MissionGeraldine R. Dodge FoundationGRDF
ID-96e6647c-9744-4107-9523-eaeaa0e8032fNew JerseyWe focus on issues critical to our home state of New Jersey, and organizations that have a direct and meaningful impact here. Nonprofit LeadersWe work with nonprofit, community, government, and business leaders to imagine a better New Jersey.Community LeadersGovernment LeadersBusiness LeadersDodge Foundation Board of TrusteesChristopher J. EllimanChairman -- Chief Executive Officer, Open Space Institute Preston D. Pinkett IIIVice Chairman -- Chief Executive Officer, City National Bank Betsy S. MichelTreasurer -- Former Chair, Board of Trustees, St. George's SchoolKatherine AdamsSenior Vice President and General Counsel, Honeywell International Elizabeth A. DuffyHead Master, The Lawrenceville School Rose HarveyCommissioner, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Carlos HernandezFormer President, New Jersey City UniversityRobert LeBuhnPrivate InvestorA. Michael LipperPresident and CEO, Lipper Advisory Services, Inc. Barbara Fulton MoranFormer Executive Director, New Jersey State Council on the ArtsClement A. PriceProfessor of History and Director, Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, Rutgers University, NewarkJames W. StevensFormer Chairman, Prudential Asset Management Group Dodge Foundation AdvisorsJeff JarvisAdvisors -- Director, Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism,
CUNY Graduate School of Journalism Dodge Foundation Trustees EmeritusRobert H. B. BaldwinTrustee Emeritus -- Chairman Emeritus; Retired Chairman,
Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.Barbara Knowles DebsTrustee Emeritus -- Former President, Current Trustee, New-York Historical Society Warren CaseyDodge Foundation Counsel -- Day Pitney LLPDodge Foundation StaffSandra AlmassyDirector of First Impressions -- As Director of First Impressions, Sandy meets and greets, gives tours and makes our guests feel welcome. She thinks of her job as the stage manager behind the scenes, making the office run smoothly with great care and attention to detail.
Sandy is an active volunteer in her community and is the vice president on the board of the Brookside Community Club. She was also one of the fabled, original stewardesses of TWA and won a first class trip around the world for being named Hostess of the Year.
Sandy has 3 sons, 4 grandsons and 2 daughters-in-law. She believes that humor is the secret to life.Wendy BaronProgram Associate, Poetry -- Wendy is the database manager for the Dodge Poetry Program. She works with the Poetry staff on all aspects of the Poetry Program including the biennial Dodge Poetry Festival, Clearing the Spring, Tending the Fountain sessions held throughout New Jersey, and the Dodge Poets in the Schools program. She also holds the distinction of having worked at Dodge the longest -- 29 years now!
In 2010 all her dreams came true as she travelled with her husband to China where they adopted their amazing, beautiful daughter.Chris DaggettPresident & Chief Executive Officer -- Chris Daggett has been a respected leader in New Jersey's nonprofit world for nearly 20 years, serving on a number of boards, including the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, Regional Plan Association, and The Trust for Public Land.
As the independent candidate for governor in 2009, he was the first independent candidate to raise the threshold amount of money to qualify for public matching funds and to participate in public debates with the major party candidates. He was also endorsed by The Star-Ledger, the state's leading newspaper.
Previously, Chris served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of New Jersey (1982-1983), Regional Administrator of the USEPA (1984-1988), and Commissioner of the NJDEP (1988-1989). In addition, for six years he was a managing director of William E. Simon & Sons, a private investment firm and, since 1996, has operated a brownfields development company, acquiring, remediating and redeveloping environmentally impaired real estate. Just prior to coming to the Dodge Foundation, he was a Principal with JM Sorge, Inc. (JMS), an environmental consulting and management firm providing assessment, investigation and remediation services to the public and private sectors.
Chris holds an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He lives in Basking Ridge with his wife Bea. They have two grown children, Alexandra and Justine.Molly de AguiarDirector of Media and Communications -- Molly directs the Foundation's Media grants, which focus on strengthening and expanding New Jersey's news and information organizations, and spurring civic engagement in communities throughout our state.
She also develops and directs all of Dodge’s communications, including the website and blog, social media, and special projects to shine a spotlight on Dodge grantees' work and to promote the value of philanthropy and its impact on our communities throughout the state.
Prior to joining the Dodge staff in 2005, Molly spent 10 years working for nonprofits in Philadelphia.
