TogetherATL

Priority #1: Cultivate equity and shared prosperity.

There’s no question that the needs in our community are pressing. We must move forward with great urgency to address those needs. Equity is our top priority. Our strategy, TogetherATL, provides a blueprint for the Community Foundation to champion equity and lead boldly in collaboration with our community partners, working TOGETHER to secure prosperity for all throughout Atlanta.

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The opportunity before us

Atlanta is #1, but this time, it’s not a good thing. Atlanta is the #1 city in America for income inequality. In order to thrive as a region and a community, it is critical that this issue be addressed. Atlanta will grow and thrive only when all residents have an equal and equitable opportunity to learn, work, engage and contribute to a healthy, just, prosperous community.

TogetherATL has two primary points of focus: 1) Amplifying the unique voices of the places we call home, and 2) Changing the systems that prohibit our region from achieving a lasting positive impact.

Places

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta works with — and for — our community. We nurture community voices in South Cobb, South Fulton and Thomasville supporting residents living in those areas. Each of these communities is dramatically different and will require a partnership with residents to develop a neighborhood strategy, both to achieve that voice and to gain consideration in the decision-making process from state and local political representatives.

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Systems

To achieve long-lasting change, the Community Foundations seeks to transform the systems that prohibit our region from achieving a lasting impact to build a better ATL for all. This transformation includes equity in the arts sector, system-level change in housing, addressing income and wealth gaps that exist across racial lines, and growing representation and leadership among communities of color.

Arts, Culture and Creative Enterprises

The Arts, Culture and Creative Enterprises TogetherATL Fund addresses historic inequities for arts organizations, artists and small creative businesses in our region. This funding will also serve to amplify the voice of Black artists speaking for their community, strengthen the regional economy, and foster an environment of lifelong learning at all stages of life.

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Housing and Neighborhoods

The Housing and Neighborhoods TogetherATL Fund supports the creation of 5,000 units of affordable housing in the region by 2026, while comprehensively addressing the complex and critical issue of providing affordable housing. Plans include a combination of advocacy, grantmaking, impact investing and strong partnerships. This Fund supports organizations which are helping people stay in their neighborhoods or find new affordable homes.

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Income and Wealth

The Income and Wealth TogetherATL Fund reduces income and wealth gaps, increasing opportunities for economic mobility and wealth-building, especially among Asian, Black and Latinx communities. This Fund works to reduce the gaps in racial income and wealth by supporting career and workforce development, and by providing access to capital for individuals and families in the region.

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Power and Leadership

The Power and Leadership TogetherATL Fund works to offer everyone in the ATL a voice and encourages them to use it. This Fund aims to increase civic engagement and voter participation rates in communities of color that are equal to, or exceeding, the national average by 2026. This effort seeks to shift power into the hands of community citizens and invigorate a sense of belonging through participation in get-out-the-vote and community organizing activities.

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Did you know?

  • Research shows that the Atlanta region tops the U.S. in lack of economic mobility, and is among the fastest growing regions in the country for suburban poverty. These statistics reveal profound inequity in income, education, health outcomes and more.
  • Our city is one of the most racially segregated in the country. You can learn more about this issue and view how Atlanta compares to other cities on The Opportunity Atlas’ website. The net result of this plight is isolation and poor outcomes for our region’s Black, immigrant and Latinx communities.
  • Perhaps one of the most alarming statistics linked to poverty is the life expectancy rates in the Atlanta area. The map below shows a 10-year difference in life expectancy for children born across the region’s different zip codes.
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When we reduce, or eliminate, gaps in equity, we can then expand opportunity in neighborhoods across the Atlanta region — developing an environment in which ALL people can live, learn, work and raise their children. Everyone experiences prosperity through lasting, long-term change — not through a quick fix.