(Image: Policing and Alternatives Diversion Initiative)
The latest updates from our members and partners, highlighting accomplishments and impact, new partnerships, staff moves, and more.
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GCN update
Check out this review of top nonprofit trends and predictions for 2022, as presented by GCN’s Nonprofit Consulting Group in a recent Members-only event.
GCN is proud to welcome new board member Renee Ducre, Senior Director at Warner Media/Turner Sports, who brings with her expertise in global strategy, digital transformation, and data analytics.
Worth sharing
Harvard Business School Club of Atlanta is again offering scholarships for nonprofit leaders: Apply by Feb. 16 for a chance to attend Harvard’s Driving Nonprofit Performance and Innovation course.
The application period is still open for South Arts Presentation Grants, Express Grants, and Professional Development & Artistic Planning Grants.
Right now, Metro Atlanta residents can get trees planted on their property at little or no cost through Trees Atlanta’s Front Yard Tree Program. Apply soon: planting season ends March 31.
Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta has scholarships available now for students seeking college or other post-secondary education; most applications are due Feb. 15.
Grantmakers
The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation made a new $80 million donation to the Atlanta BeltLine, helping them surpass the $300 million funding mark for trail construction and keeping them on track to complete the 22-mile loop by 2030.
The Home Depot Foundation awarded a $1 million grant to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
▲ Chick-fil-A named four True Inspiration Award recipients for 2022, including Bloom Our Youth and Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, providing them with a total of $350,000 in grants.
Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta announced another round of grants from their Metropolitan Arts Fund, providing a total of $1 million to 29 small and mid-sized arts organizations including Dad’s Garage Theatre, Flux Projects, Horizon Theatre Company, Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Theatrical Outfit, and True Colors Theatre Company.
Wells Fargo is donating $20 million to the city of Atlanta to help small businesses, to be distributed by United Way of Greater Atlanta (in partnership with Invest Atlanta) in the form of grants and loans.
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is awarding a $10 million grant to Spelman College in support of an on-campus creative hub for young entrepreneurs.
Advocacy, equity, and justice
Voices for Georgia’s Children launched a new video series for the 2022 Legislative Session called Kid Talks: Georgia Leaders on Child Policy, presenting a new topic-centered discussion each Monday.
Georgia Equality became a founding member of the recently-launched Equality and Fairness for All Americans Coalition, which advocates for federal non-discrimination legislation protecting all Americans, including members of the LGBTQ community.
▲(Top) The Policing and Alternatives Diversion Initiative has partnered with Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network to support the expansion of non-police mental health crisis response and strengthen recovery-focused care in Atlanta and Fulton County.
Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation was awarded a $1.8 million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development as part of its new Eviction Protection Grant Program.
Black Voters Matter joined organizers, community members, and fellow nonprofits to gather over 600 signatures from Lincoln County residents, successfully halting plans by the local Board of Elections to eliminate all but one polling location in the county.
Animals, environment, and greenspace
Georgia Audubon and Trees Atlanta released the second video from their joint Wildlife Camera Trap Project, providing a candid look at wildlife along the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum.
▲ Jekyll Island Foundation’s inaugural Cold-Stunned Plunge event drew 260 participants and raised over $8,000 for cold-weather turtle rehabilitation at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.
Atlanta BeltLine has formed its inaugural Special Service District Advisory Board, composed of 24 community stakeholders, to help review the management of $100 million in funding from the City; in addition, they have developed a new online map in partnership with Neighborhood Nexus to measure progress toward their “equity and inclusion vision.”
Arts and culture
Among the organizations receiving American Rescue Plan funds from the National Endowment for the Arts are Alternate ROOTS ($150,000), Center for Puppetry Arts ($150,000), National Black Arts Festival ($100,000), and Out of Hand Theater ($50,000).
VOX Teen Communications released the results of their seventh annual Teen Survey, which was expanded to reflect COVID-era concerns and, for the first time, covered the full state of Georgia, netting over 2,000 respondents.
Human Services
HomeAid Atlanta celebrated the completion of a plumbing repair and restoration project for The Drake House, its fifth major project for the Roswell housing nonprofit, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 17.
With more than $271,000 donated from Georgia taxpayers through the GA 500 form, Georgia CORE will issue a $100,000 Collaborate Cancer Research Seed Grant focusing on cancer disparities in health care in Georgia.
