Metro nonprofits benefit from Community Foundation
Top 10 donor-advised grant recipients:
- Grady Memorial Hospital Corp.: $49.74 million
- Emory University (total grants to all Emory affiliates): $6.11 million
- Atlanta Public Schools: $1.72 million
- East Lake Foundation Inc.: $1.53 million
- Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta: $1.379 million
- National Center for Civil and Human Rights: $1.157 million
- Habitat for Humanity-Atlanta Inc.: $1.15 million
- Center for Puppetry Arts: $1.077 million
- KIPP Metro Atlanta: $1.026 million
- Woodward Academy: $916,667
The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta reported one of its best years ever for awarding grants and gifts to metro Atlanta nonprofits.
It was also a record year for the foundation for receiving grants and gifts.
The 63-year-old organization said it took in a record $197 million in gifts and donations.
The big bump was largely attributed to a $103.9 million gift from an anonymous individual donor. Even without that gift, though, a spokeswoman said the foundation would still have had one of its best years.
Roughly $121 million was given to nonprofits in metro Atlanta, nationally and abroad through 5,500 grants.
“It shows the very many ways that the different funds of the foundation touch on different parts of the community,” said Alicia Philipp, the foundation’s president. The funds were a huge relief to local nonprofits, which were adversely affected by the financial downtown. Many were forced to trim staffs, pool resources and find other ways to tighten their belts while at the same time continuing to provide services, sometimes during periods of increased need.
Grants recommended by the foundation’s donors through their donor-advised funds, the most popular form of giving, included $49.74 million to Grady Memorial Hospital Corp., which was part of a multiyear grant from the Woodruff Foundation, and $916,667 to the Woodward Academy. Donor-advised funds, which are flexible, allow the donor time to make giving decisions and to work with the foundation to determine how the money is spent.
“The support of the Woodruff Foundation has played a vital role in Grady’s transformation, enabling the health system to become a state-of-the art facility, improving patient care and operational efficiencies,” said Lindsay Caulfield, Grady’s senior vice president of public affairs.
Competitive grants, which are generally smaller, included a $130,000 award to Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers and a gift of $112,00 to the Center for Black Women’s Wellness.
Kate’s Club, which seeks to help children and teens following the death of a parent or sibling, received $98,000.
Emily Hawkins, the executive director of Kate’s Club, said the donation will be used to serve more children, including hiring and training staff and investing in technology.
“We are trying to balance our growth,” she said. “We’re seeing more and more kids looking to participate, and we don’t want to turn anyone away and we don’t want to charge for our services. Without that money, we would be in the position of living hand-to-mouth, which a lot of nonprofits really have to do. We would be making it and piecing it together.”
The foundation expects 2014 to be a good year as well.
About the Author
Shelia has worked at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for more than 30 years. Previously, she worked at The Lexington Herald-Leader and The Louisville Defender. Her beat is a bit of a mixed bag that includes religion and spirituality, culture and trends, race and aging. She earned degrees from Spelman College and Northwestern University.
