The Newark Philanthropic Liaison (NPL) initiative was established in 2007 through an agreement between Council of NJ Grantmakers (CNJG) and then-Newark Mayor Cory Booker. Modeled after a similar office in Michigan, the position was designed to harness interest, foster greater effectiveness, and leverage increased resources from funders to serve Newark. It is now firmly rooted in Newark across administrations and strongly supported by the current Mayor Ras Baraka. The NPL’s objectives are to continue linking Newark City Hall with the philanthropic community, leverage grantmakers’ ability to work with the City administration, and address pressing issues identified by foundations and the Mayor’s Office. The NPL also helps coordinate national private and government funding with local philanthropic priorities. The Liaison is advised by a core group of eight funders, including Schumann Fund for New Jersey, that provide grant funding to the Council to directly support the Liaison position. This group of funders also contribute to the Newark Community Impact Fund – a fund managed by the Newark Philanthropic Liaison designed to support learning, growth, and enrichment opportunities for the city and address the city’s pressing needs. Since its establishment, the Office of the Philanthropic Liaison has helped bring over $75M in philanthropic dollars to the City of Newark.