Council of New Jersey Grantmakers Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE COUNCIL OF NEW JERSEY GRANTMAKERS' MISSION IS TO SUPPORT AND ELEVATE NEW JERSEY'S PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY THROUGH SHARED LEARNING, COLLABORATIVE AND TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS, NETWORK BUILDING, AND LEADERSHIP. CNJG WORKS TO STRENGTHEN AND PROMOTE EFFECTIVE PHILANTHROPY THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. TO ASSIST GRANTMAKERS IN THEIR WORK, CNJG'S PROGRAMS AND SERVICES PROVIDE MEMBERS WITH VALUABLE RESOURCES, NETWORKING AND CONNECTION, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES, AND LINKS TO A NATIONAL NETWORK OF ORGANIZED PHILANTHROPY. CNJG ENHANCES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE STATE'S PHILANTHROPIC SECTOR BY STRENGTHENING THEIR CAPACITY AND INFORMING THEIR DECISION-MAKING TO ADDRESS NJ'S MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEMS.
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- 12 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 86%
- Employees
- 7
- Volunteers
- 20
- Highest pay
- $192,222, president and ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 12.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 10% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1571% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2520 of 20 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $482,756 spent. PROGRAMMING AND SERVICESTHROUGHOUT THE YEAR, CNJG PROGRAMS BRING TOGETHER ALL TYPES AND SIZES OF GRANTMAKERS WITH LEADERS FROM GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, ACADEMIA, AND NEW JERSEY'S NONPROFIT COMMUNITY. IN 2025, WE PROVIDED OVER 100 PROGRAMS, INCLUDING FUNDER BRIEFINGS, AFFINITY GROUP MEETINGS, PARTNER PROGRAMS, AND SKILL-BUILDING WEBINARS. CNJG FUNDER BRIEFINGS PROVIDE A FORUM TO EXCHANGE KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHTS RELATED TO PRESSING SOCIETAL ISSUES THAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITIES. SKILL-BUILDING WORKSHOPS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE COUNCIL'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR MEMBERS. THESE WORKSHOPS OFFER A RANGE OF TOPICS TO DEVELOP NEW SKILLS AND ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE TO ADVANCE AND INFORM MEMBERS' GRANTMAKING. AFFINITY GROUPS PROVIDE A VALUED FORUM THROUGH WHICH NEW JERSEY GRANTMAKERS CAN CONNECT, EXCHANGE INFORMATION, AND LEARN FROM EXPERTS IN A WIDE RANGE OF FIELDS AND SECTORS. WE PARTNER WITH UNITED PHILANTHROPY FORUM, THE NEW JERSEY CENTER FOR NONPROFITS, AS WELL AS OTHER REGIONAL AND NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO PROVIDE SPECIAL BRIEFINGS AND KNOWLEDGE-BUILDING PROGRAMS FOR MEMBERS.OTHER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES INCLUDE MEMBER RESEARCH AND QUERIES, SPECIAL REPORTS SUCH AS THE NEW JERSEY PHILANTHROPY BENEFITS & SALARY SUMMARY REPORT, NEWSLETTERS, AND COMMUNICATIONS TO KEEP MEMBERS INFORMED, LISTSERVS, FOUNDATIONS ON THE HILL, SYSTEMS CHANGE WORK SUCH AS DOING GOOD BETTER, AND THE NEWARK PHILANTHROPIC LIAISON INITIATIVE. THE OFFICE OF THE NEWARK PHILANTHROPIC LIAISON IS AN INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY OF NEWARK AND CNJG AND REPRESENTS ONE OF THE NATION'S FIRST FORMAL PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN A CITY AND THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY. THE NON-PARTISAN LIAISON POSITION SERVES AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN NEWARK FUNDERS, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND NEWARK'S ADMINISTRATION. THE LIAISON'S OVERALL PRIMARY GOALS ARE TO CONVENE, CONNECT, LEVERAGE, AND RAISE RESOURCES THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN NEW JERSEY'S PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
