The mission of YIMBY Georgia is right there in the acronym: Yes, In My Backyard. The Atlanta nonprofit works in direct, hands-on ways to help people experiencing homelessness – and helps the rest of us assist them, too. “We offer…
About seven years ago, the Putnam County region lost some of its major employers. Looking for ways to boost the economy, community leaders recalled the poetry and prose that seemed to spring from the piedmont. With that in mind, the…
An estimated 41.3% of Gainesville’s population is Hispanic. Hall County’s Latinos, mostly Mexican with growing numbers of Salvadoran and Nicaraguan immigrants, are the largest minority living below the poverty line, in neighborhoods where 50% – or more – are in…
From drought-ravaged Kenya to tornado-stricken Newnan, SERV International, with its headquarters in Canton, goes where the trouble is to distribute nutritious food boxes and so much more. SERV – a distinctive way to spell “serve,” not an acronym – is…
If you are a musician about to take your guitar to the sidewalk to busk for spare change, first check out the Georgia Music Foundation (GMF). You might be eligible for a grant or another opportunity. Last year, the organization…
As a child, Brandon Cantrell was diagnosed with brain cancer that caused frequent seizures and hospitalizations. He eventually discovered that arts and crafts – especially the meditative, repetitive hand motions of crochet – steadied his mind. Earlier this year, Synergies…
When Margaret Coker moved to Savannah in 2019, she craved ambitious, local news. She began to think about starting a periodical, but knew she needed an innovative approach. It’s old news that seismic shifts in technology have irrevocably altered the…
Families come from all over the region to get their kids specialized cancer treatment at Emory’s new Proton Therapy Center in Midtown Atlanta. In the past, some parents have been forced to forego such treatments, which can involve weeks of…
Many artists – musicians, dancers, painters, actors and others – struggle to make ends meet even during prosperous times. The COVID-19 pandemic hit Atlanta artists especially hard, closing down their venues. “Also, most of us have a day job we…
Breanna Luke was a high-school dropout and young mother of three who wanted an education. She started studying business technology at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) but ran out of money in her final semester. The GNTC Foundation stepped in…
In 1997, Sondra Ilgenfritz’s mother developed breast cancer and could no longer indulge her passion: going to the theater. Sondra Ilgenfritz decided to bring the theater to her, by inviting actors to perform in her home. The project filled such…
It’s been 24 years since Georgia Trend’s inaugural 40 Under 40, and each year the winners continue to leave us awed and inspired. That’s especially true during this troubling year, as many in this group of young leaders are working…
Paint Love adds vibrant, hopeful color to the lives of children facing poverty and trauma. “We envision a world where all young people have access to creative experiences that empower them to imagine a future not limited by adverse experience,”…
Marta Chapman was known as a life-changing Hall County teacher who sprang into action in extraordinary ways to help her students. “One girl was being ridiculed for her old clothes, so Marta bought her a new wardrobe,” says her husband,…
The Birdwell Foundation for PTSD is a Houston, Texas-based organization that coordinates resources and assistance for people dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). It started as a veterans’ organization and this year expanded to treat…
What seems like small change can make a big difference. For every dollar that customers of Georgia Power donate through their monthly utility bill, the power company will contribute $1.50 to Project SHARE, an emergency fund for individuals and families…
You might say Grey Cohen is a prodigy when it comes to philanthropy. The 16-year-old sophomore at Druid Hills High School founded a nonprofit in March, just as the coronavirus hit Georgia. The concept of The Meal Bridge is so…
City of Refuge got off to an inauspicious start. Pastor Bruce Deel was dispatched to close a small church with a dwindling congregation. “I was only supposed to be there for six months to tie up loose ends,” he recalls,…
“Our mission is to promote environmental conservation through education,” says President and CEO Andrea Timpone. The organization, with a historical museum and animal exhibits, serves 15,000 students a year in on-site field trips and also travels to schools from northeast…
Around 30 years ago, a group of Lumpkin County churches banded together to form a food pantry. Since then, their efforts have grown into a sprawling Dahlonega nonprofit called Community Helping Place (CHP), which lives up to its name by…
The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia (FBNG) started modestly, with a few cans of soup in an Athens garage in 1992. Since then, it has amassed inventory that includes flash-frozen fruits and vegetables along with canned food, bread, dairy products,…
The people at the Matthew Reardon Center for Autism (MRCA) in Savannah believe that all students deserve the opportunity to succeed. Since 2000, the organization has operated southeast Georgia’s only accredited, year-round day school for children with autism. Last year,…
Jackson County is relying on education to prepare for a boom. SK Innovation, a South Korean company that makes batteries for electric vehicles, is expected to bring 2,000 jobs – Georgia’s largest economic development project in a decade – to…
In Georgia, if your life has been upended by trauma or natural disaster in the past 25 years, you probably have received a helping hand from Inspiritus. That sweeping mission includes everyone from refugees to abused children, but much of…
Islam is often misunderstood, so when it comes to explaining their faith and their culture, Muslims prefer to speak for themselves rather than leave it to others. “Our goal is to build bridges of understanding and create spaces for mutual…
Imagine a retirement refuge deep in the forest, with villas, plenty of food, exercise space, room to roam and a life free from the daily grind. It’s available on a 236-acre sanctuary in the mountains of Blue Ridge, but it…
Metro Atlanta can thank the watersheds of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, in the North Georgia Mountains, for the crystal-clear water that flows out of its taps. In 1986, the U.S. Forest Service drafted a management plan for the watersheds. Several…
Evelyn Asher needed a ride to the hospital. She turned to the Independent Transportation Network, or ITNLanier, a nonprofit that provides an affordable, dignified, customized shuttle service for seniors and the visually impaired in Hall County. “My driver and I…
With the motto “driving out hunger, one mile at a time,” Second Helpings Atlanta (SHA) addresses both food insecurity and waste by rescuing surplus fresh and prepared food and delivering it to those in need. “We don’t have to create…
The goal at Ninth District Opportunity (NDO) is so basic – and yet essential and very difficult: “To provide opportunities for low-income families to work and live in decency and dignity.” “Our primary purpose is to work with low-income people…
The Georgia Center for the Book, based at the Decatur branch of the DeKalb County Public Library, uses a variety of programming to promote and preserve Georgia’s rich literary heritage and inspire young readers. “We provide the link between authors…
So much depends on a good first, and second, impression. Dress for Success Atlanta has been helping women make a good impression and advance their career goals since 1997. “Our mission is to help unemployed and underemployed women to achieve…
It is an old, Southern story, but now it is told in a new and more comprehensive way.
Four years ago, Clint, who is on the autism spectrum, was 12 when his mother died of cancer. Soon afterward, he showed up, traumatized and struggling with balance issues, at Reins of Life, a center for equine therapy near Eastanollee…
Glynn County Family Connection strives to break the cycle of generational poverty on the coast.
The Oscar N. Jonas Memorial Foundation enriches the lives of Dalton and Whitfield County students through the arts.
Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort rescues and rehabs injured animals while educating children and church groups.
The Georgia Innocence Project advocates for the unjustly incarcerated.
Reforming Arts helps incarcerated women achieve educational goals and provides the means to build purposeful, meaningful lives once they get out of prison.
W-Underdogs helps local pets – and the kids who help them – in South Atlanta.
Backstreet Community Arts provides artistic opportunities for healing and personal growth in Newnan.
Midwest Food Bank distributes $1 million worth of food each month throughout the Southeast.
The Sugar Bert International Sports Foundation trains at-risk, underserved children in the art of boxing.
Angel Flight Soars flies medical patients for free to hospitals around the country.
Atlanta Metropolitan College Foundation provides gap funding to help college students graduate.
The Frazer Center in Atlanta provides programs for children and adults with disabilities.
Development in Gardening teaches nutrition-sensitive, sustainable agriculture practices to underserved communities in Africa.
Circles of West Georgia mentors women to address the root causes of poverty and break the cycle.
Friends of Disabled Adults and Children provides medical equipment at little or no cost to the disabled.
Mad Housers provide shelters to help eliminate homelessness.
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