Starting on January 12, Latin American Association began offering free COVID PCR testing every weekday in the parking lot of their Atlanta headquarters, alongside regularly-occurring vaccination clinics.
▲ North Fulton Community Charities has partnered with the Georgia Dept. of Family and Children’s Services to provide screening and application assistance for SNAP, Medicaid, and WIC benefits.
Georgia Organics was the subject of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s first Helping Hands column of 2022; in addition, they surpassed their year-end campaign goal of $50,000.
Dementia Spotlight Foundation was also covered in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, highlighting this year’s Alzheimer’s Music Fest.
Reviewing the past year, Goodwill of North Georgia reports that they put a total of 16,199 people to work in 2021, with 57% of them earning sustainable living wages.
Partners for HOME created a new web page and email alert program to share winter warming resources for people experiencing homelessness.
▲ Friends of Refugees surpassed their ambitious 2021 fundraising goal of $350,000, and has also been awarded a grant from Direct Relief to help fund their Embrace Refugee Birth Support program.
Fulton County Commissioners voted to invest $395,000 in Wholesome Wave Georgia to expand their Georgia Fresh for Less program in the jurisdiction.
Black Girls Smile has partnered with retailer JCPenney, which will donate all net profits from its Black History Month collection to the organization and host events throughout the year in their stores and local communities.
STE(A)M Truck is providing new on-campus “Genius Hour” programs for The Kindezi School, and consulting on the creation of a new STEAM Lab for the At-promise Center set to open this month adjacent to the Andrew + Walter Young Family YMCA.
Giving Kitchen set new records for number of people served and financial assistance provided in January: In all, $214,491 was distributed among 204 clients.
HealthMPowers received a BOOST grant of $124,992 from the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network and the Georgia Department of Education, part of the American Rescue Plan Act, to support their Girls Empowering Movement program.
Communities in Schools of Georgia and Communities in Schools of Atlanta each received “transformative,” “unprecedented” donations ($3.3 million and $4 million, respectively) from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
People
The Georgia Arborist Association awarded their 2021 Community Impact Award to Brian Williams, Trees Atlanta Urban Forestry Director.
Georgia Equality welcomes Christian Emilie Dacus as their new Statewide Outreach Manager and Kermit Thomas as their new Southern Field Organizer.
▲ Black Voters Matter Co-Founders Cliff Albright and LaTosha Brown spoke at gatherings in Washington, D.C. and Arizona commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, addressing the need to enact voting rights legislation and to continue the struggle to protect civil rights.
Southface Institute Advocacy Program Director Katie Southworth was interviewed by WABE, discussing reasons climate policy experts are feeling hopeful for 2022.
3Keys has named Scott Walker as its new CEO.
Coxe Curry & Associates is celebrating the promotion of three new directors: MacKensie Brandt, Lindsey Caldwell, and Jill Vaysman.
Rainbow Village added three new members to their board: Cathe Reams, Mona Reiser, and Steve Emert.
CHRIS 180 welcomed Pascal Lewis and Terrin McKay to their board of directors.
CURE Childhood Cancer announced three new board members: Susan Kaufman, Heidi Nelson, and Derek Prichett.
Piedmont Park Conservancy welcomed four new members to their board of directors: Louisa Basarrate, Chris Buettner, Allen Roberson, and James A. Squires.
Atlanta Habitat for Humanity announced that Chief Development Officer Rosalyn Merrick has been named interim CEO.
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is welcoming Sherrie Mazur as their new Managing Director, Communications.
Girl Talk has named Emily Laney as their new Executive Director.
The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta has welcomed seven new board members: Jen Bennecke, Julie Ann Crommett, Jeffrey Hines, Debra Lam, Marc Pollack, Dantes Rameau, and Dekia Scott.
Kate’s Club added Stephen Opler and Austen Tully to their advisory board.
CAIR-Georgia welcomed Mairna Fahoum as their new Office Administrator.
The board of Agape Youth & Family Center has been joined by three new members: Katie Kittredge, Chip Thompson, and Freda Walker.
Tommy Nobis Center has named David Hamilton as their new Chief Operating Officer, following two years in the role of Vice President, Administration.
Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network announced that Jyoti Jindal, Mahesh Joshi, and Jana Korhonen have joined their board of directors.
This roundup was sourced from member and partner submissions, as well as their websites, newsletters, and social media channels; the Coxe Curry & Associates Week in Review newsletter; and GCN staff.
Marc Schultz is communications editor at GCN.
