Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Moves HQ to Newark

On Feb 2, 2024

The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation (Dodge Foundation), a longstanding private foundation in New Jersey committed to supporting organizations and leaders addressing the root causes and repair of structural racism and inequity in the state, has announced plans to relocate from Morristown to Newark at the Fidelco Realty Group’s historic 550 Broad Street building as it recognizes 50 years of impact in 2024.

Over the past few years, the Dodge Foundation has undergone a strategic transformation to center its work and funding priorities toward a vision of a just and equitable New Jersey. As part of aligning its operations with this new vision, the Dodge Foundation decided to relocate its headquarters to Newark in order to better engage with and learn from one of the communities where it already had numerous partners and where there is an active and shared commitment to dismantling systemic inequities.

Newark – with its vibrant diversity, dynamic community, and a rich history of being at the forefront of activism and the fight for racial justice – provides the ideal environment for the Dodge Foundation to immerse itself, strengthen its impact, and forge new collaborations while continuing to build upon its legacy of helping to strengthen the nonprofit ecosystem in New Jersey.

“Amid our transition to Newark, the Dodge Foundation remains dedicated to investing resources in and empowering communities across New Jersey to thrive,” said Tanuja M. Dehne, president & CEO of the Dodge Foundation. “In our 50th year, we look forward to joining the Newark community and embarking on this new chapter in our journey toward a just and equitable New Jersey.”

The office, located at 550 Broad Street, will sit across from the revitalized Harriet Tubman Square that inspires the continued efforts towards racial justice. The space will be developed by Fidelco Realty Group, a developer of many landmark renaissance projects in the city, and will include a shared conference space open to community partners, nonprofits, and grantee partners. The Dodge Foundation is also working with Newark-based and local architects, designers, vendors, and movers to bring the space to life and further collaborate with the local business community.

“It’s no wonder that the Dodge Foundation and the City of Newark share such a close bond: we reflect each other’s deepest aspirations for true liberty and boundless opportunity for all. We share a seamless vision of a future New Jersey built on equity, equality, and social justice,” said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “It is an honor to have been chosen as the Foundation’s new home – and how fitting that their office overlooking Harriet Tubman Square will be energized by the hero’s fierce commitment to the conditions that cause freedom. Newark thanks the Dodge Foundation for its impact on countless lives, and we stand ready to move forward in lockstep through the next fifty years.”

“We are so proud to add the Dodge Foundation’s headquarters to our roster of tenants at 550 Broad Street,” said Kerri B. Levine, vice president – Fidelco Realty Group. “As Fidelco continues to redevelop this historic building, we envision it filled with nonprofits and businesses that collaborate to strengthen the community and Newark’s resurgence. No organization better embodies this vision than the Dodge Foundation.”

To continue to honor the legacy of the Foundation’s benefactor, Mrs. Dodge, and the foundation’s long-term commitment to the Morristown area, the Dodge Foundation is establishing a new grantmaking Fund, housed and operated at the Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) in Morris County. The Fund for a Just and Equitable Morris County will provide support to organizations in the county working towards the overall vibrancy of the region and will prioritize nonprofit organizations that intentionally serve and support historically underrepresented communities in Morris County.

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