The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation today announced the election of Nicole Stallworth to its Board of Trustees. A seasoned attorney and impact investing leader, Stallworth brings a distinguished career at the intersection of law, finance, and social change. Her experience will meaningfully advance the Foundation’s mission to close New Jersey’s racial wealth gap and deploy all of our resources in service of that goal.
Stallworth currently serves as General Counsel and Secretary of the Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF), the impact investing arm of the Open Society Foundations, where she advises on global investments designed to generate measurable social and economic impact.
“We are delighted to welcome Nicole to our Board,” said Dan Fatton, Board Chair of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. “Nicole’s robust experience in foundation-based impact investing, along with her insight into the legal frameworks that foster social transformation, makes her a phenomenal addition. Nicole’s appointment reflects our continued commitment to deploying our full range of resources to drive meaningful social impact across New Jersey.”
Prior to joining SEDF, Stallworth served as Associate General Counsel at New York University and the Battery Park City Authority, where she advised on a broad range of legal, governance, investment, and operational matters. She began her legal career at Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP, where she spent a decade as a public finance attorney advising nonprofit organizations, governmental entities, and financial institutions. Throughout her career, she has developed particular depth as a tax-exempt organizations attorney, counseling nonprofit institutions and supporting innovative approaches to deploying capital for public benefit.
“Nicole understands from the inside how foundations can most effectively mobilize capital as an instrument of change,” said Samra Haider, President and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. “Her expertise at the intersection of law and social change, and her firsthand experience advancing impact investing within a major foundation, are exactly the perspectives that will help us think more boldly about how every asset we hold can work toward a more just and equitable New Jersey.”
“I am honored to join the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation’s Board at such a consequential moment,” said Stallworth. “The Foundation’s commitment to closing the racial wealth gap is both ambitious and deeply necessary. I look forward to contributing to the strategic thinking about how the full range of the Foundation’s resources, from grants to investments, can create more equitable opportunities across the state.”
Stallworth earned her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and her B.S. in Marketing from Hampton University. She is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science and is admitted to practice law in New York, Ohio, and New Jersey, where she currently resides.
Through the election of Stallworth to its Board, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation deepens its commitment to aligning legal rigor, investment expertise, and mission-driven strategy in the pursuit of equitable economic opportunity across New Jersey.