Honoring a founder and long-time supporter

It is with great sadness that we share that one of our founders and long-time supporters, the Reverend James A. Dodge, passed away last Friday. It was unexpected and an enormous loss for so many who knew Jim. Our hearts go out to Marilyn, his beloved wife of many years, and his sister and her husband, Kay and John Buzza.

Jim was an original founder of AccountAbility Minnesota, formerly the Accounting Aid Society. In 1971, he and a small group of accountants started the organization with nothing more than the belief that everyone should have access to assistance with accounting and taxes, regardless of his or her income.

Over the last four decades, Jim gave generously of his time and resources to ensure AccountAbility Minnesota's success. He has been an integral part of the organization and has held many roles over the years that include executive director, fundraiser, board member, volunteer recruiter and volunteer tax preparer, in addition to being the organization's most generous individual donor. The James A. Dodge Legacy Fund was established in his name a number of years ago to ensure sustainability of the organization.

In his deeds and words, Jim sought to reduce poverty – and the cycle of poverty – and was a passionate and highly effective advocate for low-income people.

He worked to address and increase access to basic necessities for struggling families and also understood that systemic change is needed to ultimately reduce poverty. Jim was excited to see AccountAbility Minnesota expand its services to integrate asset building into tax time through the provision of tools, resources, and information that help taxpayers make good decisions about their financial future. A true change agent, Jim also encouraged the organization to engage with policy makers to educate them about our work and advocate for policy that supports low-income families.

Jim had a very deep, personal, and spiritual commitment to social justice and equality. These values drove his work, voluntarism, and philanthropic investments. His legacy will live on in AccountAbility Minnesota’s work for many years to come.

If you would like more information about Jim's memorial and service, please see his obituary in the Star Tribune.

If you are looking to make a gift in honor of Jim Dodge, please donate here.