Council of New Jersey Grantmakers