About
The Peter G. Dodge Foundation (PGDF) is dedicated to helping people lead lives free from the effects of alcohol addiction.
Our grantmaking and technical assistance programs support nonprofit leaders in the addiction field in expanding treatment options, advancing public awareness, and facilitating access to resources that support diverse pathways to recovery.
For over a decade, our work has been vital to the health of the 30 million+ Americans who suffer with the deadly disease of alcohol use disorder (AUD).
WHY IS THIS MISSION IMPORTANT?
Everyone is impacted by alcohol addiction, through a friend or family member, one's own journey, or simply from a public health perspective. The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) cites 29.5 million Americans with alcohol use disorder, plus another 7.3 million with a substance use disorder involving alcohol and another drug. Alcohol is the fourth-leading preventable cause of death, with an average of 140,000 people per year dying from alcohol-related causes in the U.S. Yet alcohol-related problems are not treated as a crisis and do not receive the same level of attention and funding as other substance-related issues.
Evidence-based, effective solutions exist, but many are not widely known about or implemented, and there are many gaps and roadblocks in the treatment system. More and better solutions are needed, including an updated view of addiction that is based in compassion for the person struggling, and a holistic view of treatment and recovery that considers physical, behavioral, social, and spiritual aspects.
As the only non-governmental grantmaker in the United States focused on promoting recovery from alcohol use disorder, PGDF is uniquely positioned to convene partners in catalyzing systemic change and creating better outcomes for those with AUD.
OUR HISTORY
Entrepreneur Peter G. Dodge founded PGDF to shorten the distance to recovery for people with AUD who struggle to get well through mainstream methods.
Like many with AUD, Peter attended traditional rehab and countless mutual support meetings, and while he respected the philosophy and how it seemed to help many of those around him, it didn't help him control his drinking or the negative consequences that resulted. Knowing many others who had the same experience, Peter founded PGDF with the goal of helping those suffering with AUD 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 provide 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.
Since PGDF's inception in 2014, we have worked together to build programs that establish us as a capable, forward-thinking organization that works with world-class partners to achieve lasting change.
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.
Through the Mission Grants program, PGDF:
- 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, and has been visited by over 60,000 people since its inception
- Convened an expert Advisory Council comprised of accomplished professionals from across the addiction field
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.
Between 2019 and 2023, PGDF collaborated with Partnership to End Addiction to:
- Establish a national network of over 250 locally-based nonprofit organizations with members in 43 states
- Create a prevention resource for parents of young children, which included a parent-friendly guide to risk and protective factors for substance use and an accompanying webinar featuring prominent youth-development organizations
- Advance program initiatives such as a digital tool for locating appropriate treatment and family services; and SMS-based programs to advance prescription drug safety and overdose prevention
- Increase awareness of the Partnership's free resources supporting family members of those facing substance use issues
- Facilitate relationships with national nonprofits and government agencies
LOOKING FORWARD
Beginning in 2024, PGDF is launching an innovative grantmaking program that prioritizes hands-on sharing of expertise and effort with visionary national partners. Our Technical Assistance Partnerships (TAPs) program will provide essential support to organizations in building new programs, advancing impactful initiatives, and dissolving roadblocks in addiction treatment and recovery.