- $242,901 spent. SIGNATURE EVENTSIN 2025, WE PLANNED AND OFFERED THREE SIGNATURE EVENTS, THE SPRING CONFERENCE, THE SUMMER JOINT POLICY FORUM, AND THE CNJG ANNUAL MEETING & HOLIDAY GATHERING. WE HOSTED THE 2025 CONFERENCE FOR THE SOCIAL SECTOR STRONGER TOGETHER: PHILANTHROPY & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN JUNE, BRINGING TOGETHER MORE THAN 350 FUNDERS, NONPROFIT LEADERS, AND CHANGEMAKERS, FOR A FULL DAY OF CONNECTION, SHARED EXPLORATION, THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION, AND SIDE-BY-SIDE LEARNING RELATED TO STRENGTHENING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. THE CONFERENCE OFFERED AN OPENING SPARK SESSION, A LUNCHEON KEY, AND MULTIPLE CONCURRENT SESSIONS, FOCUSED ON ADVOCACY, LOCAL MEDIA, PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING, GUARANTEED INCOME, PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, THE ARTS, AND YOUTH EDUCATION ALL VIEWED THROUGH THE LENS OF CIVIC PARTICIPATION. WE PARTNERED WITH THE NEW JERSEY CENTER FOR NONPROFITS TO HOST OUR SECOND ANNUAL SUMMER JOINT POLICY FORUM: NONPROFIT & PHILANTHROPIC CHAMPIONS FOR NEW JERSEY. ATTENDED BY OVER 150 SOCIAL SECTOR LEADERS, THE FORUM EXAMINED THE NONPROFIT AND PHILANTHROPIC LANDSCAPE, VOTER ENGAGEMENT, CIVIC PARTICIPATION, AND THE POLICY PRIORITIES THAT WILL SHAPE THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION. DECEMBER'S ANNUAL MEETING & HOLIDAY GATHERING, CATALYZING NEW JERSEY COMMUNITIES: BUILDING LOCAL COALITIONS WELCOMED OVER 130 CNJG MEMBERS AND HIGHLIGHTED A RANGE OF COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVES, REINFORCING THE MESSAGE THAT THE STRENGTH OF THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY LIES IN OUR WILLINGNESS TO COLLABORATE.
- $125,936 spent. THE COUNCIL OF NEW JERSEY GRANTMAKERS IS A NONPROFIT MEMBERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION SERVING NJ'S PHILANTHROPIC SECTOR. CNJG SUPPORTS AND ELEVATES NJ'S PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY THROUGH SHARED LEARNING, COLLABORATIVE AND TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS, NETWORK BUILDING, AND LEADERSHIP. FOUNDATIONS TURN TO CNJG FOR KNOWLEDGE-BUILDING, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, NETWORKING, RESOURCES AND TOOLS, AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS THAT INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THEIR WORK, AND GROW THEIR OWN KNOWLEDGE AND CAPACITY. WE SEEK OUT AND OFFER LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES THAT EMPOWER OUR MEMBERS TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE. TO HELP MEMBERS ACCOMPLISH THEIR GOALS, CNJG BRINGS ALL TYPES AND SIZES OF GRANTMAKERS TOGETHER WITH LEADERS FROM GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, ACADEMIA, AND NJ'S NONPROFIT COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION TO OUR SIGNATURE EVENTS, WE OFFER WEBINARS, WORKSHOPS, AFFINITY GROUP MEETINGS, AND OTHER GATHERINGS TO PROVIDE GRANTMAKERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM COLLEAGUES AND OTHER EXPERTS, SHARE IDEAS ON COMMON FUNDING INTERESTS, AND DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW COLLABORATIONS. THE COUNCIL PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT INFORM AND STRENGTHEN THE WORK OF NJ GRANTMAKERS, AND BUILDS STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG FUNDERS, POLICYMAKERS, AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS. WE'RE DEDICATED TO STRENGTHENING PHILANTHROPY THROUGHOUT NEW JERSEY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 1997.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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