She is a blogger, a list maker, a weekend baker, and an avid traveler with her family.
Molly has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.RoseAnn DeBoisGrants Manager -- RoseAnn oversees the entire administrative process of Dodge's grantmaking, from receiving Letters of Inquiry to issuing grant checks. If you ever have a problem or question with your grant or application, she is the one who helps you resolve it; she is the oil that keeps our grantmaking engine running.
RoseAnn has been with the Dodge Foundation for 25 years, beginning her career with Dodge as a Program Assistant. Previous duties included supporting the NJ Animal Assistance Coordinator and producing the Foundation's Annual Report.
She is a New Jersey native, and her family (which includes her recently adopted puppy) is most important in her life.Cynthia EvansChief Financial Officer -- As the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at Dodge, Cynthia oversees the Foundation's investment consultants as well as the budget, personnel, and management of the Foundation's office operations. Cynthia spearheaded the Foundation's move to its LEED-Gold certified offices in downtown Morristown, working closely with the architects and engineers on the design and construction of the building.
Prior to joining Dodge, Cynthia worked as a Program Officer for New York City’s Community Development Agency, where she administered Community Service Block Grants for nonprofits. She was also a policy analyst with the General Accounting Office conducting Congressional research on issues including Immigration Policy and Security and Exchange Regulations.
Cynthia received a B.A. from Hamilton College, a M.P.A. from Syracuse University's Maxwell School, and was awarded a Presidential Management Internship.
Cynthia's two sons refer to her as the ultimate church lady as she chairs the Board of their local Congregational Church and actively volunteers with youth programming.Martin J. FarawellProgram Director, Poetry -- Martin directs the Dodge Poetry Program, which includes: the biennial Dodge Poetry Festival, the largest poetry event in North America; Dodge Poets in the Schools, which sends poets into New Jersey high schools and offers poetry discussion groups to New Jersey teachers; and the Dodge Poetry Archive, currently being developed to make audio and video recordings from past Dodge Festivals available on the web.
His work at Dodge calls upon his decade of teaching experience and two decades of curating poetry reading series and working in the theater. Martin is also a graduate of New York University's graduate program in creative writing and graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree from Montclair State University.
He spends a good part of his morning commute reciting poems to himself, which, in this age of hands-free cell phones, no longer gets as many strange looks as it once did.Rebecca GambaleProgram Associate, Poetry; Online Communications Coordinator -- Rebecca came to Dodge as a Festival Assistant for the 2010 Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival. She is instrumental in the smooth operation of Festival programs, both leading up to and during the four days of events. Her responsibilities include communicating with the public and poets about Festival details, overseeing the Poetry Program's website and social media, facilitating fundraising efforts, and organizing retail of books and merchandise at the Festival.
Rebecca graduated from Drew University where she studied abroad in Spain and England, and won the Academy of American Poets Prize. She is a writer, espresso drinker, ardent baseball fan and makes a mean lasagna.Kathleen HofmannExecutive Assistant to the President & CEO -- Kathleen is the Executive Assistant to Chris Daggett, the President and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, providing high-level administrative support to him while also working closely with administrative and program staff members and the Board of Trustees.
She began her nonprofit career at a grassroots cultural arts center, which led to a focus on fundraising, first at the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, then as the Development Director for both the Arts Council of the Morris Area and Two River Theater Company. She joined Dodge in February 2011.
A self-professed "interest junkie," Kathleen loves to learn, particularly about far-flung places, creative people, modern design, organic farming, and psychology.Wendy LiscowProgram Director, Education -- In addition to overseeing the Dodge Foundation's Education grantmaking, Wendy is the brains behind the Foundation's wildly popular Technical Assistance workshops, which help strengthen the capacity of New Jersey's nonprofit sector.
Prior to joining the Foundation staff in 2003, Wendy worked for 25 years as a professional theatre administrator, director and producer. She was Associate Artistic Director and resident director of George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick for 12 years, and then served as the Director of Programs and Services for the New Jersey Theatre Alliance where, among other responsibilities, she led the New Jersey Arts Access Task Force, of which she is a founding member.
