New Jersey Budget Season is Upon Us 

The Fund for New Jersey is watching with significant interest as Governor Mikie Sherrill prepares to deliver her inaugural budget address, a pivotal moment that will set the fiscal tone for her administration. As NJ Spotlight News reports, the Governor is reportedly looking toward long-term structural solutions; however, the specific choices made for Fiscal Year 2027 will have immediate consequences for the state’s most vulnerable residents. We echo the priorities outlined by New Jersey Policy Perspective, which emphasize that the state’s continued progress depends on robust public investment rather than retrenchment. The Fund maintains that a turn toward austerity or budget cuts to vital social programs would be profoundly counterproductive. Such measures would not only jeopardize the well-being of New Jersey families who can least weather economic shifts, but would also weaken the state’s overall economic health by undermining the stability of the workforce and the strength of our communities. 

2026 FCCP Conference and the 2030 Census 

The Funders Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP) will host its 2026 Annual Convening in Philadelphia from May 12–15, providing a vital platform for philanthropic leaders to align on civic engagement and democratic integrity. A key area of focus for this gathering is preparation for the 2030 Census, emphasizing the importance of early coordination needed to prevent the chronic undercounting of marginalized populations. Ensuring an accurate 2030 count is essential for the long-term health of local economies, as it secures the federal resources that sustain public assets—from schools and transit to healthcare—for the entire decade to come. 

What are we at The Fund reading and watching?

• Howard Bryant’s book, “Kings and Pawns,” explores the intertwined lives of Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson, focusing on their interactions during the Cold War and the impact of the House Un-American Activities Committee on each of them, the Black freedom struggle, and the nation at large. (NPR)
• Kyla Scanlon’s Newsletter provides a fun and relatable analysis of current economic issues 
• Looking Beyond the Headline Unemployment Rate: Why the U-6 Underemployment Rate Matters (Demos) 
• Organizing to Fund Childcare: Collective Power of Childcare Workers and Their Communities: A Case Study of California (Roosevelt Institute) 
• Self-help Culture: Is Your Social Life Missing Something? This Conversation Is for You (The Ezra Klein Show) 
• Smart Prisons: Dinner Is Being Recorded, Whether You Know it or Not (The New York Times) 
• Underrepresented in STEM: A century of Black women breaking barriers in STEM (Those Nerdy Girls)

Grantee News

Policy Updates

• American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ): The ACLU of New Jersey filed an amicus brief before the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court in Latino Action Network v. State of New Jersey. The amicus brief highlights the state constitutional implications and systemic harms of New Jersey’s school segregation problem, as well as the practical and lawful remedies available. Read more here…
• Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC): In February, Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. of the United States Supreme Court denied an emergency request to delay implementation of New Jersey’s affordable housing law, marking the eighth time such a request has been rejected. The judge’s decision aligns with arguments made by housing groups like FHSC and with previous decisions issued at the state courts, federal district court, and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals when similar arguments were raised. Read more here… 
• New Jersey Work Environment Council (NJWEC): Following years of advocacy by NJWEC and environmental organizations across New Jersey, former Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation establishing new safety requirements for rail companies. Among other things, the law mandates two-person crews on all trains transporting hazardous materials, requires rail companies to install wayside detectors, and allow for worker inspections at facilities. Read more here… 
• New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA): In a letter to the Vineland City Council, NJEJA urged the council to withdraw its approval of a 300‑megawatt data center in the community, citing the absence an independent energy impact analysis, potential noise pollution risks, deficiencies in the permitting process, wetland clearing violations, and inadequate storm water control. Read more here… 
• New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ): NJAIJ alongside New Jersey-based immigration advocacy organizations Wind of the Spirit, AAPI-NJ, ACLU-NJ, LWVNJ, NJ Citizen Action, and Resistencia en Acción applauded Governor Mikie Sherill’s administration for passing legislation that limits the collection and sharing of sensitive data by government and health care entities. The groups also expressed their disappointment for the administration’s decision to reintroduce the Immigrant Trust Directive Codification bill without offering due process protections to individuals with final orders and pending charges. Read more here… 

Grantee Reports

• American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ): ACLU-NJ put together a civil liberties report for Governor Mikie Sherill’s administration. The report contains a range of recommendations on issues that shape the lives of all New Jerseyans. These issues include immigrant rights, criminal legal reform, and data privacy. Read more here… 
• New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP): According to a February report, Mind the Gap: Keeping New Jerseyans Covered in the Face of Federal Cuts, released by NJPP, the imposition of Medicaid work requirements by the federal government, failure of Congress to renew expired financial subsidies, increased paperwork reporting standards, and the elimination of affordable care for immigrants will increase the number of New Jerseyans living without insurance coverage – a number that currently stands at 727,000. Read more here… 

Leadership and Organizational Updates 

• American Friends Service Committee NJ: The American Friends Service Committee New Jersey Immigrant Rights Program (AFSC NJIRP) received the 2026 Immigration & Justice Impact Award from Generation Fearless, a New Jersey–based nonprofit focused on leadership, wellness, and economic empowerment for first-generation women. Co-directors of NJIRP, Araceli Argueta and Alexandra Gonçalves Peña accepted the award on behalf of the AFSC NJIRP.
• Make the Road NJ (MRNJ): Nedia Morsy, Director of Make the Road NJ, was a featured speaker at the People’s State of the Union in Washington, D.C. She was invited to speak by Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman to share how MRNJ builds the power of immigrant, working-class, and Latinx communities. Watch the video  
• New York Public Radio (NJPR): NJPR’s Executive Chair, LaFontaine Oliver, has been appointed board chair of Public Media Infrastructure, an independent nonprofit coalition working to build infrastructure support and collaboration among public radio organizations. Read more here… 

Events

• March 9 – Kids Need Voter Education: Overview of Energizing Young Voters Training Modules (League of Women Voters of New Jersey) 
• March 17 – 2026 South Jersey Nonprofit Summit (CNJG) 
• March 27 – 2026 Budget and Tax Briefing: Meeting the Moment. Shaping the Future (CNJG)  
• March 31 – Progress 2026: Data Centers: Powering AI, Draining Communities (NJPP) 
• April 3-4 – Trust, Truth and the Future of Local News (WHYY)
• April 9 – Data Center Development: Understanding the Risks of AI in New Jersey (NJEJA) 
• April 23 – Healthy Homes and Communities Summit (HCDNNJ) 
• April 20-22 – ABFE Harambee Conference in San Francisco, CA 
• May 12-15 – Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP) Annual Convening in Philadelphia, PA 

Job Announcements

• American Friends Service Committee – Multiple Positions 
• American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey – Multiple Positions
• Education Law Center – Program/Administrative Assistant
• Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey – Community Scholars Program Internship 
• Latino Action Network Foundation – In-person Internship 
• New Labor – Domestic Worker Campaign Organizer 
• New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund – Development Director 
• New Jersey Birth Equity Funders Alliance – Executive Director
• Partners for Health Foundation – Executive Director
• Tepper Philanthropies – Director, Grantmaking Operations