News

A Look Back, Part 11: Responding to Disaster

Hurricane Sandy Relief & Recovery When a disaster strikes, the work of a community foundation takes on added importance.  And in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the Community Foundation took on an important leadership role in harnessing the good will of thousands of New Jerseyans seeking to help their friends and neighbors recover.…

A Look Back, Part 10: New Leadership, New Focus Areas

Hans Dekker joined CFNJ as the new president in 2003. During his tenure, the Community Foundation has continued to expand its number of fundholders, its asset base, and its programmatic areas. It has also tripled its assets (from approximately $90 million to well over $300 million), despite an occasionally challenging market.…

A Look Back, Part 9: Responding to Tragedy

As part of its forward-looking programming, CFNJ continually seeks the input of its board members, fundholders, and fellow community members to gauge what issues are most important and what problems need addressing. In the weeks and months after September 11, 2001, the issue at the forefront for nearly all Americans was coping with and responding to that day’s tragic attacks.…

A Look Back, Part 8: Realizing a Fundholder’s Wish

Like all community foundations, CFNJ maintains its commitment and loyalty to its individual fundholders, many of whom seek to make an important difference in the community, but need a trusted partner to help realize their philanthropic goals. In 1996, the Alkemade Fund was established at CFNJ under the estate of George and Yvonne Alkemade.…

A Look Back, Part 7: The Role of National Foundations

While major corporations have supported much of CFNJ’s programming, so too have national foundations that seek to address community issues on a wide scale. Given CFNJ’s strength in community programming in New Jersey, it has been a natural partner to numerous national foundations seeking to make a difference in the state.…

Investors Bank CEO Joins Community Foundation Board

October 7, 2015 The Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) today announced that Kevin Cummings, President and Chief Executive Officer of Investors Bank, has joined its Board of Trustees. The Bank’s outstanding level of performance was recognized as one of the top 25 performing, publicly traded, small-cap banks in the U.S.…

A Look Back, Part 6: The Role of Corporate Philanthropy

For philanthropy to be truly effective on a wide scale, it requires more than just the work of nonprofits, foundations, individuals, or corporations – but, in fact, all of these entities working together. CFNJ has long placed a priority on helping businesses and foundations collaborate while encouraging new generations of committed philanthropists.…

Gun Buybacks: Effective & Easy to Replicate

Gun buybacks are a safe and effective tool for removing unwanted firearms from homes and communities. It’s why the Community Foundation of New Jersey has worked with several families across our state to bring gun buyback programs to their hometowns. We facilitate the partnership with local law enforcement, work with the family to set a budget and facilitate funding, and help to spread the word of the buyback to generate interest and then celebrate success.…

A Look Back, Part 4: Jumpstarting Great Ideas

For the Community Foundation of New Jersey, going from a simple idea to a multi-million dollar force for good has not been without its mix of successes, challenges, and lessons learned. In fact, the wealth of knowledge that the Foundation’s staff picked up over the years made it a natural repository for best practices in philanthropic giving, community organizing, and nonprofit management in the state.…