Wendy began her studies at University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment, but ultimately received her degree in Secondary Education with a focus in Speech and Theatre. Wendy is a graduate of Leadership NJ and serves on the board of the National Creativity Network and Creative New Jersey.Laura Aden PackerProgram Director, Arts -- As the Arts Program Director, Laura criss-crosses the state, supporting well-established and emerging arts organizations and advocating for the arts in New Jersey at every opportunity.
Before joining the Dodge staff in 2001, Laura was the New Jersey Theatre Alliance’s Executive Director, a position she held for 13 years. Laura received her B.A. in Political Science and English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and worked for the American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin for six years before coming to New Jersey as General Manager of the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival.
Laura is a graduate of Leadership NJ, a founding board member of ArtPride/New Jersey, the state’s arts advocacy organization, and currently serves on the boards of Grantmakers in the Arts, a national service organization, and the Community Foundation of South Jersey.
In her spare time, you can find her doting on her granddaughter Zelda and hanging out in South Jersey with her husband Mark.Elaine RastockySenior Program Associate -- Elaine works closely with Wendy Liscow to support Dodge's Education grantmaking and to coordinate all of Dodge’s Technical Assistance workshops. If you want a seat at a Dodge Workshop, she is the person you need to know!
She has been a Dodge staff member for more than 20 years, leading the acclaimed Visual Arts Teacher Initiative for eight years. She currently helps coordinate the joint Dodge/Arts Council of the Morris Area gallery exhibitions that take place three times a year on the third floor of our Maple Avenue building.
Elaine is known for her green thumb and is the major force behind the beauty, bounty, and diversity of Dodge's green roof garden.Michele RussoPoetry Coordinator -- As Poetry Coordinator, Michele arranges and coordinates all events of the Poetry Program, including High School Mini Festivals, "Clearing the Spring, Tending the Fountain" teacher discussion groups and the biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival.
A longtime fan of the Festival, Michele joined the staff in 2011 after managing artist residencies and teacher training programs for Young Audiences New Jersey for ten years. It gives her great pleasure to bring poets and poetry to students, teachers and the general public.
Michele is a published author, an art enthusiast, the owner of a delirious shelter dog and an all-around nature lover -- except for mushrooms.Richard SimonSenior Program Associate -- Richard works closely with both the Arts and Environment Program Directors, assessing grant proposals, conducting research, developing programs and initiatives, building relationships, and providing general support across the program areas. He also works with the Director of Communications on communications strategy, particularly with Dodge’s new website.
Richard is a professional actor (AEA, AFTRA, SAG) with over 30 years of training and experience in New York, London and regional theatre, and television and film, but is currently concentrating on the two best co-productions of his life: his son and daughter.Hesham TamrazDirector of Technology -- In his role as the Director of Technology, Hesham keeps the Dodge Foundation’s information systems running smoothly and efficiently and has been known to make heroic efforts to fix all of our technology glitches, even while he was on vacation.
Prior to joining the Dodge Foundation, Hesham served as Senior Database and Application Development Manager for FocalPoint Marketing, a start-up entrepreneurial venture, where he led a team of developers to manage the technical development of a commercial e-marketing platform for the insurance industry. He spent a good part of his career working as Director of Information Systems for an international US-based nonprofit association followed by 5 years as founder of a consultancy practice specializing in providing technical leadership in the selection, development and implementation of nonprofit information systems.
Hesham holds an M.B.A. from the University of Leicester, England and graduated from Rutgers University with an B.A. in Computer Science.Margaret WaldockProgram Director, Environment -- Margaret directs the Foundation's Environmental grants and identifies opportunities for Dodge to support innovative and creative approaches to advance sustainability and environmental protection in the Garden State.
Prior to joining Dodge in 2011, Margaret was Executive Director of the Hunterdon Land Trust for eight years, where she oversaw an expansion in net assets, staff, members and donors and helped preserve over 5,000 acres of land.
As a gardener, she is constantly reminded of the life lessons of gardening: to celebrate the blessings of bounty and accept loss. She has never met an old bicycle she doesn't like and has amassed a collection of 1970's era cruisers.
