About PGDF
Our history, leadership, and impact
About Us
The Peter G. Dodge Foundation (PGDF) is a nonprofit private foundation fostering a more humane world for people with addiction. Established in 2014 by Hanover Research founder Peter G. Dodge, we partner with leaders in the addiction field to promote collaboration and compassion, advance evidence-based knowledge, and eliminate gaps in recovery support.
Our Leadership
Board of Directors
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Peter G. Dodge
Founder, Board Chairman & President
Biography
Peter Dodge is a philathropist and entrepreneur who has experienced the effects of alcohol addiction. In 2014, he founded the Peter G. Dodge Foundation (PGDF), a private grantmaking foundation dedicated to helping people minimize the damage that alcohol use disorder can cause. By investing over three million dollars of his personal resources in PGDF's programs, Peter has transformed the Foundation from a private philanthropic endeavor to a nationally recognized charity that works with world-class partners to achieve lasting change.
Peter is the Founder and Chief Performance Officer of Hanover Research, a global information services firm based in Washington, DC. Ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in DC and as one of the largest market research firms in the world, Hanover provides knowledge support to more than 1,400 for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Peter also founded and sits as Chairman of GP Ventures (GPV), which provides funding to seed-stage enterprises. A graduate of Washington and Lee University, Peter divides the majority of his time between Telluride, CO, and Maui, HI.
Board of Directors Members
Advisory Council
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Dr. Jan Gryczynski, PhD
Vice President and Senior Research Scientist, Friends Research Institute
Biography
Jan Gryczynski is Vice President and Senior Research Scientist at Friends Research Institute, where his research interests focus on the intersection of medical care and behavioral health, particularly where novel approaches to service delivery can improve access, engagement, and outcomes. His addiction-focused research spans the spectrum of substance use problems, from early intervention studies with adolescents, to treatment research with populations characterized by high problem severity and complex comorbidities. Much of his work has emphasized practical strategies for service improvement in vulnerable and underserved populations. His research has included randomized trials of service strategies in addiction treatment, studies to inform intervention design, and investigations of individual and contextual factors that shape health behavior, service delivery practices, and patient outcomes. Dr. Gryczynski has served as Chair of the Advisory Council for The Peter G. Dodge Foundation since 2016.
Advisory Council Members
Our History
Entrepreneur Peter G. Dodge founded PGDF in 2014 to shorten the distance to recovery for people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who struggle to get well through mainstream methods. He hoped to help those suffering with AUD to learn to build their own "toolboxes"—tools that would allow them to reduce the harm from their drinking or to abstain completely if they chose.
His vision for PGDF came into focus when he enlisted the help of co-founder Elizabeth Cairns. Her role was to design the foundation's structure and programs and to build PGDF's expertise in alcohol use disorder. To her, collaboration and partnership with leaders in the field were essential to PGDF's impact.
2014-2019: Mission Grants
In its first five years, PGDF functioned as a traditional private foundation, with the majority of funds coming from Peter himself. We completed five successful grant cycles, carefully choosing initiatives where our funding would make a substantial difference for people with AUD.
Key Achievements:
- Presented educational events and resources on AUD to the public that reached over 100,000 people
- Funded three innovative pilot studies on novel strategies for treating AUD, opening new areas of scientific inquiry
- Supported AUD-related training and education for an estimated 800 leaders in the addiction field
- Sponsored reduced-cost treatment, referral to treatment, or treatment-enhancing services for approximately 1,000 people
- Developed a comprehensive online guide to AUD treatment and recovery that details over 50 topics and 140 resources
- Convened an expert Advisory Council comprised of accomplished professionals from across the addiction field
2019-2023: Partnership
In 2019, PGDF joined forces with Partnership to End Addiction, an organization newly formed from the merger of two major, longstanding organizations in the addiction field. Our four-year partnership resulted in an innovative grantmaking model that combined technical assistance with funding, by embedding PGDF's co-founder and Executive Director on the Partnership's staff.
Key Achievements:
- Established a national network of over 250 locally-based nonprofit organizations with members in 43 states
- Created a prevention resource for parents of young children, which included a parent-friendly guide to risk and protective factors for substance use
- Advanced program initiatives such as a digital tool for locating appropriate treatment and family services
- Increased awareness of the Partnership's free resources supporting family members of those facing substance use issues
- Facilitated relationships with national nonprofits and government agencies
2024 & Beyond: Looking Forward
In 2024, PGDF relaunched as a private operating foundation, introducing a new program that prioritizes hands-on sharing of expertise and effort with visionary national partners. Our Technical Assistance Partnerships (TAPs) program provides essential support to organizations in building new programs, advancing impactful initiatives, and dissolving roadblocks in addiction treatment and recovery. At the same time, we moved our treatment guide from the PGDF website to its own domain, AlcoholUseDisorder.org, revamping and expanding the content, and bringing in partners to create a strong standalone resource for people with AUD.
Learn more about our programsOur Impact
Education and Awareness: We've created resources and events to educate the public about AUD, reaching people nationwide — 100,000+ people reached
Studies and Programs: We've funded research studies and programs to increase options for AUD treatment — 7 studies and programs
Professional Training: We've supported AUD-related training and education for nonprofit leaders and healthcare providers — 1800+ professionals trained
Direct Services: We've sponsored reduced-cost treatment and services for people with AUD — 1,000+ people served
Collaborations: We've fostered partnerships among national and locally-based leaders by establishing networks and hosting convenings — 250+ organizations