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Community Foundation of South Jersey

African American Giving… Making A Big Difference

By CFSJ
May 6, 2021
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Continental Societies, South Jersey Chapter, has established a strong Trust Based Philanthropy relationship with the Boys & Girls Club of Gloucester County. (Pictured above)

Last Fall’s “Why We Give” event, sponsored by Community Foundation of South Jersey and Weber Gallagher, spotlighted the importance of community as a draw for giving back, especially for women. Giving communities are not always based on geography. They’re often formed around commonalities of gender, culture, religion, life experience, or world views. Giving is personal, and the community you belong meets a deep human desire to join with like-minded people around a common cause. It’s where your giving is valued and appreciated and you feel like an important part of the results that are achieved.

Nowhere is the draw of the community more evident than among African American service-oriented groups like sororities and fraternities. We have witnessed how the “Devine Nine,” the nine Black Greek-lettered organizations, can influence a national election. They are a quiet yet powerful force that seems to be lost on the mainstream. And their loyalty is fierce. Members pledge a lifelong commitment to social engagement, giving and volunteering. Their giving power may not be in the headlines every day, but their numbers, economic mass and knowledge of needs are impactful and comprehensive. As summarized in this Washington Post article, a study from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors shows that nearly two-thirds of Black families make charitable donations, worth a total of about $11 billion a year.

Black Greek-lettered organizations and other African American social groups that come together for the sake of giving back have a long and influential history. Members of the Devine Nine and groups like Continental Societies Inc., The Links, Jack and Jill, and other similar organizations are college-educated, upper and middle class, and play as big a role in Black communities as Black churches. According to Generocity.org, these groups act as a major vehicle for charitable giving for African Americans. “The nine major Black fraternities and sororities… were all founded on principles designed to advance communities. Those principles include brotherhood and sisterhood, scholarship, and servant leadership. Giving among Divine Nine members and chapters is rooted in a collective commitment to Black causes.”

Black Greek organizations and other giving groups have strong ties to their communities, and they tend to pair financial support with boots on the group volunteerism. For example, Continental Societies, Inc. South Jersey Chapter has a relationship with the Boys & Girls Club of Gloucester County that includes money, but also maintaining a presence within the clubs. This eyes-on approach is a form of trust-based philanthropy that allows them to react to issues in real-time and with little red tape.

“During COVID, the kids who were using the clubs for remote learning had access to computers and the internet, but they had no way to be seen by or respond to the teacher,” said Janice Wardle, Continental Society Inc., South Jersey President. “Because we were there regularly, we saw the situation and quickly purchased cameras and microphones so the students could fully participate in remote learning at a critical time.”

There was no grant application, no 990 review, no reporting required. The Continentals responded instantly to a need they saw because of the trust built through a hands-on relationship with an organization they knew well.

At a time when so many are seeking ways to affect diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Devine Nine and other organizations show the importance of building relationships with nonprofits and removing some of the bureaucratic obstacles between them and big donations.

There’s also an important lesson about being part of a community you’re trying to help. Too often foundations, government funders and big donors are not present in communities they give to, and therefore are likely to miss opportunities to react to real and immediate needs. Combine that with the fact that smaller, minority-run nonprofits don’t have the capacity to spend hours on proposals and reporting.  The end result: they miss out on large grants that would allow them to scale up.  Yet the work they do is directly connected to their unparalleled knowledge of community issues.

If you’re interested in ways to connect and respond to lived experience and community needs, consult a member of the Devine Nine or another African American giving group. You won’t have to look far. They are your co-workers, peers, and neighbors of color. They are the parents of your kid’s friends and teammates. If you’re serious about advancing inclusivity in giving, all you have to do is look to your left or right for someone to invite for coffee or a cocktail. You will learn about a long-standing community of generous and engaged givers who are hidden in plain sight.

Written by Kyle Ruffin is Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Community Foundation of South Jersey and a founding member of Impact100 South Jersey.

Women’s Philanthropy Builds Community: A Local Perspective

By CFSJ
March 11, 2021
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On January 30, 2021 The New York Times published an article by Valeriya Safronova titled “Wealthy Women Transform Giving.” At the Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ), we applaud the New York Times highlighting women’s philanthropy.

When CFSJ began exploring opportunities to focus on women’s philanthropy in 2015, it was met with energy and some skepticism from trustees and allies. Energy from those who saw a chance to practice a more community-oriented philanthropy. Skepticism arose from those who saw the focus as alienating men and didn’t believe a clear focus on women was prudent or relevant. To our good fortune, these concerns were addressed and overcome. Since then, it has become abundantly clear that women’s philanthropy deserves to be considered fully and apart from how or why men give.

CFSJ’s first Women & Philanthropy community event featured a panel of notable women in the South Jersey region. Panelists spoke about their motivations and inspirations for giving back. Yes, they had male role models and fathers who had generated great wealth and modeled generosity, but rather than create legacies designed to demonstrate their generous nature for posterity, these women-focused specifically on two things. First, they wanted to feel the impact of their giving and they wanted to pass the torch to the next generation. Repeatedly panelists and attendees echoed these themes. It was striking that even though they were themselves givers, they felt the current narrative about “philanthropy” did not apply. This term did not encompass the empathy and volunteerism inherent in their approach. They didn’t see themselves as philanthropists. That word was reserved for someone who wasn’t them.

The enthusiasm of the women in attendance was enough evidence for CFSJ to move forward with identifying and deploying a model of giving that centered around women and their unique approaches. In 2017, CFSJ and group of local women launched Impact100 South Jersey. Impact100 is a particular type of giving circle rooted in participatory grantmaking and community building. The international model strives to bring at least 100 women together in a local community to donate annual gifts of $1,000. These gifts are then combined to award at least one $100,000 grant to a local nonprofit that members choose by voting.

It didn’t take long for this democratic form of giving to show results in South Jersey. Since launching, the local Impact100 chapter has raised $615,000 for nonprofits in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Cumberland Counties and has awarded grants of more than $424,000 to date. This June, Impact100 South Jersey’s 200 members will award another $200,000. The South Jersey chapter is one of four in New Jersey. Since the first Impact chapter launched in 2013, New Jersey women have collectively given and donated $3,742,523 to nonprofits in their home communities.

The attraction for many women is the opportunity not only being part of a large transformative grant, but also to be involved in the award process. Many Impact100 South Jersey members take part in the thorough vetting of grant applicants and express great joy in learning about the local nonprofit community and how to assess a nonprofit’s viability. The Impact100 grants are designed to take an organization to the next level. For example, the $100,000 grant to Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland and Salem Counties in 2019 provided funding to purchase a web-based mentoring platform to increase access for mentors in a vast, rural region. Another $100,000 grant in 2020 to LUCY Outreach in Camden supported the organization’s desire to integrate trauma-informed principles and practices into every aspect of their mission. These grants have a long-lasting effect on the individuals served, the communities in which they live and the legacies Impact100 members can now, by example, pass down to their own families.

In 2017, the Women’s Philanthropy Institute reported giving circles raised $1.3 billion nationally. According to Dr. Debra Mesch, a professor of philanthropy at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Women’s Philanthropy Institute, the number of giving circles tripled between 2007 and 2017. Seventy percent of giving circles are majority women.

At CFSJ, in partnership with the women of Impact 100 South Jersey, the Foundation continues to celebrate and extol the values of this type of community building. Dr. Mesch was the keynote speaker for “Why We Give: A Celebration of South Jersey Women Who Give Back” held last October. Several charity- and volunteer-focused initiatives joined us to celebrate, learn, and adapt. Dr. Mesch pointed to research that proves gender matters when it comes to charitable giving. She explained that women – across race and ethnicity – are more likely to give than their male counterparts.

The rise in giving circles is evidence of something else. Women enjoy being part of a community of givers. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs postulates that being part of a community is basic to human nature. Giving follows the same rules. Women in giving circles and other movements with charity at their heart feed a need to be part of a group that’s making a difference. Not only is collective money raised, but the participating women build relationships and enjoy fellowship. This is a whole person approach rooted in the love of humankind.

Women and other groups not known for their deep pockets are quiet, yet powerful, forces in charitable giving, although rarely recognized for it. It’s news when Melinda Gates or McKenzie Scott give millions. But women-led charitable groups are emerging as a major factor in how much money is donated and distributed. These women are the true philanthropists of our time – lovers of humanity who selflessly contribute to its wellbeing.

Kyle Ruffin is Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Community Foundation of South Jersey and a founding member of Impact100 South Jersey.

South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund Provides Aid To The Food Bank Of South Jersey

By Andy Fraizer
February 18, 2021
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Due in part to a $40,000 grant from the Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) COVID-19 Response Fund, The Food Bank of South Jersey was able to purchase vital life-sustaining needed food and fortify its food distribution model to service the rise in food insecurity throughout South Jersey. The Food Bank currently serves 210 partner agencies throughout Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem, counties.

When the pandemic began, The Food Bank of South Jersey quickly discovered there was no established protocol to support the rapid rise of the region’s food-insecure population, so leadership had to modify the organization’s food management and distribution practices. Community food drives were eliminated due to safety concerns, increasing the necessity to purchase food to supplement with government-allocated goods. During 2020, the Food Bank’s community donated food supplies dwindled by more than 300,000 pounds. Coupled with a 200% increase in food requests, operating costs skyrocketed.

In addition to purchasing food, the Food Bank had to transition from a “choice model,” where clients would visit its partner network and choose their own food, to an emergency hunger-relief food distribution model in order to distribute food safely outside of the facility. As part of the transition, the Food Bank used a portion of the grant to hire temporary workers who prepared the individual food boxes. During 2020, more than one million emergency food boxes were distributed, supporting the organization’s service of feeding more than 95,000 people each month.

The South Jersey COVID-19 Response Fund was launched in March of 2020. It is currently the only private campaign focused solely on the eight-county Southern New Jersey region. It was established to provide flexible grant dollars to nonprofits helping South Jersey neighbors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The dramatic spike in food insecurity throughout our service area has been one of the more troubling results of the COVID-19 pandemic and something we felt compelled to address,” said CFSJ Executive Director Andy Fraizer. “For as long as I have been a resident of South Jersey, I have respected and admired The Community Food Bank of South Jersey for all of the work they do for the community, especially in this most challenging of all years.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented need for emergency food,” reports Fred C. Wasiak, President and CEO, Food Bank of South Jersey. “The Community Foundation of South Jersey’s generous grant means those who are facing food insecurity will be able to get some relief during these tremendously difficult times. Without their support, many South Jersey residents would not have enough food on the table. Just knowing we are helping these individuals drive us to do more each and every day.”

The needs of local nonprofit organizations remain significant during this ongoing public health and economic crisis. For more information on how individuals or organizations can make a donation, funding priorities, and how to apply for a grant, please visit southjerseyresponsefund.org.