Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

By the Dodge program staff

(Part two of a three-part series)

Last Monday we started to bring you the voices of our grantees as we explore how the themes of creativity and sustainability relate to each other. We provided you with the following context: 1) We sent essay questions to a sampling of 40 arts, education, environmental and place-based nonprofit organizations, asking them to help us define creativity and sustainability and offer their thoughts about systems-thinking, connections, values, design and “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” (BHAGs); 2) We identified several orientations that described the relationship between creativity and sustainability; and 3) We are considering these stimulating, seasoned and (at times) provocative answers as we frame a set of guidelines and philanthropic strategies that will have as powerful and positive an impact as possible.

Today we explore with you the following orientation:
Creativity = Sustainability

A key New Jersey education figure said, “Creativity is an essential ingredient in developing sustainable communities, in part because people will need new models to learn from and to inspire them…I would suggest that creativity and sustainability… are powerfully and inexorably connected in that each is the servant… and the master… of the other.” (more…)

Michelle Knapik, Program Director

Last Monday a team of “Dodgers” gathered at the Laurel Hill Paddling Center and boarded a pontoon boat so we could see, smell, and touch and better understand the stories behind the rebounding health of the Hackensack River. While there are a number of factors in play, like better environmental regulations and improved industry standards, many of the River recovery stories begin with one person – Captain Bill Sheehan, the Hackensack Riverkeeper.

I have to admit, being a former field hockey goal keeper, I have a particular affinity for the “waterkeepers.” There is something unique about watching and trying to influence actions that are unfolding across the entire playing field, and then serving as the last line of defense. Of course the stakes couldn’t be higher for the Waterkeepers. They are often the last line of defense against ill-planned developments and uneducated (and sometimes just unconcerned) polluters that stand to wipe out critical habitat that protect us from flooding, clean our waters and support wildlife.

During our eco cruise Captain Bill laid out the challenges: the legacy of industrial activity, the impact of the NJ Turnpike, the impact of the Newark Airport, and the continued environmental violations from industry, businesses, and developers (just to name a few). One of my colleagues recalled her childhood images of the Meadowlands as a filthy wasteland. When she took her first eco cruise with Captain Bill a few years ago she was amazed that the River and the surrounding wetlands offered a sanctuary for wildlife and presented scenic views.

Now to truly understand the transformative actions of the Hackensack Riverkeeper, you need to be front and center for Captain Bill’s rich storytelling. I won’t attempt to capture the details of those awe-inspiring stories here, but I will share a few images to pique your interest in the River’s rebound. (more…)

We’re pleased to share that the Dodge Foundation Board of Trustees recently approved more than $4 million in grants to environmental organizations across New Jersey. Sixty-three organizations received $4,171,000 (55 organizations at the Foundation’s November Board meeting, and eight others that were previously awarded grants in 2008).

You can find details about Dodge’s environmental grantmaking here, and details about the grantees and the grants they received here.

Pictured above: Dodge’s grant to The Trust for Public Land’s “Parks for People” program helped revive the Mount Vernon Playground in Newark, where four teenagers were tragically shot and killed, and reclaim it as a safe haven for the community and school children. Photo by Seth Sherman, courtesy TPL.