The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta has granted $200,000 in grants to support several high-capacity nonprofits providing relief focused on emergency assistance and the foreclosure crisis throughout its 23-county metropolitan area.
“We know nonprofits have experienced an exponential increase in the number of families and individuals needing basic services. At the same time, reductions in their funding have forced them to cut already tight budgets, making them at risk of not being able to meet the demand,” said Alicia Philipp, president of The Community Foundation.
The Foundation distributed $60,000 to ten regional assistance programs to provide urgent, direct assistance to households with basic needs – food and medicine, rent and mortgage assistance and transportation. Another $40,000 will be awarded to one of these organizations to conduct comprehensive outreach services and housing assistance for clients.
“These times are challenging for all of us but especially those in our community with low-paying jobs or who have lost their jobs. In some cases, families are having to choose between eating and staying in their homes,” said Dorothy Chandler, executive director of Midtown Assistance Center, a grant recipient. “So many of our neighbors are in crisis and need immediate assistance.”
The Community Foundation will grant an additional $100,000 to a consortium of affordable housing advocates to address the Atlanta’s foreclosure crisis and the need for more affordable housing. The funds will be shared among four organizations, each uniquely suited to support the tasks ahead. These tasks include restoring properties and bringing together qualified purchasers and renters with targeted services and housing.
Collaboration partners are Enterprise Community Partnerships, FCS Urban Ministries (FCS), Resources for Residents and Communities (RRC) and Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership (ANDP).
According to Clara Axam, Atlanta office director at Enterprise Community Partnerships, Enterprise will help coordinate the initial 12-month project in two Atlanta neighborhoods hit hardest by the crisis.
“It’s about helping people secure decent, affordable housing. Renewing these neighborhoods is renewing a sense of community for residents. We can have strong thriving families where we have flourishing communities. This work is critical,” says Axam.
In addition to these grants, The Community Foundation has launched a new engagement series, "Impact Philanthropy" to educate donors on ways they can help local nonprofits during these difficult times. The series includes multiple “Community Conversations” where philanthropists will hear directly from nonprofit leaders about the issues and challenges they currently face.