Margaret received a combined Juris Doctor and Masters of Study in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School in 1992.... a better New JerseyID-b1221ea2-29f8-4309-82ce-8a71c72f37c8To support leadership, innovation, and collaboration for a better New Jersey.ID-776af482-1f2c-49d0-838a-296ec8fbc98ePhilanthropyWe believe that philanthropy includes not only providing resources, but also connecting leaders across sectors, sharing expertise, and promoting collaboration to help build movements for change around important issues. ResourcesConnectionsExpertise SharingCollaborationChangeLeaders, Ideas & InstitutionsNurture leaders, ideas, and institutions which transcend self interest and promote a sustainable futureID-ed71d923-4ec8-48e1-b8ee-6e04c3224178For nearly 40 years, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation has nurtured leaders, ideas, and institutions which transcend self interest and promote a sustainable future.FundingFund Arts, Education, Environment and Media initiativesID-64ab43f4-693f-4807-9dbe-b14ac8445cc71We fund Arts, Education, Environment and Media initiatives that are innovative and promote collaboration and community-driven decision making.ArtsSupport the arts in New JerseyID-8f8ad435-ff9d-480d-a18f-5b52fbf048231.1OrganizationsWe strive to fulfill this vision for the Arts in New Jersey by funding organizations that:
* Provide opportunities for meaningful connections between people and art within their communities, and partner with others to expand the inclusiveness and the impact of the arts;
* Use the arts to revitalize communities, public places and natural spaces;
* Commit to creative and economic opportunities for New Jersey artistsFor nearly 40 years, the Dodge Foundation has been a steadfast supporter of the arts in New Jersey. Whether through an arts council in our suburban and rural communities, or through a major performing arts center or theater in our urban centers, we believe in the power of the arts to enrich our lives, bring people together, revitalize public spaces, help communities thrive, and inspire learning. We support arts organizations across a variety of disciplines, including music, opera, theater, dance and visual arts, and we are particularly interested in organizations which place a priority on arts education programming in our schools.
We also promote a strong and coordinated arts advocacy effort to help all New Jerseyans understand the value of the arts as an important jobs provider and economic engine of our communities.
We’re proud that New Jersey’s arts community is as strong as you will find in any other state, and that performances and museum exhibitions which people are seeing across the country have often premiered right here in our home state.
Arts Guidelines:
"Pursue and demonstrate the highest standards of artistic excellence in the performing and visual arts; enhance the cultural health and richness of communities; inspire learning and understanding; and contribute to New Jersey’s creative economy."
Education[Foster] systemic change in educationID-3a7f6369-aae0-4803-813b-309637b995511.2The Dodge Foundation is interested in systemic change in education. Our focus is on arts education and on school and classroom leadership, primarily in high poverty communities.
We believe in the transformative power of arts education to substantially improve children’s lives and academic outcomes, and prepare them for 21st century careers. We invest in Pre-K through 12th grade sequential arts education and arts-integration efforts that ensure children have the opportunity to receive comprehensive arts training and to experience the benefits of a more dynamic, arts-infused curriculum. Implemented with fidelity over time, the arts can improve the culture of a struggling school, ignite principal and teacher creativity, and foster more joyful and learning-friendly classrooms.
Through arts education students develop the creative, collaborative and problem solving skills, as well as the discipline, necessary to thrive in today’s demanding and rapidly evolving workforce. It is equally important to the long-term cultural and economic vitality of our state that all students are exposed to the arts, as they will become our future artists, creative sector employees, audience members and arts advocates.
