Category Archives: Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
CNJG: Philanthropy’s message to Washington
March 14, 2018This week hundreds of representatives from private foundations are converging on Capitol Hill to share stories of impact and ask policymakers to consider the implications of tax and policy changes on the essential work of our social sector. Foundations on … Continue reading
Investing In and For Good
January 10, 2018The word “philanthropy” usually brings to mind the act of giving in support of a worthy cause. And this description is, of course, true. At its core, however, philanthropy is much more. As entrepreneur and philanthropist Eli Broad famously said, … Continue reading
CNJG: Standing up as advocates for the social sector amid federal tax reform efforts
December 14, 2017Update as of December 15: The final H.R. 1, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was released on Friday, December 15, 2017. The tax plan will not repeal the Johnson Amendment and does not include the Universal Charitable Deduction, however … Continue reading
CNJG: How not to read ‘The Prize’
November 20, 2017At last month’s Grantmakers for Education Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., we presented a workshop called “How Not to Read the Prize” to a standing-room-only audience of national, regional, and local foundations. We did so not to dispute the findings … Continue reading
The Power of Using Talent for Good
July 12, 2017When considering the ways in which the private sector can advance global health and development and improve our world, a few obvious options come to mind. Funding is usually high on the list, as is research and development, but other … Continue reading
Survey of the Social Sector: Rising Demand, Resource Gaps, and Opportunities
June 15, 2017The Center for Non-Profits has been surveying the New Jersey non-profit community at least annually since 2001 to gauge the effects of the economy, funding and programmatic trends, and other issues in our field. This year’s report, New Jersey Non-Profits … Continue reading
CNJG: Embracing Philanthropic Future Shock or Bracing For It
May 17, 2017We are doing a lot of thinking about the future at the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers these days — the future of New Jersey (with a new Governor next year), the future of philanthropy (with new forms of giving … Continue reading
History Matters
March 8, 2017You may not have noticed, but history is having a moment. Often overlooked as a bit of a wallflower next to its showier sisters—arts, literature, and science — history does periodically take center stage and remind us of its inevitable, … Continue reading
CNJG: Our Democracy Needs Our Problem Solvers
January 18, 2017I’m acutely aware that I’m writing this blog the week our new president will be sworn in. It is that event that has me thinking a lot about Alexis de Tocqueville’s seminal book Democracy in America as we once again observe … Continue reading
CNJG: Five New Jersey Leaders On Leadership
October 25, 2016Last month, I had the extraordinary honor to be among those named by Lead New Jersey as one of its “30 Leaders for 30 Years.” The recipients were chosen because their “leadership has made New Jersey a better place to … Continue reading
New Jersey Recovery Fund Shares Lessons Learned with Chinese Delegation
October 11, 2016A delegation of Chinese officials made a stop in Morristown recently to learn how New Jersey’s philanthropic sector helped strengthen communities for the long term following Hurricane Sandy. The visit on Sept. 29 was part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Emergency … Continue reading
CNJG: Powerful Partnerships Lead to Stronger Organizations Serving the Sector
September 14, 2016The value of working in partnership with others has long been a powerful strategy in the social sector. Non-profit organizations understand that partnerships can be highly effective given the right mix of trust, communication, and an understanding of the unique … Continue reading
CNJG: Launching the Newark Philanthropic Liaison 3.0
August 17, 2016Though it’s been nine years, it seems like only yesterday that far-sighted funders, the City of Newark and the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers came together to form the Office of the Newark Philanthropic Liaison. Our objective was to … Continue reading
Center for Non-Profits: Chronic Under-Funding of Non-Profits An Unacceptable Risk
April 13, 2016The Center for Non-Profits has just released its New Jersey Non-Profits 2016: Trends and Outlook report, highlighting the findings from our 2016 annual non-profit survey. The full report lays out in detail the … Continue reading