By John Ahmann, Executive Director, Westside Future Fund Last Saturday, as I visited the different booths of the At-Promise Block Party, sponsored by the Atlanta Police Department (APD), the phrase “the more we, the more I can do,” sprung into my mind. As I walked the block of Cameron Alexander, closed for the celebration, I was […]
Category: Former Thought Leaders
Getting to Zero Waste
By Pamela Henman Increasingly, consumers, corporations, and cities are waking the sleeping giant that is plastic pollution, as a recent spate of corporate and municipal bans on single use plastic items like plastic straws and bags make global headlines. According to the United Nations Environment, about 60 percent of the more than 8.3 billion tons […]
Continuing a Legacy of Supporting Early Childhood Education
By Cassandra Martin Frazier, Early Childhood Education Chair, The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA) has a rich and impactful history of supporting and raising awareness of early childhood education. JLA has long understood the importance of strengthening early learning and development among children to improve overall child well-being. […]
Working Together for the Greater Good
By Natalie-Claire Woods Lyda Last year brought critical changes to the U.S. nonprofit and foundation industry in the form of sweeping changes to tax laws—changes that pose a serious threat to our nation’s philanthropic establishments. The National Council of Nonprofits recently issued some guidance, which states “Most analysts predict that overall donations to charitable nonprofits […]
The State of the Arts in Atlanta
By Doug Shipman, President and CEO of The Woodruff “How’s your new job at The Woodruff?”I get asked this question a lot.It’s been a full year since I had the pleasure of joining The Woodruff Arts Center as President and CEO, and given that the it’s the first anniversary of the “new” job—it felt like […]
When Medicine Isn’t Available…
Photo Above: Dr. Mark Thorson of Haiti’s Children presents Dr. Philippe Seneque with a MAP International Mission Pack. Each pack contains treatments to serve the needs of 750 people. Dr. Philippe is the only doctor serving 80,000 Haitians in 69 villages in his hometown in Pestel, Haiti. By Dale Hanson-Bourke We hardly give it a […]
Let’s Keep Little Five Points Weird
By Matt Terrell (of Dad’s Garage)I firmly believe that a city of our size needs a neighborhood for artists, punks, goths, emos, street poets, and other weirdos to congregate. What makes a community vibrant is the range of people and experiences that that define life there. Not everyone in our society is meant to be […]
Advocacy In Action
By: Melissa Redmon, Public & Political Affairs Committee Chair, Junior League of Atlanta The Junior League of Atlanta Inc.’s Political and Public Affairs Committee (PAC) is tasked with keeping our membership informed on issues affecting our community impact focus areas of Commercial Sexual Exploitation/Human Trafficking, Early Childhood Education, and Generational Poverty; while also encouraging our […]
Breaking out of the “emerging nonprofit” mindset
By Erica JamisonOne of the most difficult challenges emerging nonprofits face is breaking out of the “small organization” mentality—where they feel conflicted or uncertain in how to increase capacity and budget while remaining accessible and community-oriented. Though it may come from a place of humility, this mindset can hamper an organization’s growth and longevity. As […]
“Black Nerd” by Jon Carr: A play that draws on the unexplored Black Experience
By Jon CarrOne of the goals of Dad’s Garage is to produce new work that you would never see anywhere else. I’ve been an improviser at Dad’s Garage for more than a decade, and the marketing director for four years—and what I love about working here is our company’s commitment to producing the work we […]
The Genius vs Moments of Brilliance
By Fabian Williams (AKA “Occasional Superstar”)While scrolling down my Instagram feed, I come across at least two posts a day claiming someone is a genius. Any and everybody: Albert Einstein. Prince. Steve Jobs. Most recently—Kanye West, via Jimmy Kimmel Live, has been telling the world he’s a genius. I thought to myself, genius! By doing […]
Fabricators, Funders, and Fixers
(Featured photo provided by Midtown Alliance)By Matt TerrellArt is not created in a vacuum. There is perhaps no more malicious myth than that of the lone wolf artistic genius, squirreled away is some studio far away from civilization, sending their wares into the world. It’s true that some of the great artists of the 20th century, […]
This Summer, Get Your Art from the Great Outdoors
By Ariel Thilenius, Communications Manager for The WoodruffLast week’s post on street art by Matt Terrell got me thinking: what other ways can Atlantans experience art outdoors this summer? And, more importantly, why should they?In the infamous Georgia heat, there’s nothing better than cooling off in a museum or gallery surrounded by your favorite artists. […]
Public Art Can Be More Than Beautiful
By Matthew Terrell Public art can do so much more than be beautiful. In San Francisco, for example, public art tends to be radical and political; imagine a mural educating heroin users on always using clean needles, and calling on the city to provide more social services for drug users. A short drive up to […]
High Performance Without the High Price Tag
By David Bailey, Project Manager, Southface Most intown Atlantans know that housing prices are rising and some rents have risen by as much as 70 percent. This means less affordable housing across the city for those who need it most, including seniors. For seniors living in the heart of the city, affordability is especially critical. […]
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter Were Honored at the 2018 Bill Foege Global Health Awards
Former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter, co-founders of The Carter Center, last month received the 2018 Bill Foege Global Health Award for their work in eradicating disease and the championing of mental health. Before a gathering of more than 500 business and global health community leaders, the Carters accepted the honor presented […]
An Added Benefit of Increasing Diversity
Do what’s right; millennials will follow. By Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr. Director of the High Museum of Art, Rand Suffolk Sitting on Peachtree Street in the heart of Midtown, the High is fortunate to belong to an incredibly diverse community. Our role in this city is so much more than storing and displaying […]
“How can theater artists help communities tap their rich cultural assets for economic and civic development?”
By Adam Fristoe, Co-Artistic Director at Out of Hand TheaterThe answers to this question, originally posed by Roadside Theater and Imagining America in their Performing our Future Initivative, can develop sustainable revenue streams for artists and arts organizations, drive cultural and economic development in Atlanta, and create community relationships that make art not only relevant to the community, but essential. Since […]
Transform Westside Summit — Friday, June 1, 2018
About the Transform Westside Summit: Westside Future Fund’s Transform Westside Summit is held on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month and is free and open to the public. Our audience includes a diverse group stakeholders. Longtime neighborhood residents, community and faith leaders, heads of non-profits and corporate executives come together to share success stories […]
About Westside Future Fund
The Westside Future Fund is a not-for-profit organization of Atlanta community leaders who believe in the future of the Westside and are committed to helping the area revitalize and grow. Why the Westside? Westside Future Fund was established in December 2014 out of the vision and leadership of former Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed. Recognizing the […]