We also believe that schools need skilled and passionate adults to make them work well, and that school leaders are the key to a successful public education system. Our grants in this area prepare new teachers, principals and superintendents for their careers, as well as provide access to steady and quality professional training. Arts EducationProvide general operating and program support to nonprofit organizationsID-062da9a5-a0de-4095-84c8-e4bef754a12e1.2.1Nonprofit OrganizationsTo that end the Dodge Foundation provides general operating and program support to nonprofit organizations that:
* Partner with school districts in developing sustainable arts education strategic plans;
* Offer high-quality, sequential model arts education programs that accelerate a district’s or school’s arts education strategy;
* Offer specialized, high-level arts training to help talented low-income students develop their artistic skills or pursue a career in the arts;
* Provide professional development for teachers and for “creativity teams” of principals, art specialists and other classroom teachers to collaboratively integrate the arts and the artistic process with the Common Core State Standards and science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) curricula and programs;
* Improve how New Jersey schools of education prepare teachers to include innovative arts education and arts integration training for all teachers, including teachers of non-arts subjects; and
* Work to advance arts education policies and/or provide research and data that demonstrates the impact and value of arts education practices. We believe a multi-pronged strategy is needed to fulfill the promises of a comprehensive arts education agenda. Strong policies, nonprofit arts organizations and program models, as well as creative principals and teachers are essential. Educational LeadershipMake select investmentsID-a6361bb7-64b2-4d25-ab4f-dec32e40c9de1.2.2Nonprofit OrganizationsWe give priority to nonprofit organizations that have developed a strong relationship and sustainable strategy with the district(s) in which they intend to work. We do not provide direct grants to school districts or individual artists, teaching artists, or classroom teachers. Talented, committed school leaders and teachers are key to successful schools and student academic success. Therefore we make select investments that:
System ImprovementImprove the systems that prepare new teachers for their careers and incorporate a more robust clinical experienceID-959d3f2d-01bf-4274-8278-f93cc27b0af11.2.2.1Professional DevelopmentProvide access to steady and quality professional development opportunitiesID-d80e04a5-8e6d-4f27-80a7-ed7362eafcbe1.2.2.2Leadership RolesAdvance the leadership role of principals and superintendents to improve student learningID-c083630c-5f6b-4c50-a942-8d21d2dd759b1.2.2.3PrincipalsSuperintendentsEnvironmentProtect the health of our ecosystemsID-4f9824ba-f99d-45f3-ac22-48e3a92800f61.3CommunitiesWe are particularly interested in empowering communities to identify their own unique challenges and opportunities, and to take ownership of thoughtful planning and decision-making. Furthermore, we believe that protecting limited resources must fundamentally include efforts to connect people to their natural environment.OrganizationsWe strive to fulfill this vision for the Environment in New Jersey by funding organizations that:
* Increase the quality, function and public accessibility of watersheds through land preservation, resource management, and stewardship;
* Focus on urban greening, particularly through community-led design and decision making;
* Help develop regional food systems, including rural-to-urban farming connections and urban food market development.In the crowded state of New Jersey, there is a real danger of sacrificing a high quality of life to our traditional patterns of consumption and development. Protecting the health of our ecosystems helps ensure our individual health and well-being as well as the strength of our economy.
Dodge’s environment grants encourage comprehensive thinking about how to safeguard our water and reinforce our natural systems in order to promote more sustainable communities. We also support ongoing, careful stewardship of our land, which includes efforts to support sustainable agriculture and develop regional food systems that offer plentiful access to fresh, local foods.
Environment Guidelines:
Ecosystems & CommunitiesAchieve ecosystem resilience and environmentally healthy, sustainable communities in New JerseyID-06e99b9c-df10-46cb-9e14-03b4b9706fd61.3.1Natural ConnectionConnect people to their natural worldID-0535e844-7ff8-4811-9ee3-32a28e0237671.3.2Environmental EthicBuild an environmental ethic of care and responsibilityID-76bc2a5b-e5de-4487-b977-88f212daa0801.3.3MediaUse traditional and new media to educate the public and promote participation in issues of importance to New Jersey and its citizens.ID-463388ef-c126-47ac-a0d2-82748f9865341.4OrganizationsWe strive to fulfill this vision for Media in New Jersey by funding organizations that:
* Provide high quality, New Jersey-focused news across multiple platforms;
* Seek ambitious, innovative and collaborative reporting opportunities, with an emphasis on investigative reporting;
* Actively engage traditionally underserved audiences with relevant news and information;
* Encourage meaningful, ongoing civic dialogue and community participation;
* Inform and educate the public about issues related to the Foundation's priority funding areas.With New York City and Philadelphia news often overshadowing the concerns and challenges we face here in New Jersey, there is both a need and a hunger for constructive dialogue, access to quality information, and meaningful engagement in community decision-making. Dodge supports traditional and innovative uses of media to educate and engage the public around issues of importance to New Jersey and its citizens, as well as efforts to uncover abuses of power by the institutions in which we’ve placed our trust. We also believe that youth must be given a voice if we expect them to actively participate in civic affairs, and that communities thrive when their members are well-informed and seek to improve their lives as well as those of their neighbors.
Media Guidelines:
Use traditional and new media to educate the public and promote participation in issues of importance to New Jersey and its citizens.Technical AssistanceOffer technical assistanceID-213c11ef-d067-4888-9a30-5a3bd3f843b32We listen to the needs of the nonprofit sector by offering sustained and comprehensive technical assistance, and we pay careful attention to the public policy environment in which our grantees operate. 2014-01-12http://www.grdodge.org/about-us/mission/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net