Posted inHistoric Westside

July Summit Recap: Fireside Chat with WFF’s Board Chair-Elect T. Dallas Smith

Community members and business leaders convened at The Gathering Spot July 21 for the Transform Westside Summit.  The program began with a moving devotion from Reverend Winston Taylor, legacy Westside resident local preacher, and founder of The Beloved Community Inc. Taylor also owns the historic St. Mark AME Church, which he plans to make a community […]

Posted inHistoric Westside

Exploring the Heart of Atlanta: Westside Future Fund’s Community Tour

The Historic Westside, and its neighborhoods including English Avenue, Vine City, Ashview Heights, Atlanta University Center and Just Us are part of our nation’s Civil Rights history and full of rich culture. During our bi-monthly community tour, Westside Future Fund (WFF) invites the community to learn more about the stories, and history, behind the landmarks […]

Posted inHistoric Westside

June Summit Recap: Celebrating Nine Years of Transforming the Westside

Transform Westside Summit began in 2014 as the brainchild of Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy. Created to bridge the gap between Westside residents and organizations with a true passion and desire to see the Westside grow, the audience includes longtime neighborhood residents, community and faith leaders, heads of non-profits and corporate executives. These diverse stakeholders come together […]

Posted inHistoric Westside

Chick-fil-A Brings Helping Hands and Healthy Food Options to the Westside

When she first started working with the Westside Future Fund (WFF), Carol Waddy knew the organization was positioned to make a tremendous impact in the underserved, disinvested Westside community – and she was committed to help make it happen. Waddy, director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Chick-fil-A, Inc., joined Chick-fil-A with the specific intent to help support company Chairman Dan Cathy’s […]

Posted inHistoric Westside

May Summit Recap: Atlanta Housing’s Work on the Westside

Community members and business leaders attended the May 19 Transform Westside Summit to learn about Atlanta Housing’s work on the Westside. The morning opened with connection and community building, where members of the audience shared resources for the group’s collective efforts to improve the Westside. Jerry McGaughy, Real Estate Development Director at Quest CDC, led the […]

Posted inThought Leadership

Westside Future Fund Brings Home on the Westside to Spelman College

Westside Future Fund (WFF) recently hosted an information session about our signature program, Home on the Westside (HOTW), on the campus of Spelman College. The event was hosted with support from Dena Terrell, Training and Development Program Manager at Spelman College to educate college faculty on their opportunity to “live and work” on the Westside. Our program […]

Posted inHistoric Westside, Thought Leadership

Addressing Racial Inequities Through Academia: Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum and Her Work on the Westside

When she first arrived in Atlanta in 2002, Dr. Beverly Tatum stepped into a critical role for the success of the City. A life-long educator, Tatum was named President of Spelman College – a leading educational institution for Black women, not only here in Atlanta but around the world. She brought years of experience with […]

Posted inHistoric Westside, Thought Leadership

The Visionary Leader of the Domestic Workers Movement: Dorothy Bolden’s Life Story

A Worker from a Young Age In 1933, Dorothy Bolden began working as a domestic worker for a white Atlanta family near her Vine City home in the Westside community. She was nine years old. Every day after school, she’d work at the family’s home, caring for their baby, washing diapers and cleaning the house. […]

Posted inHistoric Westside, Thought Leadership

Taking a Trip Down the Streets of the Westside

While exploring the historic Westside, you’ll find Black history that made American history on nearly every block — including the streets you’re driving on. There are several streets in the community named after nationally prominent Black leaders from Atlanta, each of whom contributed to advancing civil rights and democracy for all Americans. While some names […]

Posted inThought Leadership

Supporting Economic Development on the Westside

Westside Future Fund (WFF) is excited to be supporting thought leadership in the SaportaReport on Atlanta’s Historic Westside. At the October 15 Transform Westside Summit we announced the Westside Future Fund (WFF) PRI Program!  A program-related investment (PRI) is low-cost capital that not-for-profit organizations can use to spur community development. Thanks to charitable support from […]

Posted inThought Leader

Harnessing Arts and Culture for Responsible Placemaking in Historic Neighborhoods

Introduction by John Ahmann, President & CEO of Westside Future Fund. Thank you to Dorian McDuffie for this week’s column. Dorian is the Public Art Project Manager at the Atlanta City Studio, an office of the Department of City Planning for the City of Atlanta. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Dorian. She is […]

Posted inHistoric Westside, http://leadership.saportareport.com/historic-westside/, Thought Leader, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized

Unique Community Collaborations Can Fight Displacement and Improve Housing Conditions

Introduction by John Ahmann, President & CEO, Westside Future Fund Our guest columnist is Ayanna Jones-Lightsy, Co-Director of Safe and Stable Homes at Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF). Last month, Ayanna spoke at the September 20th Transform Westside Summit as part of a panel discussion on wraparound services that support Hollis Innovation Academy families, especially […]

Posted inHistoric Westside, http://leadership.saportareport.com/historic-westside/, Thought Leader, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized

What do Hank Aaron, Ivan Allen and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., share with the Westside? Scouting.

Introduction by John Ahmann, President & CEO, Westside Future Fund Our guest columnist this week is Tracy Techau, Scout Executive/CEO of the Atlanta Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. Last month, we were fortunate to host Tracy along with a panel of Scout leaders and community partners as the featured presenters for the September 6th […]

Posted inHistoric Westside, http://leadership.saportareport.com/historic-westside/, Thought Leader, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized

Making the Westside a community of choice

Introduction by John Ahmann, President & CEO of Westside Future Fund Our guest columnist this week is Leonard Adams, Jr., Founder & CEO of Quest Community Development Organization, Inc.  As the founder of Quest, Leonard leaned into developing affordable supportive housing in Vine City over 19 years ago.  I am grateful to Leonard Adams because […]

Posted inHistoric Westside, http://leadership.saportareport.com/historic-westside/, Thought Leader, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized

YMCA Leadership & Learning Center is Focused on Creating and Delivering Innovative Research-based Programming to Westside Residents

Introduction by John Ahmann, President and CEO of Westside Future Fund This week’s guest columnist is Lauren Koontz, President & CEO of the Metro Atlanta YMCA.  Her column is about an incredible new asset in Vine City, the YMCA’s new Leadership and Learning Center.  In explaining the role of the Westside Future Fund (WFF), I […]