The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, after 50 years of supporting organizations across the state, is relocating its headquarters from Morristown to Newark, where it can further immerse itself and strengthen its impact in dismantling systemic inequities.
The Dodge Foundation, a longstanding private foundation committed to supporting organizations and leaders addressing the root causes and repair of structural racism and inequity in the state, will be taking space at the Fidelco Realty Group’s historic 550 Broad St. building as it recognizes 50 years of impact in 2024.
The Dodge Foundation said its decision to relocate to Newark was based on wanting 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.
“Amid our transition to Newark, the Dodge Foundation remains dedicated to investing resources in and empowering communities across New Jersey to thrive,” Tanuja Dehne, CEO and president of the Dodge Foundation, said. “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 at 550 Broad St. sits 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,” Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said. “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 50 years.”
With a 50-year history of supporting organizations across New Jersey, the move is another example of the Dodge Foundation’s strong commitment to community partnerships with an array of organizations, nonprofits and community leaders actively engaged in achieving racial equity and justice for New Jersey communities.
“We are so proud to add the Dodge Foundation’s headquarters to our roster of tenants at 550 Broad St.,” Kerri Levine, vice president with Fidelco Realty Group, said. “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, Geraldine 